By Pavan Kaushik

It was April 2021 when I was also found infected with Covid, after first dose of vaccine. My oxygen levels were fluctuating and fever was now coming down. It was a panic situation for me as well as my family. I don’t know for how many hours I had to lie on my stomach to bring back my oxygen levels and how many medicines I had to take to be alive. I don’t remember how many times I drank the Ayush Kadha and had everything that the doctors suggested.

I recovered but lost my father in next 15 days. Not everyone could sense what coronavirus had in store. Some knew the risk and some took the risk in-spite knowing.

We had believed that Covid has become matter of past and here the intruder comes knocking back again. Slowly and steadily it is spreading the venom and one by one nations have started having cases, and the cases are increasing alarmingly.

Swift action by Delhi Government and now by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to make wearing masks compulsory is a proactive approach and also a reminder of what can be in store in coming days. It is time corporate sector should make wearing masks compulsory for all its employees, before the situation becomes out of control and work-from-home again becomes a reality.

Proactive approach is the only option that we have or is it that we have another body to live in. It is also a reminder to our daily routine that is exhausted, full of stress and anxiety, and has no space for a breather or yoga. We believe in medication rather than meditation. We believe there is medicine for every health problem and have forgotten what the havoc Coronavirus had created just about 2 years back retired money or references. Have we forgotten how desperately we were searching for oxygen cylinders to save our beloveds?

When Covid knocked each and every country in 2019-20, the best of the developed countries were neither prepared nor equipped to handle such mass spread of the deadly virus. We experimented, we learnt and we decided to go step-by-step. But, before we could actually bring forward a decisive cure, which we still don’t have, the damage was already done. Many families lost their loved ones in just few days. Nothing helped, even the prayers went in vain. Many who some-how recovered are still struggling with the respiratory infections. Many still don’t know what is in store for the future.

Central Government should take immediate precautionary steps, not to panic people, but to make people responsible. Wearing masks and getting administered compulsory booster dose of vaccine should be the immediate first step and the second step should be imposing ban on public gathering with immediate effect.

Right from a small shop-keeper to large corporates, the agenda for the next 3 months should be to make all workers and employees adhere to all guidelines, issued by State and Central Government time to time.

Above all, the key would be how we as citizens respond to Covid now. We need to become responsible and administer zero tolerance towards Covid precautions. No excuses and no fault findings. Healthy life is better than having health issues. Building immune system systematically is better than taking medicines. Visiting doctor might be of help, but administering strict discipline and guidelines would benefit more.

The choices are not much. Let us knock the Covid out, before it knocks us and our economy out.