Tamenglong people during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Within the last one month or so, denizens of Tamenglong headquarters have seen Community Transmission (CT) of Covid-19. People were so scared of the CT that they had abstained from venturing out to bazaar even for essential commodities. Orders of Containment Zones were being issued by the District Administration, and plying of ambulances transporting Covid-19 infected patients to the Quarantine Centres are daily affairs on the district headquarters. Social media is flooded with exchange of information about Covid-19 ‘positive’ cases in the town.
Meanwhile general public have become acutely conscious of health by stoking and consuming healthier diet such as juices and fruits, which are available locally. Pharmacies are queued up with people demanding for Zincovit, Limcee Vitamins, Becosule tablets and the sorts. Health workers are working round the clock in transporting, sampling, testing and caring for the Covid-19 patients.
The District Administration is stretched to the limit in dealing with this pandemic. Local newspapers abound with restrictive orders prohibiting sojourners in respective areas; or that any activity violating prohibitory regulations will be dealt with very firmly. Despite these measures and hassles, a man succumbed to Covid-19 a few days back.
A recent medical report confirmed that a whole family had tested positive in one ward of the town. Another report stated some 8-10 more positive patients had been confirmed adding to the pandemic list. Even the wards that were guarded strictly by the Women Societies began to see positive cases. If someone dies, it is always suspected to be ‘it is it’! Church Services are suspended, which gave birth “mini churches” at homes. Every head of the family is now either a pastor or a catechist! Ironically, even the worst Christian has a chance of hearing the scripture now. Religious institutions and schools are being now floated online.
Students are fed up with staying at home. A little girl student said, “I long to see my ma’am again.” When someone is sick with fever, he is looked upon with suspicion. If one happens to have flu, he would clarify that “this time of the year it’s a routine kind of thing for me!” Meanwhile, people will go for steaming; prepare juices of lemon, ginger, turmeric, tulsi, ‘nungmaikha’, gooseberry, ‘lingtu’, ‘majengluan’ or consume daily bits of garlic to keep their immunity strong.
Autumn has arrived, but there is still no news that vaccine for Covid-19 at the pharmacy. An educated leader was heard consoling people “we should now learn to live with Covid-19”. It is an ardent prayer of every household that a vaccine come to their rescue as soon as possible. Till then the fight goes on.
Jimmy Pamei: Editor of The Tamenglong Times