Dixya Poudel

AS prohibition orders continue and the nation's streets wear a deserted look, every now and then there are wailings of ambulance sirens. Staying at home, people feel twinges of anxiety while the siren wails, throughout the day or deep into the night. These are anxious times when the second wave of coronavirus has gripped the nation.
Worldwide, countries are experiencing third waves of the virus with some experiencing subsequent waves. While most of the developed countries are steadily vaccinating their citizens, the poorer countries are helplessly witnessing a sudden surge in the infections. It has brought to mind the rampant inequality that was always the norm but now has become a concern in underdeveloped countries. The slow and lagging vaccination drives in third world nations are aggravating the uphill struggles with the pandemic.
The state of the world is despairing and most people are reeling from the pandemic related anxiety. The news today is rife with the mounting infections and the fatalities that have generated dread on a large scale. Every hour, the news chimes with even worse situations. Nepal's southern neighbour is struggling gravely with the pandemic and it has infiltrated its neighbours as well.
Even with the isolation centres, quarantines and thorough testing, the virus has reached across most parts of Nepal. It has even reached Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Nepali citizens are now praying fervently for this calamity to be over even as the political parties are squabbling over power. During such grave situation, leaders have been fighting over political power leaving the citizens quivering.
One must hope that the politics of the nation doesn’t prioritise political clout over the wellbeing of its citizens. It is during these times of catastrophe that a nation's mettle is tested. People are thus counting on the leaders to navigate the current crisis with a deft hand. How the leaders shall strategise the safety protocols, implementation of prohibition orders, vaccination and health care services will determine the nation's coming days.
Scrolling down social media feed, one can read about people who have lost their loved ones and those who are struggling to survive. With the shortage of oxygen to those in need, people have taken to seek help through social media. Those on the sidelines can only pray and hope for the health and safety of those in need. In these times of angst, there is an air of helplessness among the masses.
While the world wasn’t perfect before the pandemic, people then had a chance at a better life with good health and safety. Now that South East Asian countries are battling second waves of pandemic, people are left at the brutal hands of the virus. Activities that were once taken for granted now seem almost impossible. Travelling has come to a screeching halt. Today people are confined to their homes as they follow the safety protocols to keep themselves safe.
Coffee and conversations in cafes, strolls in the park, carefree visits to friends and loved ones are now the thing of the past. Instead, people connect to one another through social networking sites and try to keep sane. Anxiety rules for now but with a united front, the nation must work towards mitigating the pandemic.