‘Had lockdown been only solution by now virus would have gone’
Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, May 15: As the date for lockdown-III to end is coming closer, the helmsmen are trying to drive home a point that the COVID-19 is going to stay there for long and people have no choice but to live with it.
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has already made it clear that the lockdown-IV will be different from the first three lockdowns. There are enough indications that the restrictions will be eased in coming days and some movement will also be allowed. Its clear that everything cannot remain closed forever. But what’s bothering people is how long will they have to fight this virus.
An analyst while talking to Precious Kashmir said that the experts and medicos are of the opinion that the vaccine cannot be found so soon and if all goes well it can take at least a year for the vaccine to be made available for the people. “The only country which succeeded in keeping this virus confined to one place was China. It didn’t allow COVID-19 to move beyond Wuhan and flattened the curve,” he added.
The analyst said that entire world is asking China, how did it manage the crisis without a vaccine or a medicine. “Chinese are giving only one answer that it was done through a lockdown and maintaining social distancing. Some people are of the opinion that China may have found the cure but it’s not sharing the formula with any other country,” he added.
“Had lockdown been the only solution then the countries that have been in the lockdown mode for the past many months should have controlled the COVID-19 by now. But it has not happened. The United States, United Kingdom, Italy and other countries have been brought down on their knees,” the analyst added.
He said, “As far as India is concerned the lockdown has helped in saving lives. Many people had predicted that COVID-19 will hit India hard and the death toll will be very high, but till date death toll has not crossed 2500 mark in India.”
An observer said, “Trains have started moving and the government is helping the stranded people to reach their native places. Restrictions are being eased gradually. People running the show are hoping that the COVID-19 curve will flatten and the people will return to their normal lives sooner or later.”
He said, “For time being the message is clear that the COVID-19 may not go away so easily. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the virus can stay forever and instead of pandemic the COVID-19 can become an endemic.”
