DNA Exclusive: Lack of commitment and systemic apathy increased dangers of COVID-19 pandemic

For a country like India, with a population of 135 crores, where the number of new COVID-19 cases is decreasing, but the situation is still not favourable.

New Delhi: The last rites of a person should not be performed at the night, according to Indian tradition, but the coronavirus pandemic has shattered this common belief. People are compelled to perform the last rites of their near and dear ones during the night and too after a long wait in Delhi. The situation is an uncommon occurrence, but this has happened in the wake of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the national capital where despite a continuous warning by the government and other agencies, people failed to take the situation seriously.

Warnings were being issued that if people failed to take precautions, India's condition would be similar to those of the European countries where deadly virus created such a situation that hospitals were unable to keep even dead bodies. More or less a similar situation is being witnessed now in our country where the government, system, and people collectively failed to remain honest to their duties and responsibilities. 

The lack of seriousness to tackle the situation has made us stand where the sword of Lockdown is once again hanging over our heads. Despite repeated claims, we are still months away from the coronavirus vaccine, therefore, limited options are left for us to remain honest to our duties toward society and its people to save the nation from this deadly virus. 

For a country like India, with a population of 135 crore, where the number of new COVID-19 cases is decreasing but the situation is still not good. During festivals, the way people come out for celebrations in different parts of the country, the deadly virus is being given an opportunity to blast. On the occasion of the Chhath festival, we can see the glaring example of it when a large number of people are seen least bothered about this lurking danger. 

Let us look at the updates related to coronavirus in the country. Maharashtra government is once again considering to put a ban on air and rail services between Delhi and Mumbai in the wake of an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi.

The Gujarat government has already imposed a night curfew from 9 pm to 6 am in Ahmedabad from Friday night to Monday morning, while all the necessary services including medicine and milk selling shops, will be allowed to function as usual. 

Passengers coming from the airport and railway station of Ahmedabad will be exempted from the curfew if they would show their tickets. The night curfew would be clamped in Rajkot, Vadodara, and Surat districts of Gujarat from Saturday and it will remain in force from 9 pm to 6 am. In Maharashtra, however, the curfew will be imposed in Pandharpur from November 24 night (12 am) to November 26 (12 am) night.

Notably, when there were very few coronavirus cases in India, people were scared, but when the COVID-19 cases are rising the fear factor has reduced. On the contrary, the fear factor has been by the three pharma companies that now claim to have prepared the vaccine for coronavirus.

At present, the names of three vaccines in the world are in discussion. The first claim is made by an American company Pfizer, the second is also another American firm Moderna, and the third claim is from Russia where the Sputnik vaccine is under the final phase of the trial. Interestingly, all these three vaccines have made different claims of their effectiveness in the last few days. 

The most recent claim has come from Pfizer, which said its vaccine is up to 95 percent effective. Last week, it had claimed 90 percent efficacy of the vaccine. Earlier, Moderna claimed that its vaccine is 94.5 percent effective, but it has now said a 90 to 95 percent success rate of the vaccine. Russia, however, claimed that Sputnik V is up to 92 percent effective.

Last week, when Pfizer claimed 90 percent success of its vaccine, shares of the company jumped 19 percent which was the highest in the past one year. After this, when Moderna claimed a 94 percent success ratio of its vaccine, Pfizer shares witnessed a fall of four and a half percent. The reason was that the vaccine produced by Pfizer would need to be stored at a temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius, while Moderna's vaccine can be kept in a normal fridge. This made Moderna's stocks up by 1.6 percent. Pfizer's claim today of its vaccine being up to 95 percent successful once again showed a rising trend in its shares.

The US, UK, and many European nations have already started placing orders for these vaccines, but no one knows when these vaccines will be available in the market. The situation in India, however, is entirely different. Here products like soap, distemper, paint, toilet cleaner, claiming 99.9 percent effectiveness against coronavirus, are already available in the market except for the vaccine.