Living next door
Wash hands regularly with soap for 20 seconds, wear a mask, maintain social distancing, go out only when absolutely necessary. During the lockdown this advice has been given on loop.
It’s Day 64 of the lockdown. The virus has entered our complex today. A neighbour who has diligently followed all the lockdown rules has tested positive for Covid-19. A neighbour who had the right to feel confident that having taken all the necessary precautions he was safe, has tested positive for Covid-19.
When the news broke this morning there was panic. Who? How? Is he a Corona Warrior? Where? Which floor? The endless questions a display of our collective shock at the turn of events. We are a huge but close-knit community. One of us testing positive was not expected.
Once the bitter news had been digested the concern and kindness flowed. How is the family? Do they need any help? I’m just a phone call away, kind of messages poured in the common groups. The realisation that there are no villains here, we all are innocent victims, hit home. The authorities were informed, sanitization of all the common areas done. Warning boards put up. These are not the whims of the government, but the dictates of science that apply to everyone of us anywhere in the world.
For the next few days, we prepare for a stricter lockdown. Access areas have been restricted. Basement entries locked. Door deliveries prohibited. Repairs & handyman visits postponed. Temperature reading of every entry & exit to be recorded. This virus commands a precautionary protocol. Knowing the risks, for a change, there has been no whining, no drama, no debates, no discussions on these calls by the committee. A silent, solid acceptance by all.
After all this gruesome virus has the master key to all our cells and organs. Respiratory distress is perhaps the most well known but Covid-19 can attack the brain, the gut, the heart, the kidneys, the joints, anywhere at will. It’s protein tentacles allow cellular penetration with zero reaction from our cell walls.
Frankly a defined cure for this demi-god virus is not our hope yet. Containment is.
