By Dr Zita Lobo 

Mangaluru, Apr 11: Amidst all the nail biting chaos and cacophony of fake and unsolicited material in the social media plus the real seriousness regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, lockouts, isolation, quarantine, unprecedented separation from the families due to travel restrictions and the sense of impending doom, mankind is still evolving while nature is healing itself------As quickly as possible before man returns to it with his dance of destruction.

Epidemics in history have claimed thousands of lives of people in various parts of the world until now. Ironically technological and medical advancement is the very reason for this humanity crisis. This is a ‘Mandemic’, man-made epidemic, nature’s check on what man has made of man.

COVID-19 is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan province of China, the epicenter of the disease. Dispersed by Chinese to other parts the world, proliferated by tourism and fanned out to the rest of the world as a pandemic, brought inadvertently by travelling by all means by tourists, pilgrims and business to India.

While the national leadership exhorts citizens for “massive behavioral, social and personal changes” grappling under the enormity of the impending upsurge, administrations are desperately trying to contain the high waves of the pandemic. Police on their part punishing, beating up and when nothing works serenading and dancing to appease the confused and anxious masses to cajole them back into homes.

Life is practically grounded. The worst affected are the teeming masses of migrant laborers, the floating population who drift from place to place in search of food and shelter. Luxury of soap and water let alone sanitizers, social distancing, work from home or being bored at home are luxuries the majority of Indians cannot afford. Shunted to the bottom of the pay pyramid people barely made ends meet with Rs200 to 400 per day have already lost two to three weeks of labour due to lock down. This is arguably 50% of the Indian population the worst hit in any eventuality, facing death due to hunger, malnutrition, other existing diseases, exposure or sheer exhaustion from walking. It is this multitude that requires to be ministered to. Both in India and abroad.

Another worst hit community is the healthcare workers. Their risks are manifold; risk of contamination due to lack of face masks and PPEs (personal protection equipment), ‘Covidiots’, volatile patients and their families, fear of contaminating their own families, indefinite separation from their own.

The nightmare of every doctor, nurse and allied healthcare worker now is how to keep ‘the reaper’ away hospitals become overwhelmed with infected people.

At this juncture it is of prime importance to understand the emotional responses that all of us generally have to any situation which is upsetting or can be termed as bad news. The five stages of grief first propounded by a Swiss psychiatrist Elizabeth Kübler-Ross model in her book ‘On Death and Dying’ based on her work with terminally ill people hold good here.

Denial: “Oh no” is the most decent expression one might exclaim. You deny the news with shock and fear. The extraterrestrial look-alike with suction tubes, fuzzy ball like corona virus would never alight in our homes. Refusal to accept.

Anger: Once you are cornered into the reality of no escape, anger, frustration and anxiety take over. Where or who can we lay the blame on? China, Italy, Spain? people who travelled outside for work, study or tourism and returned? God? Why me why my loved ones?

Bargaining: “I will change my ways if I am spared”. “I will never complain about work”, I will always love my family”, “I will be good, God please let this not happen to me”. “if you don’t bring it to my doorstep I will……” This stage is of false hope.

Depression: This false hope leads to helplessness and a sense of being overwhelmed. Escapism or hostility takes over. Normally people who are amongst others would withdraw at this moment. In the present scenario where people are forced to be alone and lonely can have suicidal thoughts. If professional help is not sought people can get stuck in this stage.

Acceptance: Let’s face it. It is bad news. Anything that upsets an established lifestyle and gives lesser choices in life is bad news. But this is not a hopeless situation. This is a time for adjustments and readjustments.

Nationally we have seen bomb blasts, terror attacks, natural calamities and epidemics from time to time. Personally we have faced personal trials, travails, losses both financial and personal. For we brought nothing when we arrived in this world, we take nothing out of it.

To preserve your sanity when everyone is losing theirs here are a few suggestions.

Stay healthy: The adage “Prevention is better than cure” will never go out of fashion. Fortify yourself with available herbal drinks. For a change obsess over the virus lurking in your groceries (if the workers are infected with the virus), and everything that enters your home and the fridge. (Soak a clean towel in warm soap water, squeeze out the water and wipe all boxes and containers before putting them by). Act like Shakespeare’s lady Macbeth! Keep washing your hands.

Stay connected: It is times like these that relations and friends lend meaning. There are more ways than one I can list in this space to keep connected in these days of technological explosion.

Spirituality: It is significant that the first doors that closed were places of community worship. It has literally made people look inward. When people return to temples, mosques and churches they will find meaning in what goes on there.

Share: According to the World Health Organization (WHO) director general Tedros Ashanom Ghebreyesus “this pandemic is much more than a health crisis. It requires whole of government and whole of society response” as more than 1.3 million are infected and 80,00 have succumbed to it. There is a lot of reverse sharing going on where churches, temples and mosques are giving it back to the society. Generously share what you can with others. Take care of your staff. Pay part if not in full to all those who assisted you and are not able to do so now. Contribute in whichever way you can to the relief efforts initiated for this purpose.

Keep upgraded only through the authentic sources: Stay away from spurious and sensational content of social media and doctored videos. Every person is covid-19 expert now and love to scare the daylights out of people’s eyes and replace them with nightmares. So take most news with a pinch of salt! Better still upgrade your news only through authentic sources. Intense efforts are made by the medical research fraternity to find solutions to the existing situation.

Heal yourself: These are also times when wishes like wanting to spend time with family or to have more time on hand to oneself are granted. Do what you wanted to do when you didn’t have time. A lot of creativity is now expressed through music, art, and humorous takes on life in COVID times.

Just as nature is healing itself with forgiveness to mankind, clearing the skies to breathe fresh air, replenishing the seas with clear water and the mountains with fresh snow, animals roaming freely without boundaries and flowers sprouting on the sidewalks and life rejuvenated both internally and externally.

Just take one day at a time.

Dr Zita Lobo is a professor and chairperson at General Education Department, Rak Medical and Health Sciences University.