It’s really a Catch-22 situation of the kind hardly faced by the people of the nation before. If on one hand the totally curfew-like situation with strict restrictions not to step outside is increasingly becoming a ‘challenge’ to adhere, on other hand, there seems no escape from this ‘ordeal’ since, from WHO to everyone in the administration and medical world are pleading to stay at homes for this vulnerable period. It’s a defenceless world to say the least and when the epicentre China has claimed that it’s almost out of perils, there are new eruptions elsewhere, with US proving to be the preferred ‘hangout’ of Covid-19. Amid the mayhem going on there, on Friday, two very disturbing news have come from Europe. Spain has recorded the highest daily death toll since the outbreak, so is the UK successively for the second day and most startlingly- a chilling revelation by the head of Italy’s National Health Institute that the peak there is yet to reach! If the alarming misfortune will now bind the above countries together, for a common Indian, it will also strike hard the fact that it’s all happening there despite their superlative medical service delivering capabilities. Unknowingly in the mind, a speculative comparison will be too hard to supress- what if the same happens in our soil?

Just like the common citizens, there are no answers from anybody and even though the hunt in on in search of an antidote, no solid news has arrived that would efface the ceaseless fright. In the country, it’s 17 deaths as on Friday evening and the sprint is on to touch the 800 mark in case of positive detections. It’s nothing very disturbing still, given India’s population and  related density. But that what is upsetting is if the measures that are being rolled out are not strictly followed, as per the studies made by the John Hopkins University, University of Michigan and other American universities, there are solid chances that by mid-May those infected can touch the 60000 level, which is approximately 75 times of the current March end figure. But there are also assurances that this devilish march can be cut short only by the measures as earmarked by the ongoing 21-day lockdown. Another disturbing fact which has also been pointed out by the WHO is that India is not doing enough testing and there is a growing belief among many including the medical fraternity that, had it been so, the cases would have been far higher in numbers.

Whether it’s the ‘tip of the iceberg’ or else will be revealed in the coming weeks. There are reports also that it’s only a fraction of the state’s citizens who are in no mood to accept the new order. But, it would be suicidal then.