- The Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus has sent the entire universe into a tizzy as the unknown entity is feared to make an impact on the already devastated economies yet again. There is reason to be wary of the new variant of concern since many of the European and Western countries are witnessing fourth and fifth waves, and Omicron might come into play as well. Mind you, thousands of precious lives are lost which could have been avoided otherwise by following simple Covid appropriate behaviour as recommended by the medical and scientific experts.
PC: kjpargeter
- The vaccination drive commenced long back has succeeded in limiting the severity of the infection and the subsequent hospitalisation to a large extent. As such, there is no reason why each one of us should let go of the guard so soon. Further, what it entails upon India on the fast-emerging situation deserves honest introspection and implementation of strategies that have stood us in good stead over the last two Covid waves. Against this backdrop, the Centre’s warning over drop in mask usage and consequent infection dangers comes amid the Omicron variant being detected even in those with no history of foreign travel.
- These observations should start ringing alarm bells within the country as the upcoming holiday season and the multi-state assembly elections, including India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh, provide fertile conditions for crowding. Any laxity in strictly adhering to the Covid appropriate behaviour would be disastrous. Understandably, there are activities like hard physical labour where masking becomes difficult, but for many other activities like politicking, socialising, or sightseeing, there are simply no excuses. Looking around will reveal that state and local authorities have been lax in enforcing masking for a while now.
PC: freepik
- But the new Government of India warning and a global trend of infection spurts calls for a fresh start and without any further delay too. Needless to mention, masks are not only affordable but also not economically disruptive like movement curbs as well as restrictions. Abundant domestic production has reduced its prices manifold since the pandemic’s start.Note that the cost of the surgical mask is as low as Rs. 1 now and N95 masks can be bought for as little as Rs. 20. Most worryingly, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s projections, India’s mask usage has slipped to 59% presently, after rising through April to touch 80% all of May in response to the savage second-wave surge.
PC: pikisuperstar
- There is no harm if Indians model their behaviour on East Asian nations like Japan and South Korea where over 92% of citizens adhere to masking norms. Indian population size and density are humongous and as such, a surge-like situation will potentially overburden healthcare facilities. Therefore, if the people are reluctant to observe mask protocol, let the state governments levy fines against unmasked persons since the highly infectious virus might be fatal for someone else. Mind you, public behaviours that put everyone at risk need proportionate state responses. And levying fines should be considered to bring in much-needed mask discipline.
