The Lock down is not enough

Do the FIVE is not enough! The virus is spreading like wild fire in the US with New York as the new epicenter. Even if you are not a data person, this steep increase in cases in the range of 000’s each day is apparent from the chart below. And yet, as social animals, there are still folks out there trying to leave town to ‘save themselves’.

What’s worse? There are multiple strains of the virus now developing quickly. So the symptoms are no longer consistent and as hard as it is to simply self diagnose, the govt. and the healthcare officials are also having a hard time testing everyone in time to stop the spread.

With the lock down, people are staying indoors with children or elderly and trying to minimize the physical contact with the outside world. However, ordering online is not safe either! Amazon Warehouses are getting hit with the virus too and Amazon is not alone in this. So if you are like me or seen my original post on Working Remotely, I have advocated for ordering groceries online. But imagine this:

An innocent person with simple discomfort and congestion is trying to make ends meet and decides to collaborate with firms like Instacart, Amazon Fresh and the likes to go out there, pick up groceries for you, pack them, hand it over the next person for delivery (who has no symptoms). You get the grocery from the comfort of your home and put them away in the fridge or pantry, not realizing that three days later, the shopper actually tested positive fore COVID-19. Now ask yourself, what did you do with the packaging? Did you do stash the bag of tomatoes immediately in the fridge? and the pack of cookies that you had opened immediately and shared it with kids too?

So, the FIVE are just not enough anymore. The Lock down is just not enough anymore. We must stop the spread. What else can we do other than the five? Having grown up in a Hindu culture that attributes a lot of the home rules and traditions to scientific explanations, I have a few ideas blended with current norms that I refuse to simply sit on and would like to share here:

1. Please use judgement, precaution and patience when you step out. Maintain a distance of at least 6 ft when out
2. Keep a bottle of sanitizer in the car and use each time to step out or in the car (if you are still having to go out for any reason)
3. Wipe out the steering wheel each time
4. Use gloves while shopping, discard as you get back in the car
5. When you are back home, leave the shoes outside by the door and follow strict routine around it. Shoes carry more germs than we care to admit
6. When you are back from outside, wash your hands and feet; change your clothes and put them in the laundry tub (not in the basket with other regular clothes)
7. Prefer washing over wiping all things anytime possible; this will also ensure reduction in paper waste while we are indoors
8. Wipe down everything you get from outside, even if you got it yourself and were wearing gloves while picking them from the store. Follow point 6 first where possible
9. Discard the packaging or outer bags as soon as you get home
10. Wash all Fresh produce before you put them in the fridge (with the exception of herbs). For herbs, wash them and spread them out on a cloth to dry for a few before putting them back in the fridge
11. To keep up with immunity, drink warm water as opposed to chilled cold water — better for your gut and your health. Better yet, add a little turmeric to it
12. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables over meat or frozen foods
13. Harness the morning fresh air where possible. Practice belly breathing. That’s how babies breathe. That’s what yogis teach. It helps in spreading oxygen appropriately and make the most of it for your lungs

In these critical times, we’re all being called as soldiers to help sustain our country, community and humanity! The real soldiers are still out there – essentials workers like Food and Essential services (including Internet connectivity) work to keep life afloat and look out for us. Without our support and determination, our nation, our community is far more at risk despite any efforts these soldiers put forth. Each of us have a role to play here, to keep us all safe. The real life heroes like Healthcare workers, Govt. officials are doing their bit in controlling this situation while exposing themselves. There is not enough medical supplies, rooms or practitioners for testing and treatment as it is. We cannot lose it at this time. If you are in a densely populated country like India and China, you know that there is already a supply/demand issue and each one has a bigger role to play to STOP the spread.

If we lose this war, we will run out of essentials and that will trigger a challenge to humanity that nobody will enjoy. Disparity and greed will take over faith and goodness and there will be no God to turn to because no one will be listening. Crashing Economy will be last of our concerns if we let this invisible beast out.