Coronavirus in India

Aljazeera reported that India quarantines 15,000 after virus kills "super-spreader" guru. Religious leader dies of COVID-19 after preaching in over dozen villages in Punjab state, prompting strict restrictions. The guru and his two associates ignored self-isolation orders on their return from Europe, causing 15 villages to be sealed off under conditions more stringent than India's nationwide lockdown. At least 15,000 people who may have caught the new coronavirus from a Sikh religious leader are under strict quarantine in northern India after the man died of COVID-19. The 70-year-old guru, Baldev Singh, had returned from a trip to Europe's virus epicenter Italy and Germany before he went preaching in more than a dozen villages in Punjab state. Nineteen people who were in contact with the preacher have already tested positive for the new virus, said Vinay Bublani, a local deputy police commissioner. Results are awaited for more than 200 other people who were tested. The case has sparked one of India's most serious alerts related to the pandemic.

 

Out of 683,694 Coronavirus cases reported worldwide, India has reported only 987. And out of total death toll of 32,155 globally, Indian share is only 25. It is worth mentioning that the Indian population is estimated at 1.3 billion. According to the average infection rate of 87.7 per million people, the number of estimated cases maybe 114,000 approximately. It is right in some countries the infection rate is rather high while in others quite low. But it depends on the national economy, general health of its population, health care facilities, food habits, hygienic habits, and so many other factors. 

 

Indian economy is rapidly collapsing. A nation with the highest number of poverty, lack of health care facilities, no sense of hygiene, lack of toilets, and no appropriate sanitation, male-nutrition and lack of civic understanding, etc., may lead to a higher rate of infection. In fact, the lack of testing kits, it was not possible to test widely, and no other way to assess the diseases. “Ignorance is blessing” ordinary people do not know if they are infected or not. Poor governance is also one of the reasons for inaccurate data. 

 

DW German News Agency reported, “Dozens of Hindu activists in India hosted a cow urine-drinking party. Some members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party have claimed that cow urine and dung can prevent and cure COVID-19”. Hindu religious scholars claim that Cow-urine and shit can cure or prevent Coronavirus infection. All over the world, we drink cow-milk and eat beef. But in India, they worship cow and drink cow-urine and eat cow-shit. It is part of their faith, and they are proud of it. 

 

India, politically unstable, with rising of several insurgencies, wide-spread protests against amended Citizenship Act 2019, situation in Kashmir, Bihar, Assam, Punjab, Naga Land, etc., and fast-declining economy, may face severe challenges in respect of outbreak. 

Lack of readiness, lack of ventilators, masks, testing kits, hygienic materials, etc., may affect adversely. 

 

 

India might be expecting a “rescue” from the US, as the newly developed friendship with America is still in the honeymoon stage. But unfortunately, the US is already one of the most hit-hard country by Coronavirus. The US is at the top among hard-hit countries like Italy, China, and Spain, etc. The US is also facing a shortage of ventilators, Masks, Testing Kits, and hygienic materials. Indian expectation might not be full-filled.