Pandemic with an unprecedented era

 Pandemic with an unprecedented era

During the tenure in our medical schools, we used to read and learn about the history of public health in which there was a mention about various epidemics/pandemics that have occured in the past with the dates and duration of their occurence. But, frankly we never thought how the circumstances would have been then, how people must have overcome such difficult times and how well the health system handled those events. It was then when the success over the calamities was achieved and therefore today we label them as  a history. 

Right from natural calamities like earthquakes, draughts, gas tragedy, nuclear explosions, communicable diseases like cholera, small pox, and recently ebola virus disease, H1N1 influenza , SARS-1 , MERS, Swine flu, Nipah virus disease , and many others have a documentation in the form of articles, documentaries, chapters in the textbooks. Out of these , few which need special flagging is small pox disease, which has been eradicated from the world ( with the help of mass vaccination against the disease) and others which have achieved a state of elimination  like guinea worm disease, neonatal tetanus, polio,anthrax   .

Today we understand the meaning of words like eradication,elimination,control and containment w.r.t a disease in even more better way . Today we realise how big achievement it is to declare a disease to be eradicated and eliminated from the world. 

There have always been lessons learnt and changes made in the lifestyles, and modalities for preventing , treating and curing diseases which have a known literature .

This pandemic of Covid-19 is one first of its kind . The new variant of SARS co-v virus (2)  has  further mutated versions reported.

This global disease has created an era which was never seen before, it has affected everyone's  life in a way that has created difference in the way things were in the  pre pandemic era.

There have been various means discovered, invented, innovated, and implemented to tackle the disease and get going .

On one hand, where thousands have faced economic brunt, loss of wages, loss of job opportunities and have witnessed emotional and physical disturbances , there have been  virtual platforms  introduced , newer ways have been identified to execute things like learning, online business , art,culture,travel( only when required) { beware of forge e-passes} , ways of reaching out to masses, and many others,  and also more awareness has been generated about the disease. (Still there are a handful of nuisance creators who are ignorant towards the dreadful disease). 

Various NGOs, voluntary organizations and individual volunteers are coming forward to give a helping aid in serving the humanity and providing support to people in the crisis time. 

There have been improvisations made in the care being taken , treatment modalities used for treating the patients ,essential primary care taken for the patients, and tracing, documenting and investigating the disease. 

Today when the health infrastructure is getting exhausted, there have been incidences of black marketing for essentials like oximeters,oxygen concentrators ,cannisters, medicines and injections required for treatment of disease. 

In such case , it becomes everyone's responsibilty to play their roles in the best possible ways like following covid appropriate behaviour, following and abiding by the regulations made , participating in  and promoting mass vaccination drives, creating awareness about black business and alerting the concerned authorities upon identifying such heinous crimes if occurring near by, and aid in combating the disease as a team.. 

There is also a section of society which is spreading negativity all around in these difficult times by misleading and misguiding the masses. It is time we neglect those and start taking steps at our individual levels by not criticizing the ones already giving their selves in the fight against covid-19, believing in  the health system , trusting the various agencies working as task forces , and providing helping hands as and when needed in the best possible ways .