Tale of Survival: Impact of Covid-19 on Kerala and Measures Adopted by the Government of Kerala
Gadha T.R.1, Krishnaja Mol K2
1U.G. Student, Department of English, Amrita VishwaVidyapeetham, Amritapuri, India
2 Assistant Professor, Department of English, Amrita VishwaVidyapeetham, Amritapuri, India
ABSTRACT
Covid19 is an infectious disease caused by a virus called Corona Virus which belongs to the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae, which is included in the main family Coronaviridae. These viruses are enveloped with a positive sense single-stranded RNA genome and are having a helically symmetrical nucleocapsid. The genome size range varies from an approximation of 26-36 kilo- bases. People who were affected by these viruses were probably to have mild to moderate respiratory illness and such people were recovered without any severe treatment. Whereas people who are older or who are suffering from various serious diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases are likely to develop serious illness.
The disease sprouted in Wuhan city of China proved its impact in India very immediately and the first case of this pandemic was reported in India on 30th January 2020. It was in Kerala that the first case was reported and later it rose to three cases in the month of February. This paper explores the efforts of the Government of Kerala to control and prevent the spreading of the disease and the results so far till February 2021. The paper also analyses the functioning of healthcare system in Kerala and its effective role in balancing the physical and mental health of people. Impact of this disease in families, society and social institutions, measures taken by the Government of Kerala in accordance with the Central government to prevent the evil consequences of the disease, further preventive measures as well as the shortcomings, solutions etc are also illustrated here.
Keywords
Health care system, Govt. of Kerala, shortcomings, solutions
INTRODUCTION
SARS-CoV-2 i.e., Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus-2 which is caused by Beta- CoVs which usually infect mammals had created panic worldwide and the global health were concerned since 2019 December. SARS was reported to have been spread worldwide in 2002 from China which resulted in hundreds of deaths. In the same manner, MERS (Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome) which was emerged in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and later it spread to other countries also. The viruses were being originated from bats and later, through other intermediate hosts can infect humans.
In the beginning of 2019 December, in the city of Wuhan, Central China, people suffering from pneumonia emerged large in number. SARS CoV-2 was thus named after the genome sequencing. In the beginning, Covid has been spread to 212 countries causing many confirmed cases and resulted in many deaths of people who were affected by this. There were researches going on for developing vaccines against Covid-19 and scientists became successful in developing vaccine.
When Kerala is concerned, the government is now trying to experiment with many medicines against this epidemic. Hydro- chloroquine which was used for treating Malaria has been used for experiments against Covid-19. COVAXINTM, is India's indigenous COVID-19 vaccine produced by Bharat Biotech. It is developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). Both the state and the central government has been trying very hard to check how it has spread by means of different methods which includes measures such as tracking, isolating and treating the infected persons. Kerala has been
testing plasma therapy, which is an experimental procedure where critical coronavirus disease patients are treated using plasma collected from those who have recovered from the viral infections and has been successful.
ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF COVID-19 ON KERALA
As the pandemic COVID-19 continues to devastate on markets across the world, the impact of the virus has adverse impact on the economy in a state like Kerala. As per several reports related to money by consultants, it is evident that this emergence of virus is ready to interrupt variety of sectors that bring core revenue to the state and thus push Kerala into an additional financial condition that has not been seen in recent times. The state looks to be fighting against the virus more effectively from the starting of the COVID-19 successfully by preventing from a community transmission, but the battle on the economic aspect is probably facing a loss. The flatboat business by itself is a business through which a whole market flourish throughout once a year. It is this whole economic system that gets displaced once the houseboats in an area are grounded. Different traveller destinations like Munnar were additionally being affected by this disease. Around eighty fifth of the IT firms in Kerala have given permission to their workers to work from home. The markets were being cleaned up and somewhat maintained well. The Pineapple business, which is the one that contributes more to Kerala‟s economy is also affected.
