India: Scare Swine Flu Away

Rise up all Indians. You can face swine flu if you so desire.

This article is no intention to create panic or vice versa, to blame the government or the media, to wake up and rush or to stay put at your present positions. It is an effort to surface a feeling from within our hearts which says that one has to stand up to fight his own battle.

There is enough debate and dialogue on the topic all over. From mails being circulated to journalists risking their health to capture the stories from the highly infected areas there is definitely a worry in the minds of all the citizens coupled with a fear that they might be the next victim. Every sneeze, each cough brings a vague thought to mind whether it is an outcome of some infection or if there is nothing to worry. There are endless debates doing rounds in media and equally long discussions between friends at the ‘addas’. However, the fact remains that the infection is spreading and it is spreading really fast. The government has finally risen up to the occasion however there would be a gap in the need of the hour and the actual remedial and precautionary action taken by the government as it always happens at all occasions.

I cry out to people of the nation today and beg them to realize that this pandemic can take a deadly form affecting thousands and laks if we ourselves do not take the matter in our own hands. Depending on the authorities, not taking the necessary precautions, laughing over people who are cautious, avoiding visiting the doc on the first sign of symptoms, is something which we should not allow under any condition.

By now, people should be aware that swine flu is a highly contagious disease. Also, if proper precautions are taken one can avoid getting infected. Once infected the treatment would take around five days or more depending on the person’s immunity strength. The above logic looks simple enough for anyone to sit back and relax and continue with normal life thinking that he/she would not get infected within the millions of other people who are living. Probably, this is the reason why we still do not see people avoiding crowded places, institutions and businesses refusing to close down as a precautionary measure, maintaining cleanliness, wearing protective masks, eating and drinking those things which would strengthen their immunity system and make them less prone to infections.

Why? This is the question I want to ask each and every person. Why not is the other question I want to ask?

One of the aspects of philosophy tries to understand the meaning of individual freedom and states that it should be allowed only to the extent where it does not hurt another. These acts of negligence and deliberate avoidance of precautions would not only make pose a threat to one and all living in the country but also cause a serious damage to the entire economic system as a whole.

Try and think for once that not every person can afford to skip a few days labour for getting a test and treatment done, especially when one is a daily wage earner. Not everyone can afford to take a test in the first place as it would dig deep into their pockets which might not capable to bear the brunt of a physical infection along with a monetary one. If not for one’s own self, we need to take precautions for others.

On asking anyone about how the government is performing on combating the situation, you would get a long list blaming them for their slack efforts. As individual human beings and not as citizens of this country, try and think that if everyone steps up their basic precautions and follows them in a disciplined fashion, there would be little interest left in the success or failure of the measures taken by the government. One would feel secure because all individuals have developed an understanding about the disease and decided to combat its spread to others. Steps taken at the government level would further help in bringing the situation under control.

Its time now that we rather get serious about the rapidly spreading virus. A few precautions today would save major hazards tomorrow.