We’ve
been trapped in our houses for six weeks now. The
terminology ‘lockdown’ itself is quite overwhelming and gives a sense of being
trapped. The economy is suffering; so are we. It is affecting our mental health. Yes, the
coronavirus is deadly. But so is the lockdown — it will undoubtedly kill
people. The restrictions are also having a very real effect on our happiness,
health and wellbeing, from joblessness, loneliness and all the myriad knock-on
effects. So which is worse?
The
economy consists of people’s lives, in a very direct way: if you stop
people working, you make their lives worse; their businesses go under, they
fall behind on rent or mortgages, they can’t afford to buy the things they want
or need. Countries around the world are
implementing various measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. India
is one of the countries that have implemented the world’s largest and most restrictive mass quarantines.
India first impose
21 Day nationwide lockdown starting March 25. The lockdown, which
was to end on April 14, was then extended for another 6 weeks, considering the
growing number of infection cases.
But how far lockdown
measures have been successful in curbing the pandemic?
Why it became necessary?
What could be the fallouts of lockdown? These are some questions lingering in
the minds of many people while they remain stuck at home amidst the pandemic.
So, let’s look at some
of the benefits and side effects of COVID-19-lockdowns.
·
Reduction in COVID-19 Cases
Lockdown has significantly helped to reduce the spread of corona
virus to millions people worldwide. If a person is
infected with coronavirus who doesn’t follow lockdown and
social-distancing norms, he can possibly infect 406 others in just 30 days. But
this can dramatically come down to 2.5 people with almost 75% reduction in
social exposure, according to a the study by the Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR). Therefore, imposition of lockdown and social distancing
measures is a very important intervention in the management of COVID-19.
·
Lockdowns are leading to fewer deaths from traffic accidents
The Lockdown has improved India’s road
accident record substantially. The number of accidents reported so
far in the lockdown has reduced because of
lesser traffic on the roads. India has seen 16,500 fewer road
accident-related deaths, which could be the biggest drop in a single year.
· Spending Quality Family time
This issue is
quite prevalent among the families where both the parents are working. Now that
everyone is at home, kids are having the time of their life by
enjoying with their family members and relatives
·
Environmental benefits
COVID-19
lockdowns have led to fewer vehicles on the road and planes in the sky,
resulting in cleaner environment around the world. Big cities like Delhi and
Mumbai see pollution levels drop by around 40-50%, according to data received
from a European satellite system.
Climate scientists have found a huge
improvement in air quality across the globe. Climate scientists also predict
that greenhouse gas emissions will drop significantly this year because of
COVID-19 lockdowns. However, they are also worried that the pollution levels
will return with a vengeance once things restore to normal.
Side effects
·
Lockdown in India has impacted 40 million internal migrants:
Many migrants have been
stranded due to the suspension of transport services. The sudden clampdown has left millions of
migrant workers stranded in foreign lands, and many are struggling to survive
without a job. Thousands of laborers were left jobless overnight in India. With
little money and no place to stay, many walked or cycled hundreds of kilometers
to reach their homeland. Many ended up dying of
starvation, exhaustion and dehydration.
·
Increased cases of domestic violence
Cases of
domestic violence have also increased post the lockdown in India. With women
also losing jobs during the lockdown, their vulnerability has further
increased. In many circumstances, whatever little women earn is given
to their husband and now, some even leading to domestic violence, also the
substantial burden from household have increased.
·
The Psychological Impact of Lockdown
Besides the many day-to-day challenges, the lockdown is taking a serious toll on the mental health of people. The lockdown is also contributing to it by triggering fears of losing businesses, jobs, earnings, savings or even basic resources. Many people are now suffering from anxiety, frustration, panic attacks, loss or sudden increase of appetite, insomnia, depression, mood swings, delusions, fear and suicidal tendencies. Such an example of mental crisis is many of people losing lives by committing suicide, one such is recent incident where an young and talented actor committed suicide by hanging himself named Sushant Singh.
We should
also keep in mind that even if there are more suicides, those extra deaths are
swamped by a decrease in accidents at work and on the roads. While lockdown is
necessary to curtail the spread of the highly infectious coronavirus, it can
have a long-lasting negative impact on the health of the people. Yes, the issues that the lockdown is creating
are real. But this doesn't mean that it will be easy to navigate them or that
saving human lives isn't vital, just that at some point in time, we can't just
continue to turn a blind eye to these other issues, especially the longer they
continue to go on. However, it’s bad if we keep the lockdown on for too long.
But it would be even worse if we came out of lockdown too early. In the
end, it’s better to lock down when you don’t need to, than not lock down when
you do need to.
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