The coronavirus broke out in late 2019 and spread throughout the world within a few months. There is no known cure for those infected with this virus and for more than a year we did not have a vaccine to curb this deadly pandemic. The only way to stop or at least slow down the pandemic was to follow precautionary measures such as wearing a mask and observing social distancing.
In countries where precautionary measures were followed/imposed strictly, there were fewer deaths as compared to those that ignored them. Once vaccine became available it helped curb the virus. However, countries with high vaccine hesitancy were not very successful in stopping the virus. Many countries suffered high deaths during the first and second or even third or fourth waves of this pandemic. Our country fared very well in dealing with this pandemic. Credit goes to the government for enforcing SOPs and running a successful vaccination campaign. Also, the opposition and the public deserve commendation for standing by the government in dealing with this virus. These measures saved us from high death rates during the multiple waves of virus spread as compared to other countries in the region and the world.
While we should feel happy and proud for doing a good job, we must not let the guard down too soon. Following precaution for a little more to ensure that the pandemic does not strike back would be a sensible thing to do. Also, one big lesson to learn is that if we have the will and work together, we can defeat any calamity, be it coronavirus, dengue, or economic abyss. All we need is the will to work hard with honesty and unity. I hope and pray that our government and the opposition work through all issues the way we handled the Corona pandemic.
RAJA SHAFAATULLAH
ISLAMABAD
The Pandemic and lessons learnt
