The Chiwda Times: 25th June 2020

😎THE OBSERVER (M-7): 25 June 2020 / 12:38😎

CHIWDA TIMES - COVID

Yes, you got it right - Covid. For twenty-two days the topic was deliberately given a miss in these columns. Enough about it is going around 24x7 on TV, print, social and other media. From the time it first made its appearance in China, one could sense the dreaded infection  steadily getting nearer and nearer. Initially, everyone made fun of the Chinese, then the Italians, Spaniards, Americans, Britishers and so forth. There were jokes galore about the eating habits of the Chinese, particularly the bat recipes.Then came the national lock-down and the creepy, thorny, horrible, scary Covid symbol made its appearance all over. There was no escaping it - hoardings,stickers, newspapers and all kinds of TV channels were full of it. A constant reminder of the lurking danger! 

Now started the almost minute by minute updates on the latest numbers of active cases, fatalities, recoveries and so forth. After watching with a kind of detached ,distant amusement how the figures were rising in one state and city after the other, came the realization that Tamil Nadu and Chennai were now among the leaders on that chart . I could not but help muse that by sheer law of averages, it was sure to arrive at our doorstep soon. To cut a long story short, it has. Well, not exactly - but when the next door neighbor in our first-floor home has been found to be positive two days ago, I think I can safely claim to be the first in this group of ours who has this privilege. Yesterday morning , our whole block was segregated and sanitized and lifts sealed. We are in quarantine - home delivery of all essentials, no moving out. Just now, my wife announced that a survey team from the local Panchayat office will be coming to check our temperature etc. Personally speaking, I have so far considered myself to be relatively safe as I have not stepped out of the door since my last visit to the  doctor more than six months ago. No visitors, and my wife has been taking all precautions with bare minimum movement outside the house. And now we await this team conducting a door-to-door survey of the entire gated society containing blocks A to R. 

At times I have the feeling that it is these very "highly trained" surveyors who ensure full and proper spread of the virus. Looking for protective equipment to tackle this encounter. Unfortunately I got rid of my FSMO some time back. God save us! As Murali said a day or two ago, let this be placed on record for posterity .

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