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It is ‘Chinese virus’ and ‘Wuhan virus’ – It started in China and spread to the world

After taking global criticism on them China finally voiced that it has neither created the Coronavirus nor intentionally transmitted it and that usage of terms like “Chinese virus” or “Wuhan virus” is wrong. WHO has emphasized that the linking China and Wuhan with the Coronavirus should stop immediately as it is not created by their country. Those people who are trying to stigmatize China’s efforts have ignored the huge sacrifices the Chinese people made in safeguarding the health and safety of all mankind. Eventually the truth will come out from China and will startle the World. It will take time since it’s a closed nation. India and China both making efforts to fight the disease, both countries have maintained communication and have lent support to each other in coping with the pandemic through difficult times. Earlier this month, China had condemned US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for branding the COVID-19 as “Wuhan virus”, terming his remarks as “despicable behavior” and an attempt to stigmatize the country. There is a clear consensus by the World Health Organization (WHO) that a virus should not be linked to any specific country, region or ethnic group and such stigmatization should be rejected. Instances have been reported in some countries including India and the US where numbers of people, especially of Chinese origin, have been harassed and have even faced racially-motivated attacks amid the Coronavirus pandemic. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the seasonal flu starting from September 2019 has so far sickened more than 30 million people and killed more than 20,000, and CDC Director Dr Robert Redfield admitted some were actually COVID-19 (cases).Since January 3, China has been regularly notifying WHO and relevant countries and regions about the outbreak, and on January 12, it had already shared with WHO the genetic sequence of the novel Coronavirus. Recently, China’s National Health Commission reported 78 new confirmed cases of Coronavirus, including 74 imported infections, while the death count from the novel Coronavirus increased to 3,277 after seven more fatalities. Some of the virus types cause less serious disease, while others – like the one that caused Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) – are far more severe.

Chania may say anything in their damage control statements but the reality is that COVID-19, the outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China, in December 2019, and was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020. As of 26 March, more than 471,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in more than 190 countries and territories, resulting in more than 21,200 deaths and more than 114,000 recoveries. The virus is typically spread during close contact and via respiratory droplets produced when people cough or sneeze. All those countries affected by COVID 19, are making efforts to prevent the virus spreading include travel restrictions, quarantines, curfews, event postponements and cancellations, and facility closures. These include the first (and arguably successful) quarantine of Hubei, curfew measures elsewhere in China and South Korea, national or regional quarantines in many countries throughout the world, various border closures or incoming passenger restrictions, screening at airports and train stations, and outgoing passenger travel bans. Schools and universities have closed either on a nationwide or local basis in more than 124 countries, affecting more than 1.2 billion students. The globe has stalled and there is fear everywhere. The pandemic has led to severe global socioeconomic disruption, the postponement or cancellation of sporting, religious, and cultural events and widespread fears of supply shortages which have spurred panic buying. Misinformation and conspiracy theories about the virus have spread online and there have been incidents of xenophobia and racism against Chinese and other East and Southeast Asian people, because there is anger, pain and fear. The time has come that some citizens are urging the WORLD to come together to force a regime change in China. Open, humane and responsible. Even if it means resorting to a complete economic boycott and facing economic hardships the world over (this Corona menace is anyway inflicting enough of pain). Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause infections ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). In 2003 an outbreak of a similar virus, Sars, killed more than 900 around the world within weeks that also travelled through Chania. Such viruses are painful because for no reason people lives are stalled. Self-isolation at home has been recommended for those diagnosed with COVID-19 and those who suspect they have been infected. Health agencies have issued detailed instructions for proper self-isolation. This sound good as cure but hunger knows no threat, that needs food and think of those millions who are BPL and strays.


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Coronavirus Outbreak: Adv Pratibha Bangera shares her thoughts on Divorce and Family cases

Divorce Family CasesQ. How do you see Corona affecting divorce cases?

