A Pretty Long Absence.....
I am an occasional writer, immersed as I am in my official duties and other activities (cricket certainly being one of them!). But to return for the 2nd over in June 2020 after turning my arm over for the first over in November 2008 is a new high even by my standards!
What have we 12 years hence? Well, this is a world I could not have imagined in 2018; forget 2008! A virus has bullied and bundled us with impunity since 6 months and we are still figuring out the how and why of it. Not to forget the where of it, and which easily points towards the usual suspect - the Dragon that always lies!
Covid-19 is a serious threat to mankind and there are fears that it would pan out over several months more and snuff out as many lives - if not more - as the dreadful Spanish Flu a hundred years ago. It is estimated that the Spanish Flu counted its victims between 50 to 100 million! Even if we stick to the lower end of that estimate, 50 million deaths due to a flu is mind numbing. And 17 million of them were Indians! We have official figures telling us today that Covid-19 has consumed half a million lives. Are we going to see it grow a hundred times to match the wretched statistic of a century ago?
I am optimistic we would stop it in its track much before that. Medical science has taken off since 1918-20 and scientists, doctors, and researchers are experimenting and studying round the clock to find the right vaccine or a bouquet of vaccines to neutralise the virus. Something positively tangible should be within our reach before we hit 2021.
Till that happens, we must keep ourselves safe. Follow the simple three-pronged approach of wash frequently; mask invariably; distance instinctively. These should save most of us. If the virus breaks through this three-layered shield, it would not kill most of us but it surely can harm quite many people. Observe the symptoms and consult a doctor at the first signs of breathlessness. Keep an Oximeter handy to check oxygen saturation levels. It can be a life saver through early warning signs.
Make no mistake; this is World War 3. A war with an invisible enemy and, thankfully, not amongst us!!
I am an occasional writer, immersed as I am in my official duties and other activities (cricket certainly being one of them!). But to return for the 2nd over in June 2020 after turning my arm over for the first over in November 2008 is a new high even by my standards!
What have we 12 years hence? Well, this is a world I could not have imagined in 2018; forget 2008! A virus has bullied and bundled us with impunity since 6 months and we are still figuring out the how and why of it. Not to forget the where of it, and which easily points towards the usual suspect - the Dragon that always lies!
Covid-19 is a serious threat to mankind and there are fears that it would pan out over several months more and snuff out as many lives - if not more - as the dreadful Spanish Flu a hundred years ago. It is estimated that the Spanish Flu counted its victims between 50 to 100 million! Even if we stick to the lower end of that estimate, 50 million deaths due to a flu is mind numbing. And 17 million of them were Indians! We have official figures telling us today that Covid-19 has consumed half a million lives. Are we going to see it grow a hundred times to match the wretched statistic of a century ago?
I am optimistic we would stop it in its track much before that. Medical science has taken off since 1918-20 and scientists, doctors, and researchers are experimenting and studying round the clock to find the right vaccine or a bouquet of vaccines to neutralise the virus. Something positively tangible should be within our reach before we hit 2021.
Till that happens, we must keep ourselves safe. Follow the simple three-pronged approach of wash frequently; mask invariably; distance instinctively. These should save most of us. If the virus breaks through this three-layered shield, it would not kill most of us but it surely can harm quite many people. Observe the symptoms and consult a doctor at the first signs of breathlessness. Keep an Oximeter handy to check oxygen saturation levels. It can be a life saver through early warning signs.
Make no mistake; this is World War 3. A war with an invisible enemy and, thankfully, not amongst us!!