Kerala is one among the most important food exporters within the country, but the Coronavirus hit the state and due to the present scenario, the fishermen has hardly gone out fishing. The government has in the meantime declared a COVID-19 package of rupees twenty thousand for the state. However, it remains to be seen however and wherever the money is allotted. Free ration for all card holders, two months of welfare pension before-hand, sponsored meal program at Rupees twenty in the beginning week of April. Several massive announcements were created by Kerala government thus far additionally enclosed within a package which has an allocation of Rs 2000 for loans through the state‟s ladies help cluster Kudumbashree as a part of its micro-finance programme. These measures in a variety of sectors in Kerala may still be compact by Coronavirus in an exceedingly massive method. Already Mollywood and other movies were not able to release in the initial state because of the closing of theatres and some movies were released through on-line and is free also. Recently theatres were opened, and some movies were released, but the revenue that the state get from theatres seems to be less.
IMPACT ON EDUCATION
Covid 19 situation brought a drastic change in the concept of education. It redefined the ways and methods of education. Online education and distant education were only an option until then, but the system became very common with the advent of the Covid 19. The online platform gave diverse experience to students. In the beginning students and teachers treated it as the need of the hour and later it brought them much trouble physically and mentally. Sitting in front of laptops and mobile for long hours led to health issues and depression. Rather than focusing on classes, students proved lazy and habits such as over eating and sleeping made the situations worse.
Those Students who got admission in new colleges got entangled in a laptop and they are communicating with their class mates and teachers with much mental trouble and less freedom which is totally in contrast to the freedom they enjoyed once in schools.
Academic classes conducted in Victers channel for school students helped them to focus on their studies during the crucial time. But as the system continued students started to use mobile phones
and laptop more and resulted in physical and mental issues. The situation seriously affected the eyesight of children and many got addicted to mobile phones. Students who got admission for KG classes started their studies in a very isolated manner. When they felt overburdened with home works and digital classes, many of them started to hate studying in the beginning itself.
Thus, education system faces much difficulty till date and the chance of worsening is more in future also.
INITIATIVES AND AWARENESS GIVEN BY KERALA GOVERNMENT
Apart from distinguishing the COVID-19 carriers, sending them into quarantine, the Kerala government has additionally initiated awareness drives all around the fourteen districts of Kerala i.e., among all migrant employees, guests from different states, and additionally among native folks. Government is conducting counter campaigns against pretended news that are spread. A therapist within the state who claimed that he would heal coronavirus infection was in remission and therefore the government is keeping a detailed watch on all who create fake medical claims, even on social media, concerning COVID-19. Social employees in Kerala took measures in spreading awareness regarding COVID-19 and were involved in providing masks and clothes for people. Kerala‟s efforts were being strong by an efficient medical network. On four March 2020, a BBC broadcast on COVID-19 had showered praise on Kerala for its effective and economical handling of the cases according within the state. Excluding hospitals, the state incorporates a wide network of primary health centres that operates as the first or primary level of contact with the population. All the medical students were cured in isolation wards, who were came to Kerala from Wuhan, throughout the primary section of COVID-19 natural event. Quarantine could be a treatment in isolation for suspected cases of COVID-19 patients counting on the seriousness.
Those with serious symptoms were isolated at medical faculty hospitals with isolation wards, whereas those with minor symptoms unintegrated reception below the regular observation of health officers and doctors. The first section has been finished at the start of March and a larger variety of cases were because of the suspected travellers from Italy and this paved path to the start of the second section. During this section, all those who came from different countries significantly from China, Italia and Persia were isolated even though they showed minor symptoms by the health department officers. As per the reports by the Global Health Organization, COVID-19 patients show the symptoms like fever, tiredness, dry cough etc. Some patients could have another symptom like aches and pains, nasal congestion, running nose, inflammatory disease or looseness of the bowels. Another case is there that the infected individuals might not be showing of these symptoms. When eighty percent of the patients are concerned, they live through COVID-19 with no special treatments. The groups that came together with the suspected patients also are send to home quarantine.
Women members works together as a unit of helping staffs in the primary health centers.
