Communication is key

Communication is key

Iran to Singapore, there are many models for fighting coronavirus. Secretive ones don’t work
Through January and February only 3 novel coronavirus cases were reported in India, all from Kerala. Even as the state closed its book on these patients without any casualty, this week the country count has climbed to 28. One person in Delhi who had returned from Italy, 16 Italian tourists and 1 person in Hyderabad who had returned from Dubai, are the new sources of infection. These patients have been isolated, close contact tracing is being done, and persons with whom they had contact are also being quarantined. Protocols for approaching the infection are now well established across the world.

Yet, different countries have shown very different attitudes in enforcing these protocols. As it walks the rocky road ahead, India should choose transparency over secrecy, while directing all Indians to credible nodal agencies for authentic updated data. Information about how the virus spreads, how personal hygiene can help protect against it, what are the symptoms and the course of treatment etc needs to be widely disseminated across all available channels. Misinformation needs to be contained with equal energy. Myths like eating garlic can prevent infection, or homeopathic medicines or using sesame oil blocks, have popped up globally and need crippling fast and furious.

What has happened in Iran where the death toll has crossed 90 is a case study in how secrecy and a mishmash of contradictory measures are the most dangerous cocktail. Singapore on the other hand provides an example of how precise communication and a rational policy road map can keep down the mortality rate. Here no casualty has been reported in over 100 cases. Even as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has been tweeting about having his temperature checked often, a live dashboard helps the public follow the virus behaviour objectively – keeping down the panic while enabling safety measures like avoiding cluster zones.

Following expert advice to reduce mass gatherings, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided not to participate in any Holi Milan programme this year. Many of us may need to practise similar social distancing in the coming days. We need to mentally prepare for all this. On the other end stocks of testing kits, respirators and other medical supplies need girding. Yes, Covid-19 is very infectious but a majority of patients only show mild flu symptoms. Let us keep calm and cooperate with the experts. Government agencies must also raise their game, including ditching their habitual miserliness with information.