The Virus

It all began in mid-November in Wuhan, a city in China.  A flu that was unusual and reported only at the end of the year to the World Health Organization. Today, the world is battling a pandemic. An illness which the entire world is equally vulnerable to get.

Each country is handling the pandemic in their own way.  Be it correctly or not, we would never know.  Sri Lanka has over fifty confirmed cases now.  People seem unaware of  how easily the virus is spread from person to person through close contact and airborne particles.  Main tell-tale symptoms are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. In mild cases, some people might not even show symptoms of having the virus but could still test positive if they have been exposed to it.  Being completely cleared would not happen any sooner than 14 days, though, since the virus’ incubation period is two weeks.  Therefore, it is important to understand how to prevent the spread of the virus. The biggest issue in this country, it seems, is that the general population are unaware of how grave this pandemic is, and that hygiene plays an important part in this pandemic.  

To prevent the spread of the virus at community level the Sri Lanka government declared most of this week a holiday.  However, some people believed it was an opportunity to hire a van and go climb a mountain or go to the beach or picnic in a garden somewhere.  When prelates in places of worship declare with certainty that visiting their sites will prevent people from contracting the virus, there is absolutely no hope for our community.  

I was quite surprised that some organizers considered going ahead with whatever shows they had planned and was even more surprised that our glitterati were happy to get into their glad rags and go watch them. I suppose they believe that they are untouchable by the virus. Fortunately, the State put a clamper to this nonsense. Peoples’ greed will surpass anything. Opportunist will, of course, try all sorts of tricks to play out people, even now, by marketing false products and promises guaranteeing immunity from the virus. 

Businesses and individuals will suffer, especially the travel and hotel industries, food and beverage places and fashion boutiques.  Many will be laid off their jobs, small businesses will not be able to pay their employees as well as their dues. We will only see a lot of hardship ahead of us and will all live in hope that it will be all over soon. 

Many believe it is Mother Nature’s way of saying that the entire world must change their style of living and wants. Let us all live with great hope that a cure will be found soon, and that people will adjust their lifestyles and ways of living.

Can we, as humans, at least now realise we are all equal and are equally vulnerable.   Stay safe and blessed.