Altogether in the fourteen districts of Kerala, there are special teams in each area to organize the route maps of every infected person that tracks every person, once the suspect landed in Asian nation or came connected with associate infected person up to the instant to the suspect was admitted to the hospital. The knowledge contains the place and time and later it is circulated to the general public by means of newspapers and different social media platforms as per the request of all those came connected with the person to awake and to access preventive care as soon as possible. Kerala government is quarantining all the migrant staffs who came from different countries for the concern of twenty-eight days within the isolation wards. The admitted patients in a particular area unit are given food, they're having access to Wi-fi etc. They're additionally
given counseling sessions from the health department. Multiple health centers were being opened to visualize on the psychological state of the people who were in home quarantine. To avoid additional spreading of COVID-19, the government is tracking the GPS so as to search out the patients who have escaped from quarantine. The government has additionally forced the web service suppliers to extend network capability and information measure within the state to satisfy the demand of individuals as majority of individuals are performing from home. Sanitisers were being created in bulk quantities with the assistance of aid teams, jail inmates, youth organizations etc. A complete of twenty-five community kitchens were being operational underneath the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, that delivered food packets to concerning sixty-seven thousand individuals daily in wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Strict actions were being taken by Police against those people who spread fake news. Medical check-ups were there within the province and Karnataka borders for the individuals getting into the state by rail and road. „Break the Chain‟ campaign is an associate initiative taken by Kerala government to encourage hand sanitising among individuals to stop the unfold of the virus. ArogyaSetu app is obligatory for each person who comes to the State and those who comes to the state. With the assistance of lecturers, officers within the Kasaragod district were getting ready to arrange awareness campaigns. The district authorities have concerned about a project titled “Mash” and as a section of that lecturers would unfold awareness across numerous panchayats furthermore as municipalities to stay a check on the three basic safety measures suggested for COVID-19 hindrance, i.e., using masks for short time whenever we get out of the house, clean hands oftentimes and use Sanitisers and maintain social distancing. The set up was devised following the widespread reports of individuals violating the protection norms publicly. This was the primary time; people were being engaged within the awareness measures. For people that don't seem to be using masks publicly were forced to pay a small amount as fine and if they're repetition an equivalent mistake then the fine is upgraded to Rs.5000.
TELE-MEDICINE SYSTEM
The Kerala government has determined to create use of the tele-medicine platform more effectively, i.e., e-Sanjeevani, that was launched. It had been developed by Center for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC). It is used as an answer for non-COVID-19 patient care by avoiding direct interface with doctors throughout this pandemic crisis. The state determined to go forward with this e-Sanjeevani as this can be a good consultation platform that offers high utility options. It is having an excellent advantage for elder people because it prevents the requirement for a patient to travel to the hospital and it provides its services at fingertips.
Kerala‟s health minister K.K. Shailaja teacher mentioned that if the tele-medicine picks up in line with the prediction of the state, then most likely the government wish to strengthen this by giving health consultations around it in all days of the year. The platform receives an enormous variety of calls daily, that were being attended by over efficient Doctors.
CONCLUSION
The Government had taken many initiatives to control the spread of Covid-19 in Kerala. Kerala government has been appreciated by the Central government. Kerala Health Minister got many appreciations from officials of other countries too. Kerala also got the UN award for outstanding contribution for preventing and control of non-communicable diseases. Kerala also got Healthgiri
awards too. Even though the government has initiated many awareness campaigns and preventive measures, lack of lock-down and the increasing crowd in certain places were there, which lead to the spread of covid-19 in people. In many cases, tracking the origin of the disease in certain people was not possible. Even now, many people are going out without wearing their masks properly and without sanitising. The government must take any actions for these crowds in public so that there will be less chances for the spread. Even though the people are vaccinated, some of them are still affected by Covid-19 because of the less care they undertake. All the steps taken by the government of Kerala are appreciable. Even though there were some shortcomings, the government has provided necessary care to the people in all ways.
REFERENCES
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