Covid-19: Is There A Need To Fear This Pandemic?

The world currently is living in fear of a virus that has threatened humanity. This fear and anxiety among people rose even high when the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared and tagged Coronavirus as a ‘Pandemic’. 

This made it to the headlines of all news channels and newspapers worldwide. To top that, we also saw this news becoming people’s Instagram, Facebook and Whatsapp stories. This caused fear in our minds and has almost made us believe that Coronavirus, scientifically termed as Covid-19 is the worst thing that has happened to human civilization.

Have you, though, tried to question your fear and replace it with rationality and reasoning? 

Let me make all this simpler for you and reduce your fear a bit

When WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic, all it simply conveyed to the world was that ‘now Coronovirus has spread globally’. The word ‘Pandemic’ is simply a terminology meaning the spread of a new disease worldwide. It is used by doctors to understand the depth of a particular disease. It does not refer to the severity of the disease. 

This is different from the other commonly used terms like epidemic and outbreak. The term epidemic is used when a particular infectious disease starts spreading rapidly among a large number of people in a community or nation within two weeks or less. An outbreak, on the other hand, is the sudden increase in the occurrence of infectious disease at a particular time that can affect a small localized group or even an entire continent. 

The spread of Covid-19 has affected more than 130,000 lakh people worldwide and has made its presence in around 120 countries. What is important to note is that out of the lakhs of coronavirus confirmed cases,  around 5,000 fatalities have been reported and about 67,000 have been recovered. This indicates that there have been more recoveries than deaths. 

This isn’t the first time the world is experiencing a pandemic. The last pandemic occurred in 2009 when H1N1 claimed around 4 lakh lives. The death rate of other epidemics and outbreaks like the MERS (2012) and SARS (2002) that affected over 26-27 countries was way higher than that of Covid-19. The reason why they weren’t labelled as pandemic was because, they were eventually contained. Not to forget that as compared to other outbreaks, the pandemic of Coronavirus has received maximum media coverage as well. 

Here is why you shouldn’t panic due to the spread:

• All Covid-19 cases confirmed in India are mild.
• The expert officials have their testing and diagnoses procedure in place
• Those above the age of 60 are more at risk
• Though there is no definite cure to this virus, it is yet treatable. Iven the figure of recoveries, it is clear that those carrying mild symptoms can be treated with rest and appropriate medication.
• As per WHO, the fatality rate of Coronavirus is only 3.4%
• The chances of catching this virus is less if individuals take the required precautionary measures.

What must you do to keep yourself safe?

Although these basic preventive measures and instructions have been given like a thousand times, there are many who are still considering this as a rather ‘funny drama’. 

• Nevertheless, wash your hands frequently at least for minimum 20 seconds
• Cover your nose and mouth by wearing a mask. Do not touch the outside of your mask
• Don’t shake hands with anyone
• Make use of sanitizers when water is not available
• Don’t touch your face, put fingers in your eyes nose and mouth
• Sneeze and cough in either your elbow or tissue
• Dispose of your masks and tissues in the dustbin. Don’t leave them unattended. If possible, make use of washable masks.
• Stay away from those affected by the virus
• Avoid crowds and gatherings at all costs. Don’t travel unnecessarily
• Work from home if possible and permitted.
• Eat healthy and fresh food. Make sure you boil and cook your food well. Eat foods that are natural immunity boosters. (eg. Turmeric, Garlic, Onion, Ginger, Spinach, Broccoli)
• Stay at home if sick. If you start developing symptoms, contact the doctor soon.

Symptoms of Covid-19

Cold and cough

Running nose 

Sore throat 

Fever 

Headache 

Breathing difficulty

It’s true that Covid-19 has no drug that can cure the virus, however, attempts are being made by scientists and doctors to come up with a vaccine at the earliest.