If a marriage is strong this phase will help a couple bond better but if it was a problem marriage, staying together will certainly drive them apart. Couples may even adjust during this crisis temporarily during “social distancing phase” but there could be an outburst once things return to normalcy. Habits and vices are hard to change unless the change is within and self-reformatory. People who are already in court may not compromise or reconcile because of Corona scare.

Q. Does staying too close in family breed more cruelty.

Every divorce is preceded with a cause of action. Without a real cause of action registration of case also becomes difficult. If a married couple is already going through conflicts, these testing situations may reach a point of explosion. While police is dealing with corona alerts they may also receive phone calls from people who are victims of domestic abuse

Q. What is typical about Indian set up and family environment that leads to divorce.

Divorce and Ego go hand in hand. Some people respond to simple requests with love while others may get violent. Whether it is a joint family or a mono family set up problems arise when one person is constantly being difficult and demanding and the other person is humiliated and forced to adjust. Without wooing, loving and caring for a partner a marriage cannot exist for long. Marriages that lack romance and fidelity end up in divorce

Q. Is the court equipped to handle ego clashes and distinguish it from real cruelty or danger situations.

All divorce petitions are admitted per se at the time of filing but the genuineness of grounds for divorce are evaluated only after evaluation of evidence and circumstances and sometimes parties settle matters midway without going into trial or waiting for the judge to decide whether the petition is worthy of granting divorce or not. Especially when both parties want a divorce. Settlement terms are worked out with the help of lawyers and court mediator officers or counselors.

Q. What happens to court functioning when there is a lockdown.

Like all other services, even family courts have taken strict precautionary measures and asked litigants to stop crowding at court premises. All daily boards are discharged and longer dates given for follow up. The bar members are working zealously to keep lawyers updated so that they can in turn inform their clients to stay back and even urgent reliefs are not allowed unless it’s a dire situation and so far, there is no such case entertained for urgency in family court. Even filing of new cases have stopped till further notice.

Q. Do clients still call and consult in such situations too?

Divorce is not a solution to household problems. People who end up in court have deeper and serious issues. When one of the spouses hits the roof and reaches a point where all levels of tolerance is destroyed, they have no option but to seek divorce. People are calling and waiting and even pressurising lawyers to use this period to focus on polishing their arguments and preparatory work.

Q. So is Corona scare going to bring families closer or drive the couple apart

Brewing situations and circumstances of divorce are suffered for a long time, before it reaches court. There is a possibility that situation of divorce may rise even in India as China is also witnessing an unprecedented rise of divorce applications since re-opening on 1st March.


Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Centre to provide 5 kg grains, 1 kg pulses for free over next 3 months: FM Sitharaman

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced 5 kg of wheat or rice and one kg of preferred pulses free-of-cost every month for the next three months for 80 crore poor across the country to deal with the economic impact of the lockdown amid coronavirus outbreak.

As many of 20.5 crore women Jan Dhan Account holders will get Rs 500 per month for next three months to run their households.

For poor senior citizens, widow and disabled will get ex-gratia of Rs 1,000.

Also, the daily wage under MNREGA has been increased to Rs 202 a day from Rs 182 to benefit 5 crore workers.

The minister said the government will front-load Rs 2,000 payment to farmers in the first week of April under the existing PM Kishan Yojana to benefit 8.69 crore farmers.

Also, the beneficiaries of Ujjwala LPG scheme will get free cooking gas for the next three months, she said.

This forms part of the Rs 1.70 lakh crore Gramin Kalyan Package.

FM Sitharaman announces Rs 1.7 lakh cr package for poor affected by lockdown

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday stated the government is planning to provide a relief package of Rs 1.7 lakh crore to the underprivileged, poor and migrant workers affected by the lockdown amid COVID-19 outbreak. The scheme has been named Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Scheme.

She also said that workers – like nurses, paramedics and sanitation staff – who were in the frontline of the war against the disease, will be provided medical insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that “social distancing” is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.

