PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE: SOCIAL DISTANCING FOR A HEALTHY FUTURE
The age old saying, prevention is better than cure is the most suitable statement for maintaining
good health. The greatest achievement of medical science is that it has been able to develop medicines
and vaccines to keep away certain diseases. In this manner we have successfully won the medical war
against dreadful diseases from AD 165 on wards with Antonine Plague and has come along way
through Small Pox,Russian Flu, HIV, Ebola, H1N1and now we confidently fight the dreadful Corona
(Covid 19). As Lao Tzu, the Chinese Philosopher said the journey of a thousand miles begins with a
single step, similarly, the fight and the ultimate victory against various diseases started with great
sacrifices made by the medical team.
The human race has witnessed the coming, staying and going of various diseases. There are
different types of diseases like communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases,viral diseases,
respiratory diseases,nutrient deficiency diseases and many more. Communicable diseases are those that
spread rapidly from one person to another through direct contact,indirect contact or droplet contacts by
way of common flu and cough. Viral disease is an illness or health condition caused by a virus,some of
the common communicable viral diseases are Flu, Herpes and Respiratory viral diseases. Non-
communicable disease is a disease that is not transmissible directly from one person to another strokes,
most cancers, diabetes are all non-communicable diseases. The disease of food poisoning is a very
common disease. It is an illness caused by the consumption of unhygienic food. Symptoms of food
poisoning include vomiting, stomach ache, head ache and many more. Nutrient deficiency disease is
caused by deficiency in nutrients that the body need. Scurvy, Night blindness, Rickets, Kwashiorkor are
examples. Ebola is a deadly disease caused by virus. It is a contagious disease that cause severe
bleeding, organ failure etc. It is an extremely rare disease. High fever, coughing blood, eye redness are
some of the symptoms. Corona virus, is a type of common virus that infects humans. The virus spreads
through droplets emitted during coughing and sneezing. Unanimously, it has been approved that the
basic preventive measures to maintain a healthy life at the individual and social level is to maintain
social distancing. English poet Robert Frost said in his poem, Mending Wall, good fences make good
neighbours. This concept can be kept in mind in the present scenario as propagating social distancing
with everyone to maintain a socially healthy well being. The message of social distancing is considered
the most effective tool to check the out break of viral diseases. This has been popularized through
various streams like TV ,news paper and other social media. The preventive measures to keep away the
pandemic corona include:
● Maintain social distancing.
● Use public places only for urgent needs.
● Avoid sports and gym centers, practice it indoors.
● Wash hands with hand wash or soap often
● Public objects may be untidy, use napkin or tissue to use it
● Do not touch the nose,eyes or mouth.
● Cover your face when coughing or sneezing.
● Clean your hands well after reaching home.
● Avoid crowded areas.
● Increase immunity power.
● Clean the surfaces which is used frequently
● Use masks at public places.
● Vehicles in which health officers travel should be well cleaned.
● Mandatory functions should be with minimum participants.
● Clean your hands before coming in contact with face.
● Vaccinate accordingly to prevent diseases.
● Eat healthy and hygienic food.
● Maintain self hygiene and cleanliness.
All said and done, we the so called most intelligent species on earth must realize the
susceptibility of the human race. We must accept the fact that it it is our cruelty towards nature
that have created such a state. Nature is a great experimenter. It in its own way discards those
things that do not support the whole. This way of withstanding and protecting the fittest has
been going on for millions of years. Ages have witnessed this with the disappearance of the
Dinosaurs,Saber toothed tigers, Ramapithecos and the like. The destruction of nature and lack
of sustainable development keep the human race at the brim of extinction unless we become
responsible for the whole system. We destroy nature and various other species to prove our
superiority and dominance over the entire planet and sometimes for mere pleasure. The problem
with the human race is our own consciousness. We live and experience life aloof from other
natural aspects. This separation driven consciousness has its own repercussions which appears
as natural calamities and diseases. This is the time to awaken and to be alert. The disconnected
state of consciousness and life style may mark the end of human species. So, let us pledge to
lead a better life by honoring the vibrant and delicate webs of life around us.
 സാങ്കേതിക പരിശോധന - MT 1259 തീയ്യതി: 30/ 04/ 2020 >> രചനാവിഭാഗം - ലേഖനം
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