“Problems are not the end of the road. They are directions to reach new heights to move forward”, someone said. So, let’s take directions from this ongoing pandemic, and try to live with it. The COVID-19 was first reported at the end of 2019, and it is still here. People are trying to fight this disease, and many are trying to find its remedy. Even though everybody is trying hard, but still, this virus is fascinated by us and does not want to leave us so soon. So, facing the facts is important, to deal with or even live with it.
The Head of the Infectious Disease Clinic, University of Maryland, USA reported some realities to expressways to people on how to live with the Covid-19 situation.
It is important to start living a normal life, so just like the normal old days, start going to work, to shopping and there is no need to panic, as the virus does not spread by shopping carts, ATMs, gas pumps, etc.
The Covid-19 is a virus infection, and it is spread by close contact with the infectious person. It is associated with the drops of infection like “the flu”. So, if there is no infectious person in your house, there is no need to change clothes, take a shower again and again, and wastewater.
Keeping the immunity strong is also necessary to avoid getting an infection. Immunity can be weakened by staying in the same environment for a longer time, so instead of always staying at home, try to go outside to the parks, gardens or refreshing environments, but keeping in view the safety measures, because immunity is increased by exposure to pathogens, and not by sitting at home, eating, drinking, and watching Netflix.
Going to walks in the park and the garden can be advantageous but not having any personal contact with anyone is also crucial. It can be done by trying to maintain a distance of two meters from everyone, and by wearing a mask, but wearing a mask for a long time can be hazardous because it can interfere with the breathing and oxygen process. However, wearing gloves is not important, because the virus can readily spread through gloves or by touching face with the already contagious gloves. Washing shoes, after coming from the walk, is not vital because COVID-19 is a “drop infection”, and it does not spread like that.
Going outside even for shopping is necessary but wasting money on buying expensive anti-bacterial soaps, and hand washes are not. COVID-19 is a virus infection, not a bacterial, so just buy the ordinary soap but try to wash hands frequently.
Even when staying at home, try to make life useful, probably by doing some online work, freelancing, taking an online course, or reading books. Do not just start cleaning the house unnecessarily. Because if you do not go outside the home, meet the virus, and invited it home, it is not going to come to your home. The virus is also not found in air, so desensitizing your home, again and again, wasting water and stuff is no use. However, if your mother wants you to clean your room or house and gives the excuse of COVID-19 it is another thing.
If you are home and hungry, have McDonald’s or order any other food, as the virus does not spread by food. It can only spread by close contact with an infectious person. There is no documented risk of coronavirus being transmitted by ordering food unless the delivery people are following the safety measures.
COVID-19 is like that “uninvited guest”, which nobody knows that when would it leave. We might have to live with it for months or for years, so let’s just consider it as a “portal”, as Arundhati Roy called it, to entre into a new, compromising, livable World. So, instead of panicking about it, or wasting time and energy, it is important to start living the life with it. Maybe in this way or someday, it’s fascination of us would end and it would decide to leave us. But let’s hope for the best and be prepared for what is yet to come.
