The aftermath is resonant, redolent with unuttered pain, fleeting shadows pass into embers urging us to think and rethink, to get down on our knees bow our heads and pray.  The echoes are a constant reminder of what went wrong, when the whole world stopped spinning for a while, when the noise that we created was silenced, economies came crashing down, businesses were closing and despite it all, the proud, the rich and the famous believed that all they had, everything they possessed  was a result of their hard work.

Though the crisis seems to have passed, it actually has not.  According to what we read in the newspapers, the death toll has exceeded 800,000 and counting.  Some countries are still running around in circles looking for a cure to this pandemic when, in fact, there seems to be none.  Most of us have been living our lives like there is no tomorrow, like only the here and now is what matters; most of the big spenders and high flyers live like they will be on this earth forever.  They have forgotten that there is an eternity, life after death is inevitable no matter what the color of your skin, the extent of your riches, what religion you profess, whether you are young or old, the end must come.

The echoes of the terrible pandemic onslaught are still loudly heard – lots of people are jobless, others are still suffering salary cuts, those who were unfortunate enough to contract the virus are struggling to get over it, those who managed to overcome it are still in some sort of limbo, searching for a complete cure trying desperately to feel fit and alive again.  God and God alone can wipe it off the face of the earth.  In our selfishness and self-importance we have forgotten that God alone can both heal and protect.  

The year 2020 which we had all looked forward to came with a blast and brought with it an  epic pandemic of staggering worldwide proportions.  We were all confined to lockdown, factories, mills, construction, every place of business was shut down; we had never seen such a mess!  The air was pure but a face mask was mandatory, they still are, the roads were empty but it was impossible to go on long drives, our hands were clean but there was a ban on shaking hands, we had time to sit together, but could not get together, those who had money had no way to spend it and those who didn’t have money had no way to earn it.    It was a crazy crazy situation; there was so much time on our hands but no way to fulfill our dreams.  THE CULPRIT WAS ALL AROUND US BUT COULD NOT BE SEEN!!!  IT WAS CAUSED BY JUST AN ATOMIC SPECIES CALLED A VIRUS – CORONA COVID 19.  The weight of a virus is measured at 0.85 x (10)^-18 grams, or about one millionth of a trillionth gram.  It takes around 1.50 grams of viruses to bring mankind to its knees.

Echoes from the aftermath tell us that we may have to live with C19 for months or years, according to the Head of the Infectious Disease Clinic, University of Maryland, USA;  we cannot deny it nor must we panic, we have to learn to live with this, as hard as it may be. Let’s not make our lives useless but learn to live with it and keep some important guidelines in mind – we cannot destroy the C19 virus by drinking gallons of hot water.  Washing hands and maintaining social distance is one of the best methods of protection.  Packed cargo, gas pumps, shopping carts and ATMs do not cause infection.  Wash your hands and live your life as usual. C19 is not a food infection; it is associated with drops of infection like the flu.  There is no demonstrated risk that C19 is transmitted by ordering food.  You can lose your sense of smell with a lot of allergies and viral infections but it is only a non-specific symptom of C19.  When you are home there is no need to change clothes urgently and take a shower.  Purity is a virtue, Paranoia is not!  The C19 virus does not hang in the air; it is a respiratory droplet infection that requires close contact; that is why social distancing is very important.  It is sufficient to use normal soap against C19, not anti-bacterial soap.  This is a virus not bacteria.  You don’t have to worry about food orders.  You can heat it all up in the microwave, if you wish.  The chances of bringing C19 home with your shoes is like once in a lifetime.  The Professor says he has been working with viruses for 20 years and drop infections don’t spread like that.  He also says that you cannot be protected from the virus by taking vinegar, sugarcane juice and ginger!  These are for immunity and are not a cure.  He goes on to say that wearing a face mask for long periods interferes with our breathing and oxygen levels.  Wear a mask only when necessary and in crowds.  According to him, wearing gloves is also a bad idea; the virus can accumulate into the gloves and is easily transmitted if you touch your face.  It is better to just wash our hands regularly.  Immunity is greatly weakened by always staying in a sterile environment.  Even if you eat immunity boosting foods, make sure you go out of your house regularly to a park or a beach.  Immunity is increased by Exposure to Pathogens, not by sitting at home and consuming fried/spicy/sugary food and aerated drinks.  

In essence, what we actually need to do is to sanitize our hearts, keep them free from Hate, Anger, Gossip, Backstabbing, Slander, Jealousy, Envy, Vengeance, Wrath, Greed, Pride, Egoism and every other harmful action that destroys our lives.  We need to take time to ponder, to assess the pros and cons, the good and the bad, to live our lives free of all the hateful and harmful actions that are infinitely more deadly than the virus.  Then and only then will we be able to Stay Blessed!

                                            THE VOICE