There’s not one person out there today who doesn’t know about the sensational corona virus. Some people say this is the beginning of the end of the world and some the beginning of a better world. Whatever it maybe, this is something which cannot be ignored and taken lightly. I still think this is all a dream, I’m in denial that I would live to see such an apocalyptic world, I’m not particularly scared but I’m very intrigued for the things to come and at the same time I hope this is not the end of everything I hoped and dreamed of. The quarantine hit me like a wrecking ball, I did not see it coming and it knocked me to the ground for a solid good time. For someone staying in constant battle with themselves, this was hard to comprehend, even my body started to rebel along with my mind. I was no longer in control of myself. I realised that only when you lose something you realise you needed it so much, in this case it was my freedom and my relationship with people. 2020 had already done its damage and it felt like its not stopping anytime soon. When I saw my parents run frantically to the nearby grocery store to get whatever they could, tell me at least a thousand times that I was not allowed to step out of the door, it felt like a movie, a thriller, just to be precise. Is this how it feels when the world ends? I’ll be curled up in my bed watching Netflix? seemed too easy.
I wanted to delete my existence. There were people lying on the streets of Italy because they did not have enough beds to nurse them in, a man died on his way home from the construction site he worked in because he had a heart attack and hadn’t eaten for days due to the lockdown in our country, nobody would now dare go out to provide the basic necessities for these people who toil despite the same fear of contracting the virus, nurses in hospitals have to suffer several bruises all over their faces because of the masks and had no time to take care of themselves, I cannot begin to explain the Indian government anymore and here I was cribbing that I had to stay safe and secure with my loved ones. I felt terrible living like this but it really hit me when I realised that people out there endured way worse.
After all what is this corona virus and why is everybody petrified just at the sight of this word? what started as pneumonia in the “wet markets” of Wuhan, China, in the beginning of this year has now spread to nearly every country in the world. Coronaviruses is a family of viruses which cause disease in animals. Seven, including the new virus, have made the jump to humans. This formidable virus starts out with cold-like symptoms but could lead to death if not treated properly and on time. Though the animal source of this virus has not yet been identified, the original host is thought to be bats. As we know previously that bats are host to a wide range of zoonotic viruses such as Ebola, HIV and rabies its no surprise that they are to coronavirus too. So far, around 20% of Covid-19 cases have been classed as “severe” and the current death rate varies between 0.7 %and 3.4% depending on the location and crucially, access to good hospital care. It mostly leads to mild infections, there may also be people carrying the disease and displaying no symptoms, making it even harder to control.
This is the very reason governments all around the world are plunging all the cities into massive lockdown, in hopes to prevent the spreading of the virus. Especially in India, it’s almost been a month since the whole country has been in lockdown. Modi takes very effective measures to drive corona away from our country by imposing “Janta Curfew”, making sure everybody claps hands at 5:00 in the evening and lighting candles. This somehow is only increasing the number of infected people. Covid-19 has also apparently given people a good reason to be a racist because now policemen and other people find it okay to call asian looking people “coronavirus” in a mocking tone or beat them up if they were to be seen outside because they were the “reason” the world is suffering the virus. Just when I thought the human race had let me down they manage to delve deeper down to prove me wrong.
I have gotten accustomed to this lifestyle now, I have grown numb towards my emotions. In fact I feel more at peace. Social- distancing is just a term made for something that I was doing for ages so it was nothing really new to me. Even if there was no quarantine measures taken my life consisted of me occasionally going out except for college. This sounds sad in particular when my other friends used to go out on a daily basis and have their idea of fun but this has been my life all along so I cannot pretend I’m completely distraught by this turn of events. This lockdown wasn’t something to panic about for me. I remember wishing to be back in my bed the moment I stepped into college, I remember wanting to just disappear from my friend circle every now and then because I felt I didn’t fit in. Quarantine in some ways is healing me and in some destroying as now I don’t know how to make of the never-ending, exploding thoughts in my head. I desperately needed a break from the outside world and now that I have it, it makes me realise that certain things you never know you needed until its gone.It never was the fear of not meeting people again but what if I’m not able to feel the raindrops on my skin anymore, what if I’m not able to feel the wind rushing through my hair again? that frightens me. I wished I appreciated it more, I wish I stayed a little longer.
Serendipity 