Familiarity breeds disregard. This is true of any human situation. Even in the times of extreme distress, when the trouble stretches, humans get used to it. Something similar has happened to the covid pandemic. Our response to the crisis in the beginning is way different than what it is today. Part of it is just natural. Humans cannot live perpetually in a state of fear. But part of it is sheer insensitivity. We become part of crowds that is avoidable. Just have a look at the crowded corridors and the wards in a hospital. Board a bus and experience how people are crammed in the seats and the isle that there is no place for a shadow. Step into a retail store and the customers behave as if there never was a thing like covid pandemic. Same is the story of government offices and other public spaces. And now we have started the schools as well. Not to talk of social distancing, people have stopped wearing a mask too. But all this is not just normal. It is an invitation to a return of crisis. We have seen how at many places the corona cases are peaking up again.
In India also the recent figures are showing a sharp upward turn in the cases of covid infection. At many paces the restrictions are back in operation. All this entails that we start getting serious about this crisis. Covid is still here, and the virus is travelling from person to person the same way as it was in the earlier days. Without inviting a bigger disruption in normal life, we must start following the SoPs seriously. It doesn’t take much to maintain distance, avoid unnecessary crowding, washing hands and wearing masks. The costs of violating these small precautionary measures are too high to be paid. We have already lost many lives, and we should keep this in mind that the killer virus is still amidst us. Till the time vaccination covers us all, we need to observe the SoPs and ensure the safety of our health and life.