Since the people are not used to wearing the masks, they feel suffocated and remove them time and again. Most of them cover only the lips and leave the nose uncovered. They hold the mask from front, which is the dirtiest part of the mask, thus soiling their hands which they are likely to touch on to the face. Many people use handkerchiefs or ‘chunnies’ or ‘gamchhas’ to cover the face. One is likely to forget which was the inner side and cover the face next time with the outer side which is already soiled. Not many wash their hands for 20 seconds or rub the hands with sanitizer till it gets dried up. These small tips are very important.

After the relaxation in lockdown the bazars are crowded, and there is total flouting of distance between the people. The Prime Minister in his speeches has time and again emphasized on social distancing. Social distancing means not to connect with society, that is your mates, friends, family relations etc., meaning thereby, staying aloof. In fact this is a wrong term projected particularly in the Indian context.

Our society is composed of very diverse groups based on caste, creed, religion, ethnicity, language and socio economic status. Despite the guarantees in constitution there persist bias against each other. The social distancing word could be used to perpetuate such bias. We have seen how the Tablighi Jamaat was demonized purposefully and blamed for spreading the COVID. This was followed by a hate campaign against a particular community to the extent that many people refused to buy vegetables from them. Similarly the issue of pilgrims from Nanded Sahib was also built but was not hyped to the level of Tablighis. The poor section who do not have enough space to live, lack of education and are under nourished were also blamed for spreading the COVID. Because of this there has been denial to entry of the maids in the colonies.

Lockdown led to virtual isolation of the people from each other. This left more impact on the children, teen agers and younger generation who are more into mixing with their peer group in schools, colleges, play grounds and parties etc. Many teen agers have developed fear of the COVID because of lack of interaction with the society. They have landed into anxiety related problems.

Social media remained the only medium of contact. But virtual contact is no alternative to personal face to face meetings. In any situation of stress and anxiety it is all the more important that we have social cohesiveness and social involvement to allay the fears. Constant information from the government to maintain social distance is against the concept of medical science. The advisory to keep the distance from another person six feet or above does not mean that one stops contacts with the people. Human society has all the experience that social support is much more needed during the times of crisis. Therefore In the present situation we need much more social cohesiveness to overcome the COVID not only in the physical terms but also its fallout on mental status of the people and our social fabric. The term social distance is a misnomer, more so in the present crisis where we all have to work together. (IPA Service)