By Dr. Sawraj Singh

There is a joke in Punjabi which goes like this. Some boys are bathing a cat and the cat dies. A person asks the boys if the bathing killed the cat. The boys answered that it was not the bathing but the wringing to dry it after the bathing which killed the cat. I am afraid that the same thing may not happen in this coronavirus pandemic. The cure may prove worse than the disease.                                                                 

Most of the countries have enforced lockdowns to control the spread of the disease. However, the lockdowns in some cases seem to be causing more damage than the disease itself. Some of these are:       

• Tremendous economic loss.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
• *Widening of gap between the rich and the poor                                                                                                                                                                                                
• *Increase in mental problems                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
• * Increase in domestic violence                                                                                                                                                                                         
•  *Aggravation of racial and interreligious conflicts                                                                                                          

Economic loss associated with the lockdowns has been unprecedented. Both the manufacturing and the service sectors of the economy have greatly suffered. However, the service sector has suffered out of proportion damage. Some of it like the airline industry, tourism and the hotel industry may find it extremely difficult to get back on its feet and many may go bankrupt. The economy has already gone into recession in some countries. However, a great depression like the thirties cannot be ruled out.                           

The poor in many countries have been pushed to deeper poverty. For example, about 40 crores (400 millions) poor people in India may be pushed into deep poverty. With the bungled lockdown many of these have been uprooted and may find it very difficult to go back to their lives prior to the crisis.

Loneliness and depression are very big problems in many countries. The lock downs are going to make these problems much worse. We may notice a big jump in the number of suicides as a result of this crisis.                                                                                                                                                                              

Another problem is being noticed in many countries is increase in the domestic violence. The lockdowns have created conditions for the aggravation of this problem by increasing frustration and forcing people to spend more time together. Violence against the women and the children increases under such conditions.                                                                                                                                                                       

Racial and inter religious tensions also seem to be increasing. President Trump has incited racism by calling the virus Chinese virus. He is aggravating this problem by blaming the WHO for tilting toward China. The current Director-General Tedros Adhanom is from Ethiopia. It is also becoming clear in America that mortality among the Blacks is much higher than the Whites as a result of this disease. In India, this disease seems to be aggravating the tensions between the Hindus and the Muslims.                                      

How should we handle the situation without making the cure worse than the disease? The lock downs should be better planned and all the likely problems arising as a result of the lockdowns should be thoroughly discussed and addressed before enforcing the lockdowns. For example, the ugly situation of the mass exodus from the cities like Delhi and Mumbai should have been anticipated and addressed before the lockdown. We should enforce the lockdowns in a manner which hurts the economy the least.

We should not be rigid and uniform in applying the lockdowns. We should be flexible and loosen and reinforce the lockdowns as needed. Similarly, the lockdowns should be enforced differently in the different areas depending on the prevalence and the severity in that area. Volunteerism should be encouraged and promoted. Let us try to bring out the best in the people like compassion, kindness and sharing.

Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at sawrajsingh@hotmail.com.