Let’s Bring Normal Back

It has been a tough time, these past few months, since the world has been trying to come to grips with the virus. But let’s face it, in this lockdown, we have all spent much needed time with ourselves and our families. Some of you might have used this time to sharpen their skills, learn new stuff, read, write or create. For some of you, it might not have been so positive with lost jobs and businesses.

Don’t get me wrong! I am not writing this post to push some kind of unrealistic optimism or rant about the problem that we have been facing. This is just a way of getting my perspective to you guys and if you do resonate with it or even have something to add, contradict or teach me, I will be more than happy to hear from you. This is my take on the current situation. So, let’s get right onto it.

Coronavirus is here to stay. It’s not going anywhere, no medicine or vaccine is going to make it vanish, at least not in the foreseeable future. So, we need to learn to live with it and accept the fact that we need to change in order to survive. Mankind has embraced change throughout its existence, and these are the times that are demanding it again.

The virus has stirred up a hornet’s nest all over the world putting all the governments into a quandary. India had imposed one of the strictest lockdowns since the end of March with the Stringency Index of 100. (Stringency Index is a Government Response Tracker created by the University of Oxford measured from 0 to 100 with 100 being the stringest measures taken by the government.) In all honesty, I believe that the lockdown has only delayed the inevitable, although I am not saying that it wasn’t necessary. It is crucial to understand why this lockdown was necessary and what have been its consequences?

The first COVID-19 case in India was reported on 30 January and started rising from the first week of March. The full-fledged lockdown was on 24 March. The reason for implementing this lockdown was to get our health and other emergency services ready to deal with the pandemic. Additionally, it was also important to make us aware of the grave threat that this virus imposes. The mass congregations of thousands of people were still going on even when the virus was known to be spreading in March which clearly depicts, in a country full of 1.3 billion people, there was no controlling the virus without a complete shutdown. No government can fight the virus unless each and every citizen understands the danger and takes all precautionary measures to avoid the spread. So, it was necessary for the government to impose these restrictions. It made you sit at home and mull over the issue and realise the threat that we are under.

Even though, the great debate on lives vs livelihoods carries on, I do not wish to be a part of it. All I believe is that both are important, and we need to figure out a way where a trade-off between the two can be avoided. The undeniable fact remains that the lockdown had an adverse effect on our economy and almost every business has seen its impact. The current unemployment and inflation are testament to the ongoing economic crisis. Even though, the central government has offered a stimulus package, but it cannot do enough to bring it all back to normal, at least not until we accept the new normal.

Now, it’s time that we accept the fact that we need to adapt with the virus and make social distancing and personal hygiene a part of our lives. Make no mistake, I’m not in favour of staying locked up at home until there’s a vaccine available. Staying locked up at home may save you from the virus but it is going to affect your mental and economic health. Moreover, if all of us stay locked up, our economy will not be able to recover; all the people who have lost their jobs will not be able to get back on their feet; the businesses will not be able to repay their debts to the banks; banks will not be able to recover their investments; the government will lose out on revenues; taxes and duties will be increased, inflation will rise and the vicious circle will go on and hurt us all.

So, the best solution to deal with this situation is to first understand the virus and its transmission and then make changes to our lifestyle to live normally with the virus out there. PLEASE DON’T FEAR THE VIRUS. Fear beyond a certain point is more dangerous to your health than the virus itself. So, stop watching content that is spawning an unnecessary fear in your mind. Be informed and understand how to stop the transmission. It is time that all of us understand this once and for all so that the government will not have to impose another lockdown.

It has been a tough time, these past few months, since the world has been trying to come to grips with the virus. But let’s face it, in this lockdown, we have all spent much needed time with ourselves and our families. Some of you might have used this time to sharpen their skills, learn new stuff, read, write or create. For some of you, it might not have been so positive with lost jobs and businesses.

Don’t get me wrong! I am not writing this post to push some kind of unrealistic optimism or rant about the problem that we have been facing. This is just a way of getting my perspective to you guys and if you do resonate with it or even have something to add, contradict or teach me, I will be more than happy to hear from you. This is my take on the current situation. So, let’s get right onto it.

