By Shemar Decamry
In 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus known as COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic. This disease outbreak has been taking lives all around the world causing many countries to go on lockdown. Every country now must practice social distancing, always wash their hands, and wear a face mask in public places.
It is now 2021 and there is no sign of the virus going away and the it is getting worse in many places like India for example. There has been an overwhelming surge of COVID-19 in their country over the past few days. There are thousands of new cases found each day and hundreds of people dying at their homes, hospitals, and so on. The hospital beds are filled and there is not any more space for patients. When there is no space in the hospital for patients, people are forced to stay home without treatment, leading to their death. Over the past few months, leaders of nations slowly lifted the lock-down in their country, and over time people started to get a little bit too comfortable. Many people are ignoring rules and restrictions causing the virus to spread. There are people going places without their masks and that causes the spread of the virus.
This virus is here to stay because people keep on ignoring these simple rules. They are putting millions of people at risk because they choose to do everything they are not supposed to be doing. This virus is going to be around for a while so when everyone thinks the virus is slowing down, it will start back up and might be worse like India right now. The second wave of the virus in India is causing a serious health crisis.
An article published in The New York Times, “What We Know About India’s Coronavirus Crisis†states, “After a harsh initial lockdown, the country did not see an explosion in new cases and deaths comparable to those in other countries. But after the early restrictions were lifted, many Indians stopped taking precautions.†After the lock-down was lifted, everyone got way too comfortable, and the virus started spreading more. There were rallies, parties, and a lot of large get-togethers so new cases and deaths went higher than any other country. There is footage showing bodies being burned that are infected with the virus because there is no more space in the morgue for them.
That is no way for people to be living in India right now but there is not anything they can do about it. They cannot stop the virus from spreading and there is not enough soace in hospitals for those who are infected. There are people dying every day because of the virus and not all deaths are recorded. People who live alone and are infected, probably at home suffering from this vicious virus. There are so many families in India that want to give their deceased family member a proper funeral but cannot do that. If only people would follow the simple rules, then the spread would be lessened. According Dhruv Khullar of The New Yorker, “Hospitals are running out of oxygen, staff, and beds; makeshift funeral pyres burn through the night as crematoriums are flooded with dead bodies.â€. The hospitals in India are running short on oxygen so they have no other choice but to turn patients away. People are dying because of the shortage and it is sad to see this happening. India is the only country recorded so far that is being hit with this wave of COVID-19. If you have seen the news, then you see what is happening in their country. They are burning bodies daily and the more they burn, the more bodies they receive on a daily. Residents of India are forced to go on social media asking for help, they need more oxygen tanks and health supplies.
Many do not know this, but India is one of the big COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers. Ironically, the county is going through this surge when it is a producer of the vaccines. It is not 100% their fault because they ship these vaccines out and many people in their country have not received one dose of the vaccine yet.
The vaccine does not prevent you from getting the virus. The vaccine is supposed to build antibodies to help fight the virus from making you fully sick. So even if they took the vaccine, they are still at risk until they start practicing the proper procedures. In “What We Know About India’s Coronavirus Crisisâ€. May 3, 2021, “India had planned to ship out millions of doses. But given its stark vaccination shortfall, exports have essentially been shut down, leaving other nations with far fewer doses than they had expected.†That is for the best because they cannot risk the virus getting into the containment of vaccines. This is where every country needs to start helping because the vaccine is essential. If they cannot get the surge under control, then they cannot ship any vaccine. Lots of people and countries are going to have to go without vaccines for months or however long the virus lasts. At this point, they need the vaccine for their nation and that is completely understandable. They must do whatever they can to protect their people. India needs the help so keep them in your prayers.
