Covid-19: culture-specific measures to avoid transmission

We know limited about the behavior of COVID-19. Evidence from past epidemics and pandemics shows that health workers are vulnerable to contract the disease. This must apply to COVID-19 as well.

It appears that people with an intact immune system may develop minimal symptoms (which may be taken as the usual “cough and cold”) or none at all with COVID-19 infection. The majority of health workers fall in healthy and good immune status people. However, given our work environment, clientele in our contacts, need to attend sick and often emergency situations, and at times without adequate preparedness, we are truly prone to contract the infection. With a good immune system, we can be “asymptomatic” carriers of the virus.

With this, I would like to advocate for context and culture-specific measures for our community:

• Many of us live with our elder parents. We also know that they are very vulnerable. Their immune system is not as good as ours. There are high chances they succumb to the COVID-19 if they contract it. If there are alternatives, please exercise social distancing. What is the distance for social distancing? I would suggest using common sense. If not needed, do not visit them at all till the current situation changes. If no alternatives available, use your logics and medical science – COVID-19 is a droplet transmission.
• We have the responsibility to address our religious gatherings. Kirtan, bhajan and religious programs like Puran and Chaurasi are not essential. Let us speak out loud against to contain the spread of COVID-19.
• Performances like Nawaran and Shradhha viewed essential need to scale down. Only essential people should attend. If we all survive after COVID-19, celebrations and events can always take place in the future.
• The tricky part is the nature of our funeral ceremony and process then after. The funeral is the only event in Hindu culture when even an “enemy” attends. Let us go responsible and observe social distancing and limit the crowd. I strongly suggest discouraging – everyday closed space Bishnu-sahasranam and Gadur-Puran, Vaikunthautshab, etc. If we do these, we are not responsible, and we will continue to spread the virus.

The viral pandemics is expected to peak in Australia by the end of June and/or early July as per the current educated line of thinking. Keep safe; take no risks.

Editor’s note: The post that Dr. Dhakal first published in his Facebook timeline is published here with permission from the author.