Our brave soldiers against COVID-19

In the fight against the novel coronavirus, the medical fraternity around the world are on the frontline  putting their own lives at risk to ensure our safety

Aldina Braganza

While the whole world eagerly waits to go back to the old norms of life, a pre-COVID lifestyle, the medical fraternity is tirelessly working to ensure our safety. They are putting in long hours,forfeiting their safety and that of their families, sacrificing the comforts of their regular routines and fighting this battle for us. 

Across the world the medical fraternity is being hit the hardest. Doctors, nurses and hospital support staff are working around the clock, diligently practicing their Hippocratic Oath that binds them to their duty.

Two of my favorite people, Nodal officer of the ESI hospital, Deepa Correia Afonso and medical superintendent of the center, Ira Almeida, among others, are spearheading this fight against COVID in Goa. They have been commendable in their efforts to bring the cases down and curtail the spread of the virus.

Against all odds, the entire medical fraternity, the state officials and systems are working methodically and tirelessly to limit the spread and we should laud them for the same. This isn’t just any virus. The COVID-19 is an intelligent being. The frightening truth is that we have very little information about this virus whose main task is to destroy the human body and is constantly mutating to become more ferocious. Not for a minute should we forget this truth!

We have limited information about the way the virus functions and until the battle is won, as a community, we have to ensure that our behaviour does not put the frontline staff in harm’s way.

I came across a rather frightening article that debates about the new cases of the mutated virus appearing in patients being more persistent and damaging. One thing is for certain though, until a vaccine is discovered the virus poses some serious challenges to the human race and the only way for us to combat this is to change some of our behaviours.

Communications and social interactions: Face mask, sanitising and social distancing should be our new norm. We will have to adopt new interacting behaviours. For one, you will have to depend on your eyes   than your facial muscle to express emotions. Be it at your workplace or when you go out on chores. With a face mask on, it will be difficult to decipher another’s emotions or express our own. Did you know that you use around 12 to 15 muscles to produce the smile and laughter that communicate you are happy? That your eye will only reflect genuine laughter. Some days I feel like I need emoticons to display my feelings. Sarcasm could be easily misunderstood and jokes could backfire. Spoken words thus became our only method of communicating. The best way to deal with expressing emotions is by stating them verbally and using your eyes.

Egocentric optimism: That is the tendency to believe that nothing bad will happen to you. Misfortune will happen to others and not to you. For some unrealistic reason, egocentric people have the belief that they and their families are shielded from COVID-19

When people think like this, it causes them to be careless. They avoid wearing a mask or maintaining social distance. They flout all the precautionary and preventive measures. The most classic example I see of egocentric optimism is when I pass a market places. People hurdled over each other to get the better deal of fish and prawns. Their mask below their mouth failing to serve the purpose.

Our actions have a cyclic consequences. Besides getting infected we have the possibility of infecting those we love and in our egocentric bliss we are putting a strain on our systems. We need to understand that when the virus spreads and it will, the ventilators might not be enough.

The first week of the lockdown, everybody was worried, unfortunately that was the easiest week. Community spread will happen. Not purposefully but foolishly. The postulations from the medical fraternity is that the spike is going to steep in July. We can help change this if we are careful and understand the new norm.

Preventive fatigue: The fatigues and tirednessthat sets in when you have been at it for long. We have gotten acclimatised to hearing about COVID-19 and so we let our guards down. This is the surest way for community spread. Fight the fatigue by keeping yourself occupied doing things you enjoy. Give yourself a break from your routine. Have some safe fun family activities planned. Engage your time with online courses, movies, new hobbies and exercises. Your war shield is your physical and mental well-being and your preventive behaviours. Treat everybody around your immediate circle as a potential COVID carrier.

It’s an unfair virus that is why we need to protect ourselves. We cannot for once think that life is going back to normal. Unless the vaccine or medications to fight the virus is developed anyone of us can get infected. Let’s do our bit to help all the doctors and other frontline staff to go back to being a green state.

(Writer is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and the HOD of psychology at Carmel College for Women)