With unparallel care, precautionary measures, long lasting lockdowns and securitization of the issue, we are heading towards an emergency with alarming proportion of public indulging into the coronavirus quagmire. Response of public both in urban and rural stream is quite unsatisfactory as the threat of coronavirus is mounting day by day. On state level, whole society is living in a continuous fear and anxiety, and not a day goes by without the report of deaths of more than a dozen people. The abysmal condition is not only because of limited and fragile treatment of COVID-19, but public attitude and callous behavior has further exacerbated the situation into an unending misery.
This huge catastrophic situation seems to be unstoppable if the situation goes on with nonchalant attributes. However, there is a silver lining that the fear and phobia which society witnessed during its early days is lesser than its peak-days. However, still the virus has server repercussions upon socioeconomic patterns and lives on earth including other species and overall ecology of the environment.
Experts and media pundits through mainstream media are round the clock propagating and preaching sermons to take prime care against virus as it is steadily increasing by each moment, but common people seem taking the issue lightly with different baseless fictitious and irrational connotations aiming at denying the utter existence of the coronavirus. These conspiracy theories are by-product of self-psychological predispositions which may be neglected at the earliest stage before it converts into unwise belief amongst the common folk. Some of the public opinion is worth to share.
For example, it is believed that it is western society’s hegemonic agenda to control the world economy with the help of vaccine rather than IT gadgets or arms and ammunition; others publicly opine that it is a war among few cults and religious groups within society to keep their religious agendas ahead; some rate COVID-19 with different classification such as ‘A’ category or ‘C’ category which is going to take life on earth rather it is fiction, myth but not a reality. It is a surprise to notice that some people living in the rural areas of Pakistan still are unaware of the intricacies of novel coronavirus and claim that it has nothing to do with lockdown, restricted social mobility or perpetual damage of the social fabric of society. Moreover, a brigade of charlatans and quacks has dominated the masses with reference to the treatment of coronavirus. Unauthentic medicines, dangerous herbal products and unhealthy liquids are sold to people with claim of treating the virus in the blink of an eye. Several cases from Iran and African countries have been reported with reference to the use of below standard and unauthentic medicines and ultimately leading to the deaths of dozens of people.
In addition to aforementioned self-perpetuated ideologies, a new debate is taking place in the society with an assumption that coronavirus is merely a plot of novel or story of a Hollywood movie to get its rating for seeking audacious award. Pity is that even the most educated class is now denying and taking for granted its existence. Taking the life a normal spade, they bear a firm faith that coronavirus is going to be a distant dream with few nightmares. All these assumptions are cultivating an unwanted culture which might pose a collateral damage to society (God forbid). So the cure has itself have become a hydra headed monster rather than the disease.
Couple of days ago, it was aired that hospitals across the country are now facing shortage of ventilators and in case of any bursting situation, there would no option left other than looking the sky for any divine help. It is time to take entire regulatory framework of society with its actual outlook rather than converting the existence of coronavirus on self-made prophecies. There is difference between religious and socioeconomic activities. A religious obligation has direct link with the Creator of the universe, whereas the disease has an inversely proportional relationship with the survival of society but at the end, Allah Almighty is superior to everything.
In a mechanical society, entire affairs are being addressed within emotional parameters and an organic society encapsulates all affairs within its frame of reference. There is no doubt that, there is unavoidably solidarity between humankind and society, but solidarity compromising organic component will not have sweet fruits to avail. Thousands of people are facing appalling conditions on both fronts; within and on borders side of the country which requires timely consciousness and awareness to get rid of pandemic. We all know that neither the quarantining services nor the testing facilities are common in our country; the rationale lies within social distancing and understanding the intricacies of coronavirus gravity without any iota of doubt.
People with mild symptoms of coronavirus are likely to become seriously ill if no heed is to be paid. Experts believe that present increase in COVID-19 cases is due to non-seriousness attitude and over simplification of the situation without analyzing the core of the issue. Common risk factors include age, sex, diabetes, hypertension and immunosuppressant and can prove extremely dangerous to a patient with mild virus attack, which, later on, can lead to an irrecoverable loss leading to a perpetual silence of life on earth.
From student to politician and from specialized to a common man, self-perpetuated claims have increased risky behavior and all this is acting as a catalyst for the pandemic. How to change the mindset is the burning issue of our society which must now be addressed by the medial practitioners with striking empirical evidences that coronavirus is omnipotent in its nature. Only social distancing and following precautionary measures can help to save life on earth. A composed and concise message is to be disseminated with possible repercussions so as to make the public aware and sensitive to burgeoning worsening situation.
“During the peak-time of coronavirus, seeing fresh inundation of fake news based on baseless ideas can be more fatal than its presence. Why over the night people are biased to ignore the omnipotent risks of COVID-19, should be a talking agenda point to the academia, civil society, media, politicians and common mind though various fora to make people realize that it is a fact has significant effects on socioeconomic and life on earth”.
This can save the gullible and naïve public form any precarious situation. Without stringent actions, vigilant measures and meticulous policies; government, health care units and stakeholders’ effort to cure the society from pandemic will remain a utopia with no fruitful results. Serious spread of awareness regarding COVID-19 is required to sensitize the common masses to help the government to coop the situation with healthy results.
It is time to show a sense of maturity. Within pandemic era, it is time to shun personal biasness and face the uncertainty as being faced by the world communities. Perhaps some people learn from mistakes and some never recover from mistakes. Indeed we are passing by the era wherein we need to learn without committing mistakes.
Judgmental attitude without rationality will have severe consequences which I believe a county like Pakistan cannot bear. Let us speak with loud and clear message that coronavirus is omnipotent and it is you who has to save not just your life but lives of many out there. Failing to compliance with the fundamental don’ts associated with COVID-19 scenario, will have serve repercussions in various forms which even cannot be predicted with an open eye.