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Editor's Choice

Covid-19: A wake-up call

BMJ 2020; 369 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2021 (Published 21 May 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;369:m2021

Rapid Response:

Re: Covid-19: A wake-up call

Dear Editor

Preventable Pandemic

The current COVID-19 Pandemic has changed the education system, destroyed the economy, devastated tourism and dismantled health infrastructures. It has also increased joblessness, distanced love, introduced risk in shopping, fear in travelling and threatened life in all age groups irrespective of socioeconomic status.

In thes 21 weeks, COVID-19 infection has spread across 213 countries. It has affected 5.2 Million people and it has caused over 3.3 lakh deaths.

As of now only 0.07% of the world population are affected by COVID-19 infection. But the vast majority of people are at increased risk because of lack of social distancing and self hygiene. Lack of specific antiviral drugs and vaccines have also added more difficulties in the management and prevention of COVID-19 infection.

The current COVID-19 Pandemic has exposed public health and other primary and tertiary health care infrastructure inadequacies in almost all countries.

Many factors like ego, blaming others and cutting the funds to control COVID-19 spread as revenge are not a good sign in tackling the worldwide problem that arises out of the current COVID-19 Pandemic.

This is not a time to blame and find fault with each other. But it is time to act jointly to beat the COVID-19 spread with like mindedness.

It is not a war against many enemies. But now the common enemy is a single agent in the air and by that everyone is facing the same risk.

So a global cooperated action with individual self hygiene and social distancing will help to avoid COVID-19 infection. The early invention of vaccine will helpful to prevent and eradicate COVID-19 spread.

Competing interests: No competing interests

22 May 2020
M.A. Aleem
Emeritus Professor of Neurology * Visiting Specialist in Neurology ** Consultant Neurologist ***
The Tamilnadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University * Dhanalakshami Srinivasan Medical College ** ABC Hospital ***
Chennai 600032* Perambalure 621212** Trichy 620018*** Tamilnadu India