Congress president Sonia writes to PM, voices support to lockdown

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Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, voicing her support to the 21-day lockdown announced by the PM in view of the Coronavirus outbreak, and suggested several measures such as protection of doctors, easing the supply chains and deferment of loans.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic sweeping across the world had caused serious public health concerns, anguish and apprehensions in India, she wrote in her letter to the prime minister.

“It has imperilled lives and put at risk the lives and livelihoods of millions, particularly, the most vulnerable sections of our society. The entire nation stands as one in solidarity in the fight to halt and defeat the Corona pandemic,” Gandhi added.

She noted that the 21-day nationwide lockdown announced by the prime minister as a measure to fight the Coronavirus was a welcome step.

“As President of the Indian National Congress, I would like to state that we will support and collaborate fully with every step taken by the Union Government to ensure the containment of the pandemic,” Gandhi said.

At this challenging and uncertain time, she said it was imperative for each one of us to rise above partisan interests and honour our duty towards our country and indeed, towards humanity.

“It is in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation therefore, that I would like to suggest some measures that I believe will help us address the massive health crisis we are about to face and to ameliorate the immense economic and existential pain that vulnerable sections of our society will soon be subjected to,” the Congress chief said.

She stressed on the need to arm doctors, nurses and health workers with personal protection equipment, including N-95 masks and hazmat suits.

“Let us ensure the opening and scaling up of manufacture and supply of these items so that not a single health professional faces the predicament of contracting or passing on COVID-19 owing to unavailability of ‘Personal Protection Equipment’,” Gandhi said.

Announcing a special “Risk Allowance” for doctors, nurses and health workers for a period of six months retrospectively from March 1 was imperative, she added.

Noting that many businesses and companies were laying off and retrenching large numbers of regular and temporary employees, Gandhi said, “It would be in order for the Union Government to immediately put in place broad-based social protection measures, including direct cash transfer, to these sections to tide over the period of difficulty.”

She also sought a deferment of all loan recoveries up to six months, including those for farmers and the salaried class.So

Coronavirus suspect with no travel history dies in Indore

Coronavirus, COVID19, Coronaoutbreak, Ujjain, Civil HospitalA 47-year-old man, admitted at the government hospital here as a Coronavirus suspect, died on Thursday, health officials said.

His test reports are awaited, the officials said.

The man was earlier treated at the Ujjain civil hospital and was admitted to the Indore hospital on Wednesday with symptoms of breathlessness, the official said.

The patient did not have a travel history, he added.

People Panic over Long Lockdown

Modi, Panic Buying, Coronavirus, COVID19, COVID-19, Maharashtra, Mumbai, COVID, Corona in India, Essential Commodities, StatesPrime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country to contain the spread of deadly Coronavirus, saying that “social distancing” is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly. “For the next 21 days, forget about stepping out of home,” said the PM in a televised address to the nation. He said it was vital to break the chain of the disease.

The Prime Minister said the lockdown meant a “Lakshman Rekha” in every home and if people crossed it, they would invite the virus. “If we don’t handle these 21 days well, then our country, your family will go backwards by 21 years,” he said.

Soon after Modi decreed the lockdown, people in metropolitan cities were seen making long queues wearing masks to stock up the essentials.

As states shut their borders, long queues of trucks carrying milk, fruits and vegetables snaked down highways, even after PM has assured about the essential services would be maintained countrywide.

There were reports of prices plunging nearly 50% for all essentials as the demand increased all of a sudden, vegetable vendors selling at nearly double the prices which they were selling before PM’s speech on Tuesday evening.

India has reported total number of confirmed Coronavirus cases about 606 including 10 deaths so far, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research. This include 553 active cases while 42 infected people have already been cured or discharged.

The world’s largest shutdown began on Wednesday with concerns about essential supplies and services. “Forget about stepping out of your homes for the next 21 days,” PM Modi said in the address to the nation. Health experts have warned of an explosion of infections if harsh steps are not taken.

In India, the Maharashtra state government is facing one of its worst ever public health crisis in recent history in the form of the Coronavirus pandemic. The state has reported total 122 positive cases of COVID-19 including 4 deaths so far.

