By Dr. Tilak S. Fernando

FOCUS

COVID-19 is a deadly infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Many become victims of the pandemic daily. The severity of the disease depends on the person’s immune system, some recover without special treatment; others become seriously ill. 

As a last resort, ICU units give oxygen to patients who suffer from pneumonia. Many world leaders have become victims as the virus does not have any class distinctions or social barriers when it affects a person.

 Delta variant 

The variant identified as Delta is supposed to be deadly. The bug can travel in the atmosphere to infect many people. The figures keep on increasing daily. Meanwhile, critics against vaccinations say that unusual blood clots are a possible side effect of the vaccine. Blood clots in circulation are usually deadly as they may precipitate pulmonary embolism, strokes, and heart attacks. 

Nevertheless, critics say because of the vigorous campaign by the Government, in tandem with the rumour generated fear factor, people rush to various vaccination centres en masse to get the jab. 

The Sri Lanka Government obtained sufficient stocks of various kinds of injections and carried out an inoculation campaign. On 20 July 2021, Sri Lanka reached the top of the world community list on vaccination programmes. It has now embarked on a vigorous vaccination programme to immunise young school children over 12 years with the Pfizer vaccine. \

Schoolchildren 

Bearing in mind that the young today will be statesmen tomorrow, it goes without saying that keeping schools closed indefinitely will only help bring up a set of nincompoops due to the lack of formal education. Since the closure of all schools, children learnt online, but the children’s future was hampered when the teachers went on strike and came on to the streets aided by trade unions and several political parties. 

After haggling for the last 24 years, the rebellious teachers want the whole of their demands met at once like a shot in the back The Government recognises their needs are genuine. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy, along with Sri Lanka’s has collapsed. However, the Government is ready to meet their demands in the November 2021 Budget. 

It is crystal clear that school teachers do not seem to care about the children’s education. Their only objective seems to be, that in spite of the pandemic, to get their demands met though the country is struggling to solve the dollar crisis. The rich will somehow manage to educate their children by sending them to international schools in Sri Lanka or to overseas universities. 

Meanwhile, it is hilarious to learn through Social Media that prominent political party leaders who lead teacher protests educate their children in Ireland and the UK. It clearly shows the duplicity of their political ideology. It is the poor children who get affected. 

Schoolteachers are supposed to be intelligent, but in this instance they have come out to the streets and make a noisy din forgetting about their commitment and dedication towards their pupils, especially during the pandemic. Have teachers sadly become wound toys by wicked and selfish union leaders with ulterior motives to debase and defile the present Government?

COVID-19 changed the world 

Everyone in the world needs to change their lifestyles to suit the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic will be with the people for several years to come, akin to a typical nose cold. A good thing about COVID-19 is it has brought some discipline in Sri Lanka, especially when travelling by buses in comfort- which is a blessing in disguise, rather than getting packed like sardines inside.

 At times not even a strong person can maintain one’s balance when drivers recklessly manipulate their buses. Therefore, people must learn to live with COVID-19, whereby self-discipline becomes foremost in the schedule. 

The COVID-19 pandemic made the people the world over a disciplined society to a certain extent. However, some individuals still do not pay any heed to health advice or Government instructions. Simultaneously, different countries adopt various methods to open their lands, concentrating on their economy. Sri Lanka again introduced a ‘shut down’ and opened on 01 October 2021. 

Religious ceremonies 

Meanwhile, the Buddhist clergy organised impassioned programmes in various parts of the island and conducted special programmes by chanting ‘pirith’; other religious leaders performed their sanctified religious events to curb the spreading of the disease. 

There seems to be an impact on such religious observations towards the downtrend of the infected persons and deaths, but the medical experts indicate that ‘Sri Lanka is not yet out of the woods’!

 The remarkable aspect what COVID-19 has brought is mainly to discipline the public in many ways. It assisted people in familiarising themselves with online services using computers and children to study online.

Many entrepreneurs have devised various methods to generate income rather than adopting a defeated attitude! Also, it has helped to cut down on unnecessary expenses by paying expensive bills to funeral parlours and associated services; organising buffets to feed the sympathisers who visit the funeral house. When a person dies as a COVID-19 victim, the dead body gets incinerated within 24 hours. It also cuts down the virtual indebtednes to banks by relatives (by trying to keep up with the Joneses).

 The difference of opinion in the society is whether all are equal before the law: as far as disposal of the dead bodies are concerned. All this means the relatives will never get a chance to see the deceased relative’s face. The deceased individual cannot see any such activity, but these traditions of glorified funerals have come down for generations.

Another good news is about mortality reduced to zero rate ‘with fast recovery and no severe complications’ reported on COVID-19 patients in Ayurveda hospitals in Sri Lanka. Only recently, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa took a firm decision to seek Ayurveda assistance.

 Many Sri Lankans believe that ancestral treatment has existed since time immemorial. Records show how Sri Lankans had weathered many an infectious disease in the past with Ayurveda and local orthodox medicine. 

With the onslaught of COVID-19, many Homoeopaths, Ayurvedic doctors, and traditional doctors have invented numerous methods and preparations to fight against the Covid-19 virus and its variants, enabling a boosted immune system to fight against the infection , and also as a prophylactic. 

The latest is an inhaler using rare traditional herbs in Sri Lanka, where ancestors used to combat epidemics. While using the inhaler one needs not be fearful in gobbling any concoctions – Kasaya or paniya– anymore. It is available in the local market, and is said to kill any virus, COVID-19 plus variants, and other viruses.

 tilakfernando@gmail.com