The Corona pandemic, as it has unfolded, has left behind a virus that has remained undefeated till date. Many of us around the world have been either directly or indirectly impacted by the virus. It has damaged the economies, the quality of lives, and livelihoods; it has given a second chance at life for those who have contracted and survived it. Most of us, who are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Management) educated, have always wanted to believe that science will have answers sooner than we anticipated. For us there is, behind every ‘happening, there is science and logical thinking.
Can we watch a ‘magic show’, without trying to figure out various possibilities on how a trick was played by the magician? Even if we cannot figure it out, our minds are trained to rubbish it as a trick — illusion, maya!
When COVID happened, the world believed, or wishfully thought, that it had happened somewhere in a distant place. Though it made it to the ‘breaking news’ on TV channels, most of us believed, or were made to believe (by health authorities) of the world, that it is not going to spread from human to human.
But here we are, fondly hoping for the vaccines to get delivered after having spent the last 10 months in the absence of actual information of the progress in vaccine development from the scientific medical communities.
The following phrases came to be famous and universally accepted: Social distancing, wear a mask, wash your hands often, pay attention to immunity, take more natural and organic food items, work from home, COVID tests, test more, sanitise, Rapid Antigen Test (I had not heard of it until the outbreak), testing for antibodies (I learned it from my close friend who is a doctor), viral load, second wave, herd immunity, community transmission, etc. All these are a part of our vocabulary these days, even though some of us would know very little about it!
Why did the pandemic happen in the first place? Live animal market in Wuhan where human beings consume live, wild meat including that of bats. We now know that wild bats play host to the coronavirus.
Was it a laboratory accident, or did God make it? It is very difficult to make human beings understand that interfering with nature is bad. Did human beings take everything for granted? Did aspirations (natural to human beings) turn into greed? Maybe we will never know!
When we were infected and had severe symptoms — isolated and quarantined, or even severely inhibited by having to follow protocols for possible preventions — many of the things we worked and aspired for, suddenly appeared worthless: money, wealth, fame, stature, power, authority etc. All we wanted is ‘not to be infected’, or if infected, ‘to get cured swiftly’.
So it is all about ‘doctor is your God, and God is your doctor’!
Now, to get back to what I started with, I would encourage you to click on the YouTube video link below and watch it. It is philosophical, in an Indian way! But I am sure you can draw parallels between science and philosophy, and maybe there is more to it than what meets the eye!