Lockdown: People are not scared of Life to lose but livelihood

India’s 1.3 billion individuals went under “total lockdown” from Tuesday midnight. The Centre and state governments have taken measures to ensure that the supply of all essential items continue smoothly but there is panic in public and they all have over crowded in grocery shops. Some of the areas in Mumbai are as usual as they were before Coronavirus threat. Hundreds were walking in lines of five or six. Young, in their twenties and early thirties, a few had women and children. Most carried haversacks while others dragged cheap, non-branded trolleys or just inexpensive sling bags. Tired, they were sweating profusely as the crowds were increasing. Bank ATM, medical shops and milk shops had queue like demonetization days. They walked by choking passing traffic. These people were part of the great Indian exodus. They had certainly missed the proverbial last bus and now had nothing but legs or a willing and permitted empty truck to take them home, however distant and remote in Uttar Pradesh or Uttarakhand. As Modi shared his concern for the 1.3 billion or more Indians, a gnawing worry caught up: did the thought of these people, epitome of those destined to suffer the longest from the disease, collapse of personal economies or disruption of children’s education, cross the prime minister’s mind while drawing up the plan to announce a complete nationwide lockdown?

Or, has it been rationally worked out by the powers that in this grave battle –undoubtedly, the most monstrous challenge post-independence – there would be collateral damage? The prime minister’s address to the nation has either been preceded or followed on all the three crucial occasions by panic. This was the second occasion that his ‘Aaj Raat Bara Baje Se’ (from midnight tonight) phrase sent chills down people’s spine. He was hardly halfway through his speech that families were dispatching members for last minute stocking of whatever they could lay hands on. With these words, for the first time in its history, Prime Minister Narendra Modi put the entire nation under a strict three-week curfew. Every state, every Union Territory, every district, every village and every locality is being put under lockdown. He announced in his second address to the nation since the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed more than 17,000 lives around the world so far. Modi stated quite explicitly how seriously the country ought to observe this curfew and what would be the cost of acting otherwise. “Step outside the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ of your house in the next 21-days and you will set the country back by 21-years,” he said, adding that repeated studies and recent data by experts have proved social distancing is the only answer to breaking the cycle of the infection.

The lockdown will be like a “curfew” only but more stringent than the ‘Janta Curfew’, which the country had observed on 22 March, he said, adding it will have an economic cost but saving people’s lives is of the paramount interest to his government. At this time of crisis, Modi said the only focus for both the central and all state governments should be to improve healthcare facilities. He announced a special Rs 15,000 crore package to equip healthcare workers with the necessary protection, to train healthcare workers and paramedics, and to procure necessary medical facilities for ICU beds. Modi expressed happiness with the manner in which the private sector, including hospitals and laboratories, were “coming forward to work with the government in these challenging times. Assuring citizens that the supply of essential goods will not discontinue or be affected, Modi said the government is taking all steps to ensure a continuous supply. Acknowledging that the poorer sections of the society were suffering the most during the ongoing crisis, Modi expressed pleasure at the manner in which the central and some state governments have united with civil society to help them.

There will be social and economic consequences and the PM did not equivocate on the challenges. He spoke of the vulnerable sections, and as in last week’s speech, emphasised the imperative to be compassionate. He lauded the frontline workers, doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, expressed gratitude to Safai Karamcharis and praised the private sector and civil society. A reworked social compact — more compassionate — will be necessary to confront the challenges posed by the lockdown. It is now up to civil society, government agencies, the healthcare and corporate sectors to take their cues from the PM’s speech and ensure that the burden of fighting the pandemic does not fall too heavily on those at the margins, the migrant and daily wage labourers, the rickshaw pullers and others for whom these 21 days could prove to be the toughest. The Centre and state governments will need to work together, setting aside their political differences, to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities and the supply chains are not broken. Well! People are forced to follow PM’s instructions buy one need to understand that this is total incompetence and inept handling. “A stitch in time saves nine or, the classic case of “Locking the stable when the horses have bolted.” A proper quarantine system and process, 100 per cent full proof, in the handful international airports (inside airports) was what needed by the middle of February itself.


