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What is Corona Crisis?

We have tried to identify Corona Crisis in the line of social facets. The coronavirus outbreak came to light on December 31, 2019, then afterwards we have experienced how a small microorganism officially named as SARS-CoV-2 and the disease is now called COVID-19 by World Health Organisation (WHO), has created a pandemic situation and taken over 2,82,000 lives across the globe. The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of present time and the greatest challenge the human race has faced since World War II.

In India, almost 68,000 people are suffering (as on May 11, 2020), death has been recorded close to 1900, including children. Situation of West Bengal is also considerably alarming, more than 1900 active reported cases with over 12% of death rate, while thousands are going to bed hungry as the country has shut down to battle the pandemic. India's unemployment rate is now at a record high of 27.1%, according to the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE).The informal jobs, which employ 90% of the population, had experienced the first setback as construction stopped, and cities suspended public transport. Scenes of thousands of poor-jobless-moneyless-shelter less migrant workers, particularly daily-wage earners, desperately fleeing cities on foot to return to their native villages, filled TV screens and newspapers for most of April 2020.

Physiologically, the common symptoms for COVID-19 are now showing repeated changes due to continuous mutation of virus genomes. Recently numerous cases reported Corona positive without having any proper or common symptoms. This asymptomatic virus trend has thrown a new challenge to the medical researchers across the globe.

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Please see the useful links here for more information on Corona Symptoms

  1. The symptoms as mentioned by WHO : https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_3

  2. The poster by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Government of India - https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/Poster1GHFanDHGA.pdf

The virus that causes COVID-19 is a human to human transmitting, mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air, and quickly fall on floors or surfaces. One person can be infected by breathing in the virus if s/he is within close proximity of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose or mouth. Thus Scientists have advised physical and societal distancing among people to resist the spread of the virus leading the administrations go for lockdown which include restrictions for travel, work, education, facilities other than emergency services for most of the countries who have been affected, totally or partially, depending upon the severity of the disease.

With 472 million children (India has the largest child population in the world) India is under greatest challenge. It is estimated more than 40million of children from poor families have been impacted. Record number of cases of domestic violence has been recorded during the lock-down period.

Here we have tried to tabulated such important news and article links, which will help us all to understand the real crisis occured due to Corona outbreak.

How to Combat?

There are various COVID-19 related awareness materials available over the internet. Through our network initiative we have tried to distinguish the entire information in to five categories for establishing a link between medical and social sphere-

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 a. Information related to the best health and hygienic practices

There are various COVID-19 related awareness materials available over the internet. Through our network initiative we have tried to distinguish the entire information in to five categories for establishing a link between medical and social sphere-

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b. Socio-cultural, behavioral practices:

With the spread of the novel coronavirus and its attendant COVID-19 outbreak, social and behavioral aspect is scientifically being deployed to assuage fears, understand risk, improve public health and implement social distancing strategies. As the pandemic becomes a bigger and bigger part of daily life, researchers are warning of changes in how we think, behave and relate to one another, some are temporary but others potentially permanent - could be the “NEW NORMAL”. The greatest psychological shift amid widespread crisis may be toward simple social tasks, like checking in on neighbors, caring for the needy, cooking for friends, joining social gathering, ceremony etc. Social and behavior change (SBC) professionals have a critical role to play in this disease outbreak scenario.

Administration is continuously talking about adopting special behavioral practices through different IEC materials. A good

example: Minding our mind during COVID-19 by mohfw.gov.in

Useful links for more information

c. Effective Social Networking in the virtual spare

Beside countless depressing news, correspondingly there are several incidents of good practices noticed and reported. It is also heartwarming to see how the world has come together as one in this time of deep uncertainty and possibilities of months of social distancing and potential lockdown. We have experienced how offices are running online, how some educational institutions are giving virtual space for learning – through online classes. Moreover, solidarity and synergy between people-organizations-institutions are someway being maintained through virtual space sharing. Social media platforms have played a crucial role in disseminating news about the spread of COVID-19. And with such a wide scope of responsibility and overall power over the distribution of information, many what they can to help, including donating to support relief efforts, taking steps to prevent spreading of fake news. “Social Distancing” could not really able to turned down the “Social Network and Bounding”.

