Stay At Home
Do not socialise — not in front of your house, not at a local shop, and not even if nobody is watching.
Do Not Come To The Hospital Unnecessarily
You sneezed today morning, — once — and you come to the hospital for that. You have had acne since the day you attained puberty, and this is the time you choose to get it treated. The man standing next to you could just a be COVID positive patient. You might go home contracting something much worse than what you came to get treated for.
Wear A Mask
Do not lower your mask — not if you meet somebody you know, not in front of the doctor (unless asked to), not while giving a TV interview. You can live for a lifetime without people knowing what your entire face looks like, but not with COVID. The mask should cover your mouth and nose., and not just your chin. You are not wearing a chin guard.
Maintain Social Distance
If you really cannot afford to stay at home and have to step out, maintain social distance. Even while standing in line for your medicines at the pharmacy. Why do you stare at us with a blank face when we ask you to stand a few feet apart? Why do we have to step out of our op every half an hour and tell each of you where to stand? A little self-help would go a long way.
Do Not Touch The Hospital Table
You come to the hospital because you are ill. Accepted. Then you bring closer the stool that you are supposed to sit on, put your elbow and hands over the table, and then place it over your face. You are inviting trouble.
Community Spread
Many states are on the verge of community spread, while some have already reached there. This means that shortly, we won’t be able to find out where you got the infection from, since the source would be unknown. This way, a whole lot of you would have chances of getting infected. There won’t be enough beds in hospitals to take you up. We might have to use wedding halls and other public places instead. If you don’t follow the norms stated by the government, the implications will be grave.
Let Us Do Our Jobs
We didn’t wish for this pandemic. We hate this as much as you — probably a little more, because it keeps us away from our families. We come to the hospital every day, do what is expected of us, and a lot more. Showing your protest to the government by bad-mouthing us and spitting on us is not okay. We have been putting in our nerve and sinew into this, be it the nursing attendants, the nursing staff, the pharmacists, the grade 1 or grade 2 staff, or the doctors. The thing is, each time you protest against the government without maintaining the required social distance, each time you forget to follow the protocol, each time you step out of the confines of your home unnecessarily, our efforts pale against your ignorance.
We fail with each mistake you make. We get a little closer to losing the battle against COVID. We are on the same side, remember?
Note: The article was originally published here.