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Mumbai cops bust 4 lakh masks worth Rs 1 crore in Vile Parle area

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Acting to curb hoarding of essential items amid rising COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, police raided a godown in the city and seized four lakh masks, valued at Rs 1 crore, an official said on Wednesday.

The raid was conducted at the Shah Warehousing and Transport Godown in suburban Mumbai, the official said.

The Vile Parle Police received information on Tuesday night that a large quantity of face masks was stored in the warehouse. Police reached the spot and found 200 boxes of face masks valued at around Rs one crore, the official said.

Police registered a FIR against five people including owner of the godown, agent and supplier at the Sahar police station but no arrest have been made, the official said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Manjunath Singhe said legal action is being taken against the five. Hoarding of essential items like face masks and sanitizers is an offence, he added.

On Monday evening, the Mumbai crime branch Unit 9 had seized 25 lakh high-quality masks worth Rs 15 crore.

Moderation and rationality are the cure for this epidemic

Today, all of you must have seen the photographs on television and in the dailies, in which passengers in Patna and Kolkata were eager to go to their villages by chilling in buses and even adjusting them on bus roofs, quite unconcerned about the fatality that could be caused due to their such attitude. Even as someone giving warning, one imprudent passenger lashes out shamelessly, saying, “kya karen, majboori ka naam mahatma gandhi hai.”

The fact, however, is that by describing his so called “majboori”, he is not only putting his entire village in danger, but also the entire population. It can only be said that if they are going to their villages with this deadly disease, then only God can save them. In this regard, Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has also admitted that till now there are about 1,84,000 people infected with the Karona epidemic, which are under the surveillance of the government. However, this is the figure, the minister said, that is in government’s knowledge. So, what about the rest which is still beyond its knowledge? Who will guess and how will they be monitored? It can be ten times, as much as eighteen lakhs, or even double.

The gravity of the situation is if the poor labourers and temporary workers, who flee from Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru or Gujarat in panic to Purvanchal and reached their villages with infection, what is the facility available for the treatment of this epidemic in the villages is well known.

When cities like Delhi are running under severe shortage of ventilators, to think of adequate treatment for Corona like diseases in the remote villages of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa or far off places would be nothing short of a hallucination. Today, an ambulance worker’s statement on a channel was an eye opener in which he was saying that all the 85 ambulances in Lucknow are entrusted with the work of transporting patients and dead bodies. The irony of the situation is that barely the staff of five of these ambulances is fully equipped with gloves, mask and PPE (Personal Protective Equipments). In such a situation, the plight of the villages can well be ascertained.

In one research, it is being said that an infected person can usually infect 2.6 or about two and a half other people. But this research cannot be hold good for India. This may, however, carry some value for Italy and Spain where the population is very less, facilities are more and where people meet each other only when they are in need and maintain social distancing. On the contrary, our country has a population of 130 crores, which is many times more than China in terms of area. Although the population of China is more than that of India, i.e., 143 crores, but, according to the area, in China only 143 people live per square kilometer, whereas, in India, 455 people live per kilometer. The figure in the US is only 35 persons per square kilometer, Spain 91, Iran 49 and France 122 persons.

What will happen if this pandemic reaches the third degree i.e., community level in our country? Let us guess from this that 3277 deaths occurred in China, 593 in America, 2311 in Spain, 1812 in Iran, and 860 in France. In such a situation, an infected person will infect several hundred people here. Today a national daily has published that a doctor who came to India from London, has infected 300 people. In foreign countries, usually no one goes to the airport to see off anyone or to receive. But, here in India, if a relative is returning from abroad, the whole village reaches to receive him. Secondly, he would touch the feet of every elderly man of the village, hug the youth and kiss kids. If an infected person does this, then the broad impact of infectiousness can be gauged. Now think of a situation where thousands of infected people reach villages. In such circumstances, how can we stop this epidemic from spreading?

