COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill. While some sectors are trying to get back to normalcy, other sectors are completely in idle mode. Despite the mortality rate being low when compared to other deadly diseases, the majority of the people are scared of COVID-19.
We can understand the fear of the people but psychologists are saying that they are more worried than they actually should be.
There are many reasons for this fear among the people. Never-ending bad reports in the media/social media about the ill-fate of COVID-19 patients is the prime reason.
Though more than 80% of the patients are recovering, only the ordeals of 20% of the patients are highlighted. These stories are scaring people and increasing the stigma against COVID-19 patients. The media is not highlighting the recovered patients' stories.
Initial mass burials of COVID-19 patients' dead bodies in the USA and other developed countries had a severe impact on the people of India. The majority of the Indians/media houses have a 'Follow West' attitude and that has spelled the doom.
People started to think that 'When the number one country in the world USA is unable to handle the crisis, what about India?' This has increased the fear among the people. The over hype of negative reports regarding the COVID-19 is doing more damage to society than the disease itself.
The government is not handing over the dead bodies of the COVID-19 patients to their families. This has become another emotional aspect among the family members that they are unable to send their near and dear ones with proper last minute rituals.
Some people are also questioning if the municipal corporation employees are conducting the funeral of dead bodies of COVID-19 patients wearing PPE kits, why not the close family members allowed to do the same wearing PPE Kits? Or at least allowing them to present at the funeral site?
An incident like a Nellore doctor who treated lakhs of people in his lifetime was denied a place in the graveyard a couple of months ago became a hot topic in the entire nation.
Recently, there were reports in the media that organ smuggling mafia in Mumbai are taking away the organs from the dead bodies of COVID-19 patients. Some doctors say that COVID-19 infection will not be present in all the organs of the body except lungs, so these smugglers are utilizing the same thing and started a pathetic business in these times of crisis.
With all the developments going on around us, the relationships are taking a beating. People are losing empathy and care towards fellow human beings.
Recently, former MLA Sunnam Rajaiah breathed his last due to COVID-19. His son Seetharamaraju was so upset with the attitude of the people. He said that his father served the people all his life but people completely ignored him, stayed away from him, and looked down upon him when they came to know that he is positive for COVID-19.
He said that the killer was not just COVID-19 but the way people ignored him.