 

To contrast the first point, unfortunately and in many instances, social media-social network can do just as much bad as it can do good. Social media is great for spreading information and news, but some of that can be misinformation or “fake news” or rumors. Misinformation, especially about COVID-19, can cause panic. People who see misinformation on social media may think what they are reading is actually true. If it’s something as important or serious as a worldwide pandemic, one should do a little research to see if what s/he is reading, or posting/sharing is actually factual. Otherwise, one may be inclined to share the misinformation and fuel the fear of something that isn’t necessarily true.

 

From our network we are trying to create a “An Enthusiastic e-Leaning Platform” to address inspirational case stories of CORONA SURVIVOR and SBC interventions such as proper hygiene techniques, development of SBC strategies, training, correction of misinformation, stigma reduction, and more. We hereby request to share inspirational SBC experience surrounding you.

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NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE~ Interesting links:

Please add more

SBC related links for further information:

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Share your SBC Experience

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d. Special support from Govt. and Administration

Support from Govt. and Administration is of utmost importance along with medical, SBC and Virtual networking. During this disturbing time, in India both the Central and State governments have announced several special schemes and allowances for the poor to help them fight the battle against Corona Virus.  The government is continuously working on a financial relief package for more or less each effected sector, including civil aviation and tourism, to deal with the fall-out of the coronavirus pandemic that has impacted the economy. Government measures are intended at reaching out to the most vulnerable and poorest of poor, with food (through ration system and midday meal for children) and money (through various pension and other wage related schemes), so that their basic needs are met.

From our network platform we have tried to gather all related information about these special Government schemes and allowances during COVID 19 situation.

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  • To know about more at a glance please click: Information Related to Govt. Schemes & Allowances for the Corona Situation

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 To download all information on schemes and allowance click here

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  • PM Modi Announces Economic Package of Rs 20 Lakh Crore | ABP News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP02c8gsM8o

  • To know about more at a glance please click: Important notifications by Govt., National and regional-sorted by District wise…..pl develop the .pdf with relevant info

e. Disability-related special info and materials

​Among many affected sections of society due to COVID outbreak, one of the most vulnerable groups, are persons/children with disabilities. They are facing additional risks and consequences as well as anxieties. They have different needs, attention, and rehabilitation. All policies, norms, disaster management, and other institutional interventions must be structuralized in a way so that this dependable group of society can be addressed with empathy, understanding, and dignity.

Here we have covered some glimpses of materials regarding issues of this group:

  • The lockdown is hard for women with disabilities by Namita Bhandare. Updated: May 01, 2020

Before Covid-19, women with disabilities were already undergoing their own lockdown, invisible and shut out from the rest of the world. Now, the walls are closing in.

But Covid-19 has also reinforced what many people with disabilities believe: They are invisible to society. When policymakers talk about vulnerable people, they refer to older populations and those with underlying conditions like diabetes. People with disabilities have not always specifically been included as vulnerable. “When there’s a crisis, who do we forget? Those we always forget,” says Goyal.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/columns/the-lockdown-is-hard-for-women-with-disability/story-4uOVBLxLOoukdlcqWvP1vJ.html

  • It took a pandemic for India to adopt the work solutions people with disabilities have long sought by Tony Kurian. 01/05/20

The ‘reasonable accommodation’ denied to persons with disabilities for decades is finally being offered to the wider public

In India, for example, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 defines reasonable accommodation as “necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments, without imposing a disproportionate or undue burden in a particular case, to ensure persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise of rights equally with others”.

https://scroll.in/article/959661/it-took-a-pandemic-for-india-to-adopt-the-work-solutions-people-with-disabilities-have-long-sought

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