Get Vaccinated!

 

Vimal stayed with his parents and grandparents in a big enough flat in Mumbai. Last week most of his college friends had gathered together to play football at Juhu beach. Well, good enough nothing happened to anyone of them even after a couple of days. Hence the next outing  was assiduously planned. This time all ten friends were going out for dinner at one high end restaurant . All of them had a wonderful time that night, nearly after more than a year of isolation. 

Things were hunky-dory for a day or two after the enjoyable dinner with friends’. However, on the third morning, his beloved grandmother complained of pain in her knees, elbows, shoulders; a vibrant lady who moved around the house doing odd chores with gusto, she was lethargic throughout the morning and during the afternoon was found sleeping on her bed - a first! 

By evening Vimal’s grandfather too went to bed after an early dinner. Seeing this, Vimal’s dad - Mehul contacted the family physician . After much deliberations on both their parts the family physical agreed to come over to their home early next day. On the doctor’s advice Mehul arranged  an appointment with one of the leading pathology laboratory to send a person to collect the blood samples of his parents.

Next day did not bring any positive change in the health of Vimal’s grandparents. The technician  from the pathology laboratory came and collected the blood samples of the grandparents. The family physician gave the couple some paracetamol tablets and asked Mehul to keep him informed of his parents health. 

By evening the laboratory phoned Mehul and informed him that both his parents had tested COVID positive. A very worried Mehul immediately informed his family physician, who asked him to call the laboratory to fix an appointment with a technician to collect everyone’s blood sample the very next day.

The blood samples were collected the very next day and the worst nightmare came true- everyone in the house including Vimal were COVID positive! Then began the rigmarole of informing the househelp, asking them not to come, keeping the housing society informed, the society came to know anyway when the BMC staff came over for sanitisation of the home and it’s surroundings. Neighbours and relatives helped by leaving essentials and food outside their door. Thankfully no ones condition deteriorated to such an extent that hospitalisation was required. One factor could be that Vimal’s grandparents had received the first dose of the COVID vaccine

Actually this is what is happening in this second wave of pandemic, a mutant virus is infecting people- the infection levels being very high. Earlier if someone contracted the disease, isolation of that person within the house too , ended the infection  it did not spread to everyone.

The second wave of the COVID pandemic is upon us in full force here in India, the levels are stressful in Mumbai. Everyone has ample knowledge of where and when it originated and again there are quite a few conspiracy theories abounding about it. Moreover, everyone was shocked by the devastation it caused all over the world and that was one of the main reasons that people stayed home without a demur whenever and wherever  the lockdown was clamped for the first time.

 The second time round, the story is different; man being a social entity, staying back home to sit out the second lockdown is causing a whole lot of distress - a kind of lockdown fatigue has occurred. People are ready to take a lot more risk at the cost and detriment of their own families and the healthcare workers. Initially all thought that the COVID vaccines will be the magic potion, believe me they are, they do prevent the ICU stay of many people who contract the disease after being vaccinated.However, sadly there are so many conspiracy theories yet again against the vaccines and rumours too abound. Both of which have led to a certain hesitancy in getting vaccinated. 

It’s everyone’s responsibility now to keep wearing their masks, keep washing their hands with soap and water and to get Vaccinated!

Ajaya Bajpai