COVID-19's second wave has hit our country and its people in the worst way possible, and the sad part is that experts say "worst" would get "worse" until the peak is reached, which is expected somewhere in May.

There is a shortage of beds, oxygen, and medical attention. While everyone says we have an experience of one year to fight this wave, I can't help but wonder if we have actually learned anything.

The doctors were literally begging us to put up masks, maintain social distance a year ago; they are doing the same even now !!

There was an abundance of rumors and panic around, see around, nothing has changed !!

There was panic buying last year, this year, injections like remdesiver have been added to the list !!

With long queues at the Wine shops, migrants practically living on Bus and rail stations, police and Corona warriors being abused, people relying on doctors at WhatsApp university than actual degree holders, I wonder if we have really learned anything for that matter

Events: Religious, Political and Sports didn't witness any cancellations despite grim situations.

First, let's discuss Kumbh Mela. I very well understand that the planning of the mela was done when life was largely back on track. When it started on 11 Mar, the cases reported were on the increase but that increase wasn't alarming enough. However, halfway through the mela, the day-on-day increase was disturbing, and by the time the second Snan date came in, the per-day case was 1.5lac but forget about canceling, the magnitude wasn't even reduced even a bit. Now, after the damage is done, it is decided to make it only ceremonial. Probably we learnt but not enough to be reactive to the situations. Probably if the CM of the state had spent more time "judging" the situations and taking strict measures accordingly rather than judging woman's character through her clothes, things would have been different.

Second event I would like to discuss is the Political rallies wherein we have clearly seen how elections are more important than life. There is probably a magic potion that makes the five states where election is being held immune to the Virus and the mutants. I might be a supporter of a party, however, I haven't been raised to stay quiet or extent support even in the wrongdoings. The long rallies done by all parties (especially TMC and BJP) to showcase the strength disregarding the fact that these rallies can be the originators and propellers to the Virus spread makes me wonder if we have learnt anything from the past year. Forget about breaking the chain, the first knots were being tied and strengthened in these rallies defying all rules or Corona appropriate behavior.

Finally, the IPL, I am one of the craziest cricket fans around, but the idea of conducting IPL at this time did not make sense to me at all. Fine, there aren't any spectators but the total number of players (including reserves), the support staff, and the friends and family is not a count so small to not be worried of. Getting them out on fields, asking them to travel from one place to other, and exposing them to Virus primarily for our entertainment and truckloads of money, honestly doesn't seem worth the risk of any of them being infected or worse, losing their lives. Looks like we haven't really understood the difference between essentials and non essentials, have we ?

Another thing that we have failed at is to keep COVID above our political and personal agendas. Just yesterday, the government of Delhi released a list on Twitter mentioning the hospitals with decreasing levels of oxygen to target the central government without giving a damn about the panic created in families of the patients already admitted in those hospitals. Was releasing this the right thing to do? I don't think so. The government might give being transparent and genuine as the reason. Still, I wonder where was this transparency and truth when it was announced just a few days back that the beds and oxygen is enough to cater to the entire population of Delhi. Just in a few days, people are fighting for beds and let's not even mention oxygen.

On top of that, when investigated on ground level, some claims made were absolutely wrong. Can we start acting responsibly rather than blaming one another in these desperate times..is that too much to ask for ?? Did we not learn to put up a united front to fight the Virus? One section reports the vaccinated doses in absolute count while all other details in percentages. The other section reports the vaccinated doses in percentages while everything else is reported in actual numbers..not sure what individual sections have been trying to gain in here but what they have successfully achieved is the "Confused common man".

The fact is that the absolute numbers are huge for infections and vaccinations, the percentages calculated at a higher base make it look a little less scary but the situation is anything but normal. We have lost 1.83 lac people to the Virus while the cases have almost reached to 3 lac new cases per day. On the other hand our vaccination drive is also working in full force with 127 million doses being administered so far amidst thousands of rumors being spread and questions being raised. I don't even wish to discuss how vaccination too became a tool for politicization. However, people who donot believe in the vaccine, just let me know one COVID vaccine around the world that has an efficacy of 100% before putting a question mark. Ironically, the ones questioning the vaccine are now raising questions on the rollout. First, you light the matchstick, and then you wonder why the fire is not dying out...You ignited the rumors regarding vaccine efficacy and came out with statements like it should not be given to the people as it puts their lives at risk, and now you are blaming others for not giving it to people. Ironic much !!

However, out of all the things we haven't learnt, there is one thing that we have learnt, actually, not we but the entertainment industry and that is how to move to a different city/state to shoot in case your own city is under lockdown and subsequently spread the infection there as well because given the current scenario only 1 infected person is more than enough to infect thousand others. Lockdown is imposed so that people stay at home and not move to Vapi or Goa to shoot. Still, either we didn't learn it the last time or probably the "gyan" is only for the social media promotion or shooting is more important than lives, minting money is more important than safety for these production houses. To top it all, the entire responsibility was laid on the common man as supposedly all of it is for the "common man's entertainment."

I can go on and on with the list of things we failed to learn but as I end this, I just have a few requests, things that I learned and things I had hoped that everyone would have learned as well. Here's the reminder,

1. Please wear masks, maintain social distance and use sanitisers - BE RESPONSIBLE TOWARDS YOUR OWN SELF, surroundings will be taken care of automatically.

2. Step out only for essential work with all precautions and once you return try and isolate yourself. Isolate yourself as soon as you feel even a slight advent of symptoms. 

3. Please don't panic; you can recover from COVID-19, 13.3 million fellow citizens are a living proof of it.

4. The vaccine is not the cure of Corona, it will make your body stronger to fight the Virus

5. You are NOT a DOCTOR, WhatsApp is not a medical school, DONOT SELFMEDICATE, esp not the drugs like Remdesiver.

6. If you really want to take measures yourself, then adopt a healthier lifestyle and take all necessary precautions. 

7. Listen to what Doctors have to say, they have been trying their best to shut down the rumors mill but they can't do anything if we refuse to believe them, today's press conference by 3 leading doctors has busted a lot of myths, if you are too busy to watch all the interviews, then just watch the one telecasted today, it is available on YouTube (channel - MyGovIndia, title - Dr. Randeep Guelria, Dr. Naresh Trehan & Dr. Devi Shetty address the situation of #Covid19)

Vietnam has fought the Virus solely with its people's support and diligence; the country has reported only 2800 cases in total. Israel has moved past the scare; the UK had reopened.

No, I am not comparing India with them because I understand the situations are different, we have a larger population to cater to, the challenges are higher, but what I wish to emphasize is the "Silver Lining" these countries has shown us - a Hope of being able to live normally in future if we stay cautious now and that is what I am pinning my hopes at

Please learn from the past for REAL and stop repeating the same mistakes..!!

Wear Masks

Stay safe

Stay home (as much as you can)

Akriti Sharma