Let’s become superspreaders of caution, not virus

The Association has said that these events are potential superspreaders for the third wave. It explained that tourist bonanzas, religious fervour and pilgrimage travel are important, but what is most important at this juncture is to wait.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) in a recent statement has said that global evidence and the history of any pandemic suggest that a third wave is inevitable and imminent. The top medical body has expressed huge concern over governments and the people being complacent and engaging in mass gatherings without following Covid-19 protocols.

The Association has said that these events are potential superspreaders for the third wave. It explained that tourist bonanzas, religious fervour and pilgrimage travel are important, but what is most important at this juncture is to wait.

Let us heed the medical association’s warnings today. They do not have eyeballs to capture, they do not care about a vote bank. They are not going to benefit in any way by alarmist statements. What they do is state the facts. What we, as public, and our political leaders need to do is to amplify those factual fears. We need to relook at our behaviour, if we have slipped just a little in the past and been guilty of adding to gatherings. If we have let a little complacency creep in as like everybody else, it is enervating to stick to these guidelines which keep us restricted.

We need to introspect, analyse and change if we are indeed guilty of this. To not do so would prove that all the talk about worshipping frontline warriors and our singing praise to our medical experts on July 1, the National Doctors’ Day, was simply talk and nothing more.

Our political leaders need to be called out if they try to whip up some communal scoring points as the festive season comes up. They need to be shut up hard and fast by the public if they try to pit one against the other. Let us strive to become superspreaders of the truth, logic and caution, and do our medicos the ultimate service.

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