Monday Musing
[Ranjit Sinha]
Arunachal Pradesh witnessed a receding trend in the raging coronavirus cases with the state recording 402 people who recovered from the Covid-19 disease against 327 Covid positive cases on Saturday. However, there is no room for complacency as the pandemic continues to claim lives in its second wave almost daily.
Even though today’s people have extensive knowledge, especially of the Covid-19 situation around the globe, it is imperative to remind ourselves about the harrowing situation that the relatives of Covid-19 victims are going through across the country, and help each other to keep away from the coronavirus by practicing self-restraint and maintaining all the Covid-appropriate behaviour.
Moreover, we should remind ourselves of the long-term post Covid-19 complications, which are more alarming than Covid itself and have become silent killers in some of the states of our country.
According to experts, chest pain, breathlessness, fibrosis of the lungs, cardiac arrest, renal failure and neurological problems are among the most common post Covid-19 complications. Even after taking the Covid-19 vaccine, one may fall prey to the coronavirus.
According to Bharat Biotech’s chairman and managing director Krishna Ella, there are chances of contracting the virus even after the second dose of vaccination. “The vaccine will prevent the infection from becoming serious, but it won’t become lethal,” he said.
However, a study conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on breakthrough infections during April-May 2021 claimed that “none of the vaccinated people died after getting re-infected with Covid-19.”
While talking about the Covid-19 vaccine, without criticizing the vaccine policy of the central government, one can presume well that it will take a year’s time to vaccinate all the people of the state, maybe after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. Till then, caution is the only key to keep away from the coronavirus.
With the easing of the Covid-19 curbs and imposition of strict containment measures in five districts of the state after lifting of the lockdown, the people’s responsibility to comply with Covid-19-appropriate behaviour has increased manifold.
As we are going through the second wave of Covid-19, we have learned to boost immunity to some extent and maintain Covid-19-related etiquette like washing hands frequently and using sanitizers, but we are utterly failing to practice social distancing in public places or market areas. Some people are even seen wearing their masks over their ears and neck, exposing the nose and mouth, risking their lives and that of others around them, which is condemnable and liable to be penalized.
Arunachal’s population figure is a little more than 17 lakhs (approximately). With the sizeable population, the state and its people can play a pivotal role in the fight against the dreaded pandemic. Let us cooperate with the local administration and the health department and become volunteers in the fight against the coronavirus by strictly following Covid-19-appropriate behaviour not only in congested and market areas but in our own sectors, colonies and villages also.
