Although no coronavirus related deaths have been reported so far in India and there are just three positive detections, that too in Kerala only, there are strong reasons to further reinforce all medical and allied precautionary measures right now. This is a must, keeping in view of the panic that has gripped not only China due to exponential rise in deaths there but also because large parts of Far East Asia are fearing a similar repetition. And if Fridays’ figure, both relating to deaths and of those infected are looked upon, it must be said that there is a sense of extreme helplessness both from the countries as well as World Health Organisation (WHO).

Since hitting the Chinese city of Wuhan in third week of January, official death toll as on Friday evening had crossed well over 650 there and globally, it has infected over 31,400 people across 25 countries. And as casualties shoot up, as if directly proportional to each passing day, it is gradually becoming clear that it’s all happening due to lack of preparedness despite caveats  about signs of a possible outbreak of the deadly virus.  That the frustration is not just limited to China alone is evident from WHO chief’s admission that the world is facing a chronic shortage of anti-virus protective equipment ranging from testing kits, masks, gloves, respirators and gowns. All the above aspects must be taken notice by the Indian health authorities and since preemptive steps are the only available option left at the moment, it is essential they be fine-tuned and reinforced and just three positive cases must not allow any complacency to creep in. Spreading public awareness is now a major task and it is essential that the dos & don’ts enumerated by WHO be passed on to the public through large scale advertising in newspapers and all available medium. But sadly, there hadn’t been that expected initiatives so far. As the Chinese and global experiences suggest, since personal protective masks will be an essential part of the fightback, government must ensure 24x7 availability of them in the market and zero tolerance must be shown in case of any attempt in creation of artificial crisis.

The same is applicable for Arunachal Pradesh and just as it is essential for the District Medical Surveillance Units  to remain alert, wide-scale publicity campaigns regarding the minimum basics such as maintenance of overall personal hygiene, respiratory hygiene, social distancing etc is the need of the hour. Those entering state and having slightest of symptoms must be taken into constant monitoring.

Until the Chinese and global situation improves, a constant level of high precaution must be maintained at all cost. With no specific medical treatment so far, it’s the only option left now.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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