Today’s latest update is that more than 16 thousand people have died across the world so far, in which 462 people died in a beautiful country like Spain alone in just one day. In Spain there is no flat system to live in. Most of the people like to live in bungalows surrounded by gardens and despite that such a terrible situation of epidemic! Italy, which is claimed to be the second-best medical system in the world, has also failed to combat the epidemic today. When such rich countries are confronted with such a miserable situation of epidemic, the position will be harder to imagine if this epidemic spreads in the villages in India.

Therefore, wherever curfews have been imposed in the entire country, it should be strictly followed and people who insist on going to their villages may be allowed to go, but, my advice would be that before sending them to the village they must be kept in any district hospital for 14 days of Isolation. Only after that they should be allowed to go to their village. Going to the village without isolation would be dangerous. If an infected person reaches the village due to any mistake or negligence, he will infect the entire village and when the whole village becomes infected, then how shall we be able to arrange for their treatment? We would then be advancing towards the plague situation that struck 120 years ago.

Corona infection is mainly a lung disease and it causes the most damage to the lungs. When the corona virus reaches the lungs, breathing problems and suffocation result in a person’s life. Those having habits of regularly consuming alcohol, chewing tobacco or smoking, their lungs are already weak and prone to such attacks. Position being such, if the infection reaches the villages, the situation will be frightening, because there are no adequate medical facilities to deal with such a terrible epidemic in the villages.

Just yesterday 5 infected patients were admitted to Jabalpur Medical College, but there was no tissue paper, no dustbin, no face mask, no sanitizer or hand gloves there. So, when the medical college of the country has this situation, imagine the situation of the villages. In such a situation, a general appeal is to stop taking the infected person to the villages. If at all this infection goes to the villages, then the situation will be the dire one and the number of infected people will reach millions and the deaths caused therefrom would be difficult to assess.

One death that occurred at Patna is that of a young man who returned from Qatar in Central Asia, and who was only 38 years old. This incident has also proved wrong the illusion that only people above 60 years of age are prone to corona infection. The young man was from a village in Munger district and was returning to his village from Qatar. He was either already infected or must have been infected on the way. Immediately he was admitted to Indira Gandhi Hospital in Patna, where he died during treatment. He could not carry the infection to his village.

But, on the way from Qatar to Delhi and then from Delhi to Patna, there is no idea and record of how many people he must have touched. Infection spreads in this very manner. So, it has to be kept in mind that any person going from Delhi to Patna or Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Bhuvneshwar, Ranchi, Kolkata or Guwahati, should not be allowed to go directly to his village. If no person without isolation (segregation) enters the village, only then the problem will be solved, otherwise not.

Now let us also talk about the foolish insolents. This morning a similar insolent reached the same hospital in Patna, where a young man infected with Carona had died yesterday. He had reached with a patient. The strictness was obvious after yesterday’s incident. Calling himself a BJP spokesperson and close to Home Minister and CM, Bihar, he threatened and abused everyone in the line. When the security personnel stationed there did not give him any weightage, he created a scene. Somehow the matter was calm. We have to be cautious Even from such insolent maniacs.

Now talk about the plague epidemic. It caused terrible havoc in our country one hundred and twenty years ago. During the year 1898-99 there was a terrible plague that spread across the country especially in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal, Orissa. Swami Vivekananda used to carry corpses and cremate them throughout the day with his disciples. Then he used to prepare khichdi of whatever he would get in alms, and eat once during night. Vivekanand had first prepared a “manifesto” of the plague of what to do and what not to do. This “manifesto” was first made in Bengali and then translated into Hindi and English. It included a code of conduct for the patients of plague and their attendants.

The similar code of conduct is required today, which needs to be followed strictly. It will be Modi’s code of conduct. This epidemic is more dangerous than the plague epidemic, because it is spreading not just by touching but also by coughing, spitting, blowing off from the nose. Therefore, the only means to fight it is – vigilance, moderation and widespread awareness and strict adherence to rules.

(Writer is Senior Editor and Columnist)


Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.