'Prevention is better than cure'

The Covid situation appears to be turning from bad to worse. According to WHO, globally, new COVID-19 cases have risen for the eighth consecutive week, with over 5.2 million new cases reported in the last week. The number of new deaths across the globe increased for the fifth consecutive week, increasing by 8% compared to the previous week, with over 83,000 new deaths reported. While all regions except the European Region reported an increase in incident cases in the last week, the largest increase continues to be reported by the South-East Asia Region, largely driven by India, followed by the Western Pacific Region. In Assam, over 2,300 new Covid-positive cases were reported on Sunday. While the government has been trying its best to control the situation, it is sad that a section of people continues to behave irresponsibly. The politicians were definitely the first culprits in this aspect, followed by a large section of Bihu organizers and singers. Both these categories of people must be held responsible to a great extent for the surge in COVID-positive cases in Assam. Had there been no large turnout of people in election rallies and Bihu functions, the situation would definitely have been much better than what it is today. The vaccination scenario is also not very encouraging. So far only about 15.46 lakh people above 45 years have so far been given the first dose, while around four lakh have taken the second dose too. This is too small a figure in a state where the population must be close to four crores now. While the Government of India has stipulated that all people of 18 years and above will be also vaccinated from May 1, the fact remains that Assam is currently facing a severe shortage of vaccine. Given this reality, the best option left for the people is to observe utmost care and precaution. Prevention and precaution are also much cheaper than getting affected by the virus and looking for a cure through expensive medical treatment, especially when there is a severe shortage of medicine, oxygen as well as hospital beds. Under such circumstances, the best way to remain safe and reduce the risk of infection is by following the simple rules – maintaining at least one metre distance with other persons, making wearing a mask a normal part of being around other people, often washing hands with soaps, and/or using hand-sanitizers as often as possible when in a public place.