COVID-19 Wave III – What did we learn?

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Vishwajit G.V, a first year medical student in Coimbatore Medical College, Tamil Nadu, India. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writers and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Wave after wave, keeps crashing upon us.  As long as we put our wants before our needs.

From December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic  has brought the entire globe to a standstill. Businesses and Industries across various sectors have suffered a major beating. The health care sector is on the  brink of collapse. Airlines have been grounded. Educational Institutions have been shut and The spirit of life has disappeared off the face of the Earth. This has provoked desperation, for the return to normalcy among the common man and policy makers alike, causing actions that are uncalled for.

Inability of people to see beyond the short term benefits of understating the virus, has caused serious repercussions. With the Elections being held in the countries like India and the USA, massive political rallies were organized, ignoring basic precautions such as wearing a mask and social distancing. Vote hungry politicians have put their selfish political agendas before the national health of the nation. Even now they continue to down play the extent of the virus or have a delayed response towards the pandemic.

Festivals held in India have been super spreader events, with people engaging in social activities in close proximity. The Economy has slumped and come to a near standstill, burning a hole in the coffers of many businesses and forcing them to shut. Urgency to restart cash flow, has prompted the Government to reopen public spaces and businesses too soon, which has also been a detrimental factor in tackling the virus.

As vaccination drives were held across the globe, the ray of light was seen at the end of the tunnel. Yet, we made an error by considering ourselves invisible to the virus. It was the illusion of conclusion.

Even now, we continue to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Most people do not realize the grave nature of the situation unless they themselves fall victim to it. The number of deaths and  infections are merely viewed as insignificant numbers on a chart. As a result, the everyday man in a pursuit kill his boredom, by meeting his peers, does not realize he is killing the nation.

It is safe to say that, we have not yet learnt our lesson yet. Until then, its Deja Vu to the Virus.

About the author

Vishwajit G.V is a first year medical student in Coimbatore Medical College, Tamil Nadu, India. He is a general member of the Medical Students Association of India.

Staying in a multicultural environment allows him to be a broad thinker and effective communicator.  Volunteering in multiple projects has sensitized him towards global issues and has set him on a path to effect change starting from the grass root level.