The lockdown period, which began on March 22, 2020, did provide opportunities for the enterprising few amidst the gloom and despair the Covid-19 generated over the last four months.
Of course, most of the senior citizens in particular found themselves in distress, as the initial fear of them being susceptible to the viral attacks left them high and dry, during the initial few pandemic days. Even close family members abandoned the elders. Almost all grocery stores and food outlets were shut and sadly they had to fend for themselves, as the assured help by the government of Goa, that groceries and medicines would be available at the doorsteps of seniors staying alone was a perfect lip sympathy. The police, who were mandated to inquire into the well-being of those living alone and ensure that those with disabilities are offered assistance, never ever happened. Disgustingly during the first lockdown, police were on the streets beating those venturing out and happily collecting a fine of Rs 100 from those who failed to wear the masks. The entire approach to the containment of the pandemic was a sloppy and a disastrous flop show.
We Goans in particular and Indians in general, take those in authority very seriously and with the sincerity of purpose. No one has any evidence “worth the salt”, that Covid-19, the pathogen attributed to the initiating the pandemic, is the actual causative agent of the infection in India let alone in Goa. In India, no doctor nor any research scientist has isolated the virus from the infected primary victims. What is worse still is the fact that the morphology of the spiked Covid-19 virus depicted in the photographs circulated are from sophisticated laboratories in the USA, seen under the “Transmission Electron Microscope in America.”
All the medical fraternity knows the Koch’s postulates and vow to abide by the directives and the scientific principles underlined Koch’s accepted commandments. Discussing in brief a doctor is bound to declare a patient is diseased if the micro-organism is isolated and seen identically in large number of victims, who all have the similar symptoms. From these infected persons the germ must be re-isolated and identified by precise taxonomic procedures. This microbe must be able to infect healthy subjects and similar symptoms must be seen and re-established in the infected new patient or volunteers. Similar symptoms, as the first host, needs to be established to confirm pathogenicity. Finally, the virulent pathogen must be again seen under the microscope and declared as a contagious pathogenicity.
No doubt, on Panjim roads there are thousands of discarded masks; bio-fouling with the potential pathogens all lurking to attack in the environment. I have seen and counted hundreds of them on Panjim’s Mahatma Gandhi Road and 18th June Road alone.
How many Goans are truly aware that wearing masks unnecessarily would invite breathing in of toxic carbon dioxide instead of oxygen, thus leading to the lowering of immunity, increased levels of toxicity in the blood, lungs, depression of our nervous systems, often leading to fainting and diminished reflexes, skin infections due to bio-fouling caused by sweat and wastes discharged by the skin. We are penny wise pound foolish.
Even when Goa was in the green zone our own society lived in fear depriving themselves the richness of fresh air to help boost our immunity and vital health as food was unavailable. We all have to challenge our bodies with small doses of pathogens for our body to stimulate the process of generating anti-bodies.
Our government is in sixes and sevens. We kept society indoors whilst Goa was Green. Now when infection is on, due to ourselves been quarantined for four months, and pathogen is free to attack us now with no antibodies in our bodies and we foolishly quarantined in a clean and green Goa in March, 2020. We are today opening up to tourism, thus making us to suffer the ill effects of being attacked when we are in the “Red Zone”.
Our government in the State and at the Centre failed to harness the goodness of “herd community” amongst our people. Yes we are resilient to infections. It is no surprise that infection is peaking up. However, as I stated earlier the viral strain in Goa is not the same that killed victims in Italy, USA and Brazil, besides China. Wuhan virus is a different strain. Goans are not only blessed with good immune response systems in our body but also we have milder variants which are easier to control and subdued by our immune system’s globules.
Covid-19 is a RNA virus, which grows only on living human tissue, specially of our “Respiratory System.” The two drugs commonly used Remdesivir and Faripiravir are able to block the synthesis of viral particles and stall the dissemination of the disease.
It was, however, a wonderful experience for me personally. My sixth sense, common sense and deep study of microbiology deeply held me to remain totally stress-free and use my time gainfully. Whilst the country was suffering from panic, fear, stress caused to stranded migrants, poor and the common man at large, few knew that the stock and share markets were fully operational. I gainfully used my time not only to study the impact of the pandemic on health but also the wealth of our country. As a matter of routine, I invested my time and energy boosting up my immunity by walking on lonely streets of Panjim, breathing in fresh, clean air. Knowing that a healthy mind generates healthy body.
Covid-19 is a blessing in disguise to those who were able to harness the bounties of Mother Nature for the betterment of self and the society.
(The writer is a Retired University Professor and an Environmental Activist)
