Corona is a great leveller. The pandemic doesn’t discriminate between borders, classes, races or any of them. It is sad that everybody is in pain. It has affected all in one way or other.
Everybody from king to a daily wage labour, from a bureaucrat to self entrepreneur, from a senior citizen to a school child rich and poor are staying at home to stay safe. The movement of all individuals has stopped. Lockdown has brought everything to a halt. But the impact is not equal. When the pandemic is over, when a vaccine shields us from this cruel disease, the rich will still prosper, while the struggling and insecure will be expected to pay: they already are.

Panic-stricken citizens, confined to their home bunkers, are closely monitoring grim news flowing in from home and abroad. Infections and death counts are rising. Doctors are attacked. Trains are converted into quarantine zones and hospitals. People are ordering groceries home – a new normal is being created.

Most of the chores that comprised the prime activities of life has suddenly lost all value. People are working from home. Home has become new classroom. Household chores continue – with more pressure on the women folk, sadly. But mostly, it is a choice to keep busy to keep mental tension at bay.

Future seems uncertain. Scientists or astrologers – nobody can see any future and how to overcome the situation and back to their form. Such a pandemic has been unprecedented. So the response has been based on experiment, hit and trial.

The pivot right now from trying to protect all people to focusing on the most vulnerable remains entirely plausible. With each passing day, however, it becomes more difficult. The aftermath is going to be tough. The path we are on may well lead to minimising viral contagion and monumental collateral damage to our society and economy. We have to wait, watch and just spread smile!