Irrespective of the continuing COVID-19 cases, deaths, sufferings, and social inequalities of those affected, we are behaviourally tuned to fight, stigmatise, hurl blames against each other, other nations, and communities, turn a blind eye towards the socially impoverished, and disregard health precautions.

This New Year we will observe the anniversary of the ‘novel’ addition to our lives – Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As a physician, when I look back at how this ‘unprecedented’ illness became a daily part of our lives, I notice things that make me quite concerned. More than the global public health threat posed by the pandemic, it’s the indifference, stigma, chaos, and sheer neglect vis-à-vis public health measures that eventually turned COVID-19 into a ‘homely affair’ that trouble me.

Irrespective of the lives lost and millions more affected, lives and economies turning topsy turvy and a cry towards the ‘new normal’, the only constant was our apathy towards suffering and recklessness towards precautions. I believe that all of us under the sky are equal stakeholders to the widely prevalent neglect of public health and I thank COVID-19 for bringing that forth.

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Story so far

The legendary psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud had said, “Fear is the only driving force!” Debated and discoursed, that has exactly been the pandemic story. When an unknown virus that originated in Wuhan, China started plaguing the world, it generated a fear – fear of the ‘uncertain’. Without a definitive cure and lack of vaccines, the virus quickly invaded our daily lives, conversations, information, structure, relationships, and, most importantly, lifestyles.

Thanks to media, the virus virtually ‘reached’ every corner of the world, being a vital content of every academic discussion and research. Over the next few months, lives and economies were ‘locked down’ and the curve of COVID-research paralleled the viral cases, every discipline bearing a desperate ‘need to know’. As the lines between information, misinformation, and disinformation gradually got blurred, people started feeling tired of the ‘new normal’.

Of course, social distancing was compensated by ‘digital closeness’ and social media formed the ultimate portal of expressions and intimacy. Subsequently, various phases of ‘unlock’ were initiated, and before we could understand, here we are in a brand new year with our hopes tight for an effective vaccine and cessation of the pandemic.

What has changed?

Our lifestyle, work from home, virtual hugs, online education, “Am I audible?” queries in webinars, and other such changes are there for all to see. But as I see it, our relationship with COVID-19 has undergone the most definitive, but gradual change. The ‘fear factor’ has given way to ‘perseverance’, uncertainty has given way to recklessness, and panic has washed away into apathy.

We still like to discuss the viral statistics each day with a hot cup of tea, but fail to use a mask in the crowd. We criticise migrants for sleeping on the railway track, considering their inevitable demise as a ‘social norm’, but fail to provide an empathetic look towards the underprivileged. We are happy to wash our entire selves with exotic sanitisers, but only if we would stop crowding the malls and restaurants! We cast a shadow of a doubt at our domestic helpers if they cough, but plan exuberantly for the ‘season of marriage’ and festive gatherings.

The lockdown provided us “me-time” that was long due and we utilised it for an increase in domestic violence, child and elder abuse. In short, we have accepted COVID-19 as our family, as a part of our existence and future. That sounds great, doesn’t it?

Physicians, politicians, policies, and media have all told us to get accustomed and welcome the ‘new normal’. Hence, we have normalised the pandemic in our own ways, oblivious to the fact that almost a year ago global health agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO) had requested us to follow three simple steps: hand and respiratory hygiene, use of face masks, and social distancing.

Virus & the incorrigibles

Understanding and awareness about public health have always been a ‘collective callousness’, irrespective of the consistent campaigns by health agencies and policymakers. Quite naturally, most legislations remain confined to paper, and education programmes are meant to be forgotten, lost due to lack of practice.

COVID-19 amidst all its risky offshoots had brought about a hope: hope for a rejuvenated knowledge, attitude, and practice of public health measures. Such an unprecedented global outbreak that changed billions of lives, could have helped us shape our unity as humankind to face it and fight it. But these were indeed castles built-in sky!

Irrespective of the continuing cases, deaths, sufferings and social inequalities of those affected, we are behaviourally tuned to fight, stigmatise, hurl blames against each other, other nations and communities, turn a blind eye towards the socially impoverished, and disregard health precautions. Keeping scientific evidence aside, the use of masks and hygiene can be estimated well enough by any one of us on a random road trip. I have learnt about at least a hundred different types of masks, even greater number of ways of wearing them, and the most exotic sanitiser ingredients!

During the lockdown, the law enforcement authorities had to oblige us to adopt measures that are safe for us. When someone else has to enforce your own safety, what health discipline can be expected? With the number of public gatherings, campaigns, festivals, social occasions increasing by the day, the norms of disregarding health safety and measures to contain the pandemic are mostly confined to posters and government advertisements. Ironically, the pandemic too shall pass and the ‘new normal’ will turn old.

We once feared the illness and now we are ‘used to it’! Public health has always been the last on our list. A virus claiming more than 1.5 million lives globally will only regret that it couldn’t change us! Shouldn’t we be proud of our resilience?

(The author is a psychiatrist with NIMHANS, Bengaluru, India, and a member of First Check.)