April 9, 2020, India : COVID cases 5734, deaths 166 - so far - but surely rising.
The best to worst case scenarios predict covid fatalities in India anywhere between 300 (ha!ha!) - 5 million (staggering!!)
But is there really a reason to panic? Total number of deaths in India is estimated at around 10 million - half of these due to chronic diseases - probably preventable? So we lose 5 million people per year to diseases - that are likely treatable - if there's a same will behind it. Remember the mortality age of an Indian male is about 68 years - only! We let go of our citizens at this nominally early age - compared to the developed world - that we like to pretend we are.
What are other types of (preventable) deaths in India?
"The infant mortality rate for India in 2019 was 30.924 deaths per 1000 live births" So for 1.38 billion that are alive today, we have lost about 41 million infants!
"In 2017, about 1.2 million people died in India due to air pollution" much more than due to tobacco usage. Folks, can we write these off against those prevented due to reducing pollution level during lockdown? Shall we?
How about TB? 440,000 is our annual average.
Homicide? About 62,000 is our average...the list can go on. Google yourself!
The point is all of us know most of this - even though we may not feel up to confronting this. By we, I mean the comfortable class like me, chewing on an apple, blogging, and relaxing during this lockdown.
So why the sudden panic?? BECAUSE IT HAS COME TO OUR DOORSTEP! Because - bank balance is not verified before you become a Corona host. Age determines if you die - and there are many many more wealthy seniors - compared to poor ancients. Remember our average mortality age of about 68??
So people who can shout the loudest and be heard the most - they are now feeling threatened and panicking. They don't want to fall sick, they don't want to die. As a maid nearby said, she has to queue up for drinking water everyday - where's the social distancing. Our young, strong, working, contributing labor class , are trying to reach home - on foot - along with wives, children, elderly - out of shameless and unnecessary and avoidable starvation.
Yes, there are also good samaritans - risking the virus, beatings etc - just to deliver food. But how many?? or how few??
Don't avert your gaze...listen and think - you have all the time in the world - atleast over the next week or so.
The best to worst case scenarios predict covid fatalities in India anywhere between 300 (ha!ha!) - 5 million (staggering!!)
But is there really a reason to panic? Total number of deaths in India is estimated at around 10 million - half of these due to chronic diseases - probably preventable? So we lose 5 million people per year to diseases - that are likely treatable - if there's a same will behind it. Remember the mortality age of an Indian male is about 68 years - only! We let go of our citizens at this nominally early age - compared to the developed world - that we like to pretend we are.
What are other types of (preventable) deaths in India?
"The infant mortality rate for India in 2019 was 30.924 deaths per 1000 live births" So for 1.38 billion that are alive today, we have lost about 41 million infants!
"In 2017, about 1.2 million people died in India due to air pollution" much more than due to tobacco usage. Folks, can we write these off against those prevented due to reducing pollution level during lockdown? Shall we?
How about TB? 440,000 is our annual average.
Homicide? About 62,000 is our average...the list can go on. Google yourself!
The point is all of us know most of this - even though we may not feel up to confronting this. By we, I mean the comfortable class like me, chewing on an apple, blogging, and relaxing during this lockdown.
So why the sudden panic?? BECAUSE IT HAS COME TO OUR DOORSTEP! Because - bank balance is not verified before you become a Corona host. Age determines if you die - and there are many many more wealthy seniors - compared to poor ancients. Remember our average mortality age of about 68??
So people who can shout the loudest and be heard the most - they are now feeling threatened and panicking. They don't want to fall sick, they don't want to die. As a maid nearby said, she has to queue up for drinking water everyday - where's the social distancing. Our young, strong, working, contributing labor class , are trying to reach home - on foot - along with wives, children, elderly - out of shameless and unnecessary and avoidable starvation.
Yes, there are also good samaritans - risking the virus, beatings etc - just to deliver food. But how many?? or how few??
Don't avert your gaze...listen and think - you have all the time in the world - atleast over the next week or so.
