The urgency of social distancing
Take drastic measures to curtail contact. Lives are at stake
With the death of a 76-year-old man in Karnataka, India lost its first citizen to the coronavirus (Covid-19) on Thursday. The pandemic has already taken over 5,000 lives in recent weeks, while affecting over 125,000 people. In India, the cases are rapidly rising, prompting a concerted interdepartmental government response that has spanned cancelling visas for foreign nationals, restricting entry, issuing advisories on travel, and ramped-up screening, testing and isolation procedures. It has also led to huge economic costs, with the markets crashing, businesses slowing down, and trade affected.
There is no vaccine yet to tackle the virus. But what is clear is that both individual and institutional action are critical in stemming the spread of the disease. At the individual level, basic hygiene practices — particularly washing hands — is key. But what is also now globally accepted is the importance of social distancing — curtailing contact to prevent community transmission. India has taken important initiatives in this regard, particularly the Delhi government’s decision to close down schools, colleges and movie theatres till March 31 and its decision not to host sporting events, including the Indian Premier League.
But it is important to step up this effort, for it is just not feasible for India’s under-equipped health infrastructure to deal with the rising number of cases. All companies, which can have employees work from home, must begin doing so immediately. The costs, in terms of efficiency, are minimal in comparison to the possible spread of the virus. Cancel political rallies, conferences, seminars, book launches and all sporting events. Close down educational institutions and movie halls across all states. Minimise the scale of wedding ceremonies, or postpone them altogether. Use public transport sparingly and only when essential. Avoid going out to malls, restaurants and bars. Limit the scope of religious congregations across temples, mosques, churches, gurdwaras and synagogues. Stop rail travel unless imperative. Enforce home quarantines rigorously in cases of people under suspicion, and those who they may have come in contact with. These steps may seem extreme, but extreme situations call for a response of this form. There is often a tendency in this country to be fatalistic about illnesses. That is not an option anymore. Be responsible, for lives are at stake.