Coronavirus is here to stay. It’s not going anywhere, no medicine or vaccine is going to make it vanish, at least not in the foreseeable future. So, we need to learn to live with it and accept the fact that we need to change in order to survive. Mankind has embraced change throughout its existence, and these are the times that are demanding it again.

The virus has stirred up a hornet’s nest all over the world putting all the governments into a quandary. India had imposed one of the strictest lockdowns since the end of March with the Stringency Index of 100. (Stringency Index is a Government Response Tracker created by the University of Oxford measured from 0 to 100 with 100 being the stringest measures taken by the government.) In all honesty, I believe that the lockdown has only delayed the inevitable, although I am not saying that it wasn’t necessary. It is crucial to understand why this lockdown was necessary and what have been its consequences?

The first COVID-19 case in India was reported on 30 January and started rising from the first week of March. The full-fledged lockdown was on 24 March. The reason for implementing this lockdown was to get our health and other emergency services ready to deal with the pandemic. Additionally, it was also important to make us aware of the grave threat that this virus imposes. The mass congregations of thousands of people were still going on even when the virus was known to be spreading in March which clearly depicts, in a country full of 1.3 billion people, there was no controlling the virus without a complete shutdown. No government can fight the virus unless each and every citizen understands the danger and takes all precautionary measures to avoid the spread. So, it was necessary for the government to impose these restrictions. It made you sit at home and mull over the issue and realise the threat that we are under.

Even though, the great debate on lives vs livelihoods carries on, I do not wish to be a part of it. All I believe is that both are important, and we need to figure out a way where a trade-off between the two can be avoided. The undeniable fact remains that the lockdown had an adverse effect on our economy and almost every business has seen its impact. The current unemployment and inflation are testament to the ongoing economic crisis. Even though, the central government has offered a stimulus package, but it cannot do enough to bring it all back to normal, at least not until we accept the new normal.

Now, it’s time that we accept the fact that we need to adapt with the virus and make social distancing and personal hygiene a part of our lives. Make no mistake, I’m not in favour of staying locked up at home until there’s a vaccine available. Staying locked up at home may save you from the virus but it is going to affect your mental and economic health. Moreover, if all of us stay locked up, our economy will not be able to recover; all the people who have lost their jobs will not be able to get back on their feet; the businesses will not be able to repay their debts to the banks; banks will not be able to recover their investments; the government will lose out on revenues; taxes and duties will be increased, inflation will rise and the vicious circle will go on and hurt us all.

So, the best solution to deal with this situation is to first understand the virus and its transmission and then make changes to our lifestyle to live normally with the virus out there. PLEASE DON’T FEAR THE VIRUS. Fear beyond a certain point is more dangerous to your health than the virus itself. So, stop watching content that is spawning an unnecessary fear in your mind. Be informed and understand how to stop the transmission. It is time that all of us understand this once and for all so that the government will not have to impose another lockdown.

In my opinion, we cannot stop our lives because of the virus, and we need to carry on with our lives by making some changes that will help us all stay safe and healthy. Below are some things we should all think about and try to incorporate them in our new normal.

• Don’t hesitate to step out of your house. You are safe as long as you follow social distancing, wash your hands regularly, avoid physical contact and follow the instructions issued and updated from time to time by the top medical and research institutions.
• Don’t block payments. If you are able to pay your dues on time, please make sure that you do pay them on time. Because remember, it’s a vicious circle, you block one payment and the whole cycle gets blocked.
• If you wish to travel, make sure that you do not visit places prone to crowding. Stay at hotels that are sanitized properly after each stay. Eat at restaurants that strictly follow the latest SOPs issued by the government.
• Go shop for the stuff that you want. While you do so, make sure the shop/showroom that you enter is following the strict guidelines such as limiting the number of customers present inside, sanitizing all surfaces, etc.
• Incorporate these changes in your daily lifestyle and live your life as you would have lived before the virus.