Amid the pandemic, masks, social-distancing and hand hygiene have become safety mantras. Undoubtedly, these measures are easily understandable and implementable.
These essential precautions make me travel back to my school days when I lived with my grandparents. Those days were not without contagious diseases, and chickenpox and smallpox took on epidemic proportions at times. What the present generation should know are the precautions taken by our elders without any announcements but through efficient management and cooperation of everyone.
Symptoms of any infectious and contagious disease led to the isolation of the affected persons. A separate room with reasonable ventilation, thoroughly dusted and cleared, was to be the “isolation ward”. A spotless white cloth was spread on a naturally woven floor mat (fortunately “synthetic mats” were not in existence then), and the patient was quarantined there. Only a specified person, neither very young nor very old, was designated as the “caretaker” of the patient. This attendant alone was the “e-pass holder” who would take enough precautions to ensure that he is protected fully. He would wear a clean head cover encompassing both head and face leaving a small gap to have a glimpse of the patient and to interact.
Oil-free, well-boiled, easily digestible dishes were offered in separate vessels and plates to the affected person. Fried food was totally avoided. The next act of the family was to insert “Neem” leaves between the wooden rafters of the tiled house, thus making an unannounced but firm indication that other persons should avoid visiting the house. Nowadays, local authorities are compelled to paste notices on the affected person’s house. Even household members —in fact a joint family consisted of even 10 or more members those days — used to wash their hands and feet in the front yard before entering the house. A pot of water with a mug-like vessel used to be kept in the forecourt for the purpose.
The quarantine would not end the moment the affected member was free of symptoms. Disappearance of the infection was the beginning of “lockdown”. The quarantined member had to undergo three special baths at regular intervals till the final certification by the grandmother or any other elderly lady of the family. The person will be permitted to move freely only after a thanksgiving prayer at the local Mariyamman (goddess) temple.
The final act would be the disinfection of the room and the entire house with the smoke of incense believed to have medicinal values thrice a day for three days with all the windows and doors closed.
My grandmother would wake up before sunrise and after prayers, would dilute cow dung with fresh water and splash it in the forecourt of the house. She would say this was a disinfecting method to prevent insects and flies from entering the house.
This unfortunate, dangerous pandemic has reminded us of the age-old Indian practices. The novel coronavirus has taught everyone not only to care for his or her life but also of the neighbour, though we should have imbibed these qualities ourselves as civilised and responsible citizens.
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