Covity and Covidarity
Author: DR. N K VENKATARAMANA, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon
Corona viral pandemic is spreading across the globe, causing unbelievable loss to human life and the economy. In addition, it has also affected the world in many ways: the economic instability, unemployment failure of all the health and administrative systems. Moreover, fear and existential anxiety are also becoming global diseases. One thing that is consistent in all the above is “unpredictability”, which is, in fact, it is the law of Nature. In every such complexity, there lies the hidden solution too. It could be biological, physical, scientific, spiritual or otherwise. But the need of the hour is to find some predictable solutions and implement them. There may not be one solution, and the same may not work in a different location, hence every such solution must be validated, adopted and successfully implemented.
Pandemic is a global problem, not concerned with individuals and families. Thus the possible solutions should also be global. For this, the fundamental requirement is to come together, pool the talent and resources, create a think tank, identify implementable solutions and quickly adapt uniformly. Then only we will be able to achieve success. The knowledge accumulated and the lessons learnt must be captured systematically, analyzed, and course correction of the existing plan has to be done on the war footing. If everyone has to learn from their own mistakes, then the game is lost.
Controlling in one area in a pandemic is like catching a tiger by the tail. Global measures should come into practice to contain the spread. The goals should be to implement measures to contain the spread, finding all possible medical solutions without false claims, pool all the talent, resources, create a definitive implementation plan, review and revise based on the current findings and feedback. There has to be one National Task Force. Unfortunately, if not, the nations, even states, should be coming together to fight. This has to be considered as a National emergency, if not global. So there have to be uniform policies across all the states. It is nothing to do with individual credibility nor ability. Politics and pandemics will not go together. It is time to look beyond all the regional issues and fight together as a nation. Otherwise, it will keep rotating from state to state in cycles. That is not going to lead us anywhere. The longer we take to control more irreparable damage we are going to face together as a Nation.
A broader plan has to be drawn where people of every walk of life should take part with responsibility. Media should play the role of mass education and proper awareness. So much so the society should get self-discipline regardless of the need for supervision. Then we can also become developed like Japan. All the social media and public media should be responsible for bringing such change. That is a real “Community Spread“. Panic should not be created, nor deficiencies should be highlighted. There is no point in having debates on non-debatable issues and wasting time and resources. It is understandable in an unpredictable and unprepared situation that things can go wrong. Everyone’s role should be to give a helping hand to bridge such gaps quickly, rather than to sit and criticize. Then the entire country can think positively and act collectively and constructively. Then nothing will be a challenge, even if so, we can overcome it easily and quickly.
Finally, to win, it has to be teamwork. It should be played like a World Cup match with a Goal to win. The collective effort of the team with a single goal is more important than the individuals. Of course, those who played well will be recognized and even “Coronated” at the end.
As far as Covid 19 is concerned, though we have started well, we are splitting and moving apart in getting our actions together. If this continues, our problems are only going to be compounded. So two important requirements, Unity and Solidarity, in the fight against this pandemic is essential. Later if it can become a permanent feature, then it is a great boon and learning from the corona. If not, let it be for the time being to achieve the goal as “Covity and Covidarity”.
