A month of Quarantine…

A month of Quarantine…

2020

So far, it was a tough year for all of us.

The tense situation between Iran and the USA that created the fears of another war among nations, the wildfires in Australia that destroyed hundreds of families and killed millions of animals, the Indonesian flood...

The world was pretty much messed up already!

Never had the people thought that this can become much worse.

The world had faced a lot of pandemics till now, this was something different!

Something we weren't ready for as humans...

I started my junior college with both options open to engineering and medical fields. Later, I realized that the only thing that made me enjoy biology was just the study part of it. I didn't have any interest in being a doctor or any type of medical practitioner. Maybe it was my disgust towards the blood or the fear of playing a decisive role in someone's life; I soon realized that it was not my thing. But in those two years, my love for studying biology made me learn various biological phenomena, including the working of body organs and diseases.

Fast-forwarding to now, a virus called Coronavirus or COVID-19 started its spread all over the world. This virus has started its spread in China around December of 2019. The first case in India was reported on 30th January. Nobody seemed to notice its severity. But now the same virus has put the world to a stall…

China, Iran, Italy, Spain and France and were the most affected countries by this virus. Within no time, the virus entered India and the whole nation just couldn't believe it how fast it went from bad to worse. Let's not blame anyone for it. I mean yeah, you can't hold the government or any specific community for the spread of the virus. As long as you're a mammal, you can pass on the virus to some other person.

Last Friday was the day when Indian citizens realized the seriousness when the virus entered the major metropolitan cities. I'm a citizen of one of those cities. Some students were already afraid of coming to the college that week. This makes sense as most students have to travel by of crowded public transports. Hence, the class strength for the same week was less than the usual. (By the way, I think it didn't matter much cause even if the students show-up on the campus, they're seen more on the playground than in the classes)

Sunday night, the news started flashing. All the students were declared holidays for at least two weeks. We were happy but somewhere in our minds, we the feared virus. And obviously, that made sense as this virus had killed thousands of people by then. We couldn't have afforded to underestimate the situation. So, after we got the holidays, all the citizens were told not to leave their houses without any important reason.

The MNCs and IT sectors allowed their employees to work from their homes.

In short, we had to quarantine ourselves into our house which was difficult for us at first!

But it was an important decision made by the Indian government and all the other governments around the world. It seemed like all the countries were having a rough time. It was for our own safety…

My first day in quarantine was like any other holiday. My mom left the house for work. So did my dad. I was left with a whole day to enjoy. I woke up 2 hours later than I usually do, had my breakfast at lunchtime, slept some more in the afternoon, played some games on the computer and most importantly…

I took a bath at night before sleeping.

My mom was pretty much annoyed with the fact that I was showing my side of extreme laziness on the first day itself.

She knew this was just my first day at home.

After considering the situation in the state, the government advised all the people to stay indoors. Hence, I convinced my mom and dad to stay at home. We got the necessary stuff for us to stay at home, I picked some packaged snacks. I was really scared, I needed some solid energy to stay alive for a week! Eating became more important than breathing. 

Hibernation wasn't a thing practiced by just bears anymore. Bathing at night became the new norm for me.

The patients in India were few in number then. I had a good time with my family. I thought this would end in a few days and I was highly optimistic about it. But just like the other countries around the world, the number of patients started increasing and with a death toll of 5. All the citizens must have realized what the virus can actually do to the people! People started wearing masks everywhere they went, people started crowded the markets by fearing the scarcity of essential goods that might possibly occur during this period of distress.

That Sunday, a curfew was declared by the government for the safety of the people. People were supposed to cheer for the doctors, the police force and all the staff who is busy working on the prevention of the virus. Unfortunately at some places, people gathered and cheered, this is not how it was supposed to be. The next day, we observed a significant rise in the patients. Still, the people were coming out of their houses for no reason. That night, PM declared complete lockdown in the nation until 22 days.

Some of you, who might think that the engineering student is living a chilled life, you're wrong!

We got this thing called online lectures and we are expected to attend those. The good thing is, the lecturer can't hear or see you in any way without your permission.

I'll be honest with you; I ate my breakfast today listening to one of the lectures.

I'm at my home for more than a week now and I've literally lost the count of the days. Every day seems the same. A boring morning and an evening full of concern. Every evening, I get an overview of this virus situation from all over the world. And it's not a hidden fact that innocent people dying all over the world in thousands. Maybe because of their own foolishness or because of some other stupid person who acted as a carrier. I don’t want to become the infected or the carrier for any person. This is what's kept me home.

And it seems that everyone is staying home for the same reason. Folks! You got my respect. We are not doctors or policemen. But to assist the government and all the people working against the virus, all we can do is stay home. And if you're not staying home, please do. You might think what difference would it make anyway, right?

You'll be setting an example for your family members. You'll be safeguarding yourself and the people around you. A friend of mine who happens to study in Russia convinced his working mom to stay at home in India…

If he can appeal to his parents to stay at home from another country, why can't you?

You'll be staggered with the effect you'll have by staying home. Not only will you help the people tackling the virus by risking their lives, you'll be able to know yourselves more as a person.

Pursue a hobby, read a book, talk to your parents more, do something that gives you a reason to smile in these times of negativity.

I know it's tough to say this, but hey, we have to do this!

When everything was normal, we used to complain about not having time for ourselves. Now we're having a problem with having a lot of time!

Honestly, use this time to your advantage. Do all the things that you wanted to do but never got time for it. Leave your house only when it's really important or if you got no other choice.

Cause this virus is not just limited to a country or two!

This has now become a global crisis!

And I request everyone reading this to stay at home to defeat this virus.

Wear a mask if you have to go out, wash your hands frequently, refer a doctor if you're experiencing the symptoms and practice social distancing.

If we have to stop this virus, we have to stop being a wimp!