The latest threat to global health is the ongoing outbreak of the respiratory disease that was recently given the name COVID-19. Since 31 Dec 2019 and as of 08 April 2020 1,391,890 cases of COVID-19 have been reported including almost 59,220 lives.
Countries around the world are implementing measures to slow the spread of coronavirus from national quarantines to lockdown.lockdown has changed our lifestyle in many ways. It has put strict restrictions on all our preferences — what we eat, where we go, and much more. We have become more responsible regarding maintaining hygienic habits and help others in upholding them. Since remaining in isolation is necessary, we also need to ourselves socially distanced from our friends and relatives.
Coronavirus has turned into a global epidemic. It had started out from China and has spread to at least 17 countries resulting in economies crumbling down, stock markets crashing and people religiously practicing social distancing. On top of all of it, there still seems to be no identifiable cure to the disease. With all this going down there is a silver lining which can be seen in terms of unidentified benefits for the climate.
Clear waters in Venice and reduction in emissions and greenhouse gases
The analysis conducted by Carbon Brief suggested. There has been a 15% – 40% reduction in the output produced by key industrial sectors and has lead to a 25% depletion in the emission of Carbon di Oxide (CO2) gases over the past few weeks.
Improvement in air quality;
With countries and cities adopting work form home and implementing social distancing. The need to travel has gone down significantly according to the researchers at Columbia university Traffic levels in New York were estimated to be down by 35%. Their research also suggested that there was a drop in CO2 as well as Methane over New York. China has also shown signs of improved air quality said a researcher from Stanford University.
The fact which is quite surprising is that the global death toll from air pollution estimates to be 7 million. There seemed to be no significant change for this fact but the lockdown due to coronavirus has resulted in the betterment of this situation.
While each individual is precious and important to their family, society needs a rational (utilitarian) method to value lives in a pandemic based on their productive capacity and their remaining years of quality life.
However, the decision to implement a total lockdown was not an easy one as it is bound to significantly disrupt economic and other activities across the country. Millions of people who depend on each day’s wages for their daily meals were thrown out of work. Migrant workers packed buses and trains home, potentially taking the virus into rural areas. And as transport options dried up, many families in New Delhi and other major cities simply began to walk to their distant villages, with little access to food.
Where there is life, there is hope and that the government has to take appropriate action to address the economic and other concerns.
To prevent that, the government has to announce an economic package to support the poor, providing rations of grains and pulses, free gas cooking cylinders to families, cash transfers and much more.
The experience from other countries has shown that if you lock down early if you catch yourself early on the curve, there’s a better chance of limiting the spread,”
