Health alert: anyone reading this article may contract a “corona scare”, which, unfortunately, cannot be washed away with soap and water. Be warned.
Chances are, you’re already wearing a space suit and living in a plastic bubble, the kind we saw in TV footage, petrified of a sneeze even if it occurs 2.5 metres away (apparently the prescribed distance to avoid coronavirus germs), or so every news channel told us after the virus landed in India along with several infected patients.
Since Tuesday morning, India’s news channels have sincerely tried to report factually and carefully on the coronavirus in the country and all the measures taken by the authorities. They have also provided a list of ‘dos and don’ts’ to avoid contracting the virus.
And, perhaps inspired by the Prime Minister’s example of giving up social media for a day in a good cause, TV news anchors took a day off from their usual prime time drama classes to conduct calm, informed discussions on the virus with top doctors of the country.
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TV channels’ dilemma
However, viewers have received mixed signals since Tuesday morning as news first broke of more coronavirus cases. Channels experienced Hamlet’s dilemma as they tried to tread the fine balance between inducing ‘panic’ and reducing ‘panic’.
They were scrupulous in their efforts to warn viewers of the danger ahead and to reassure them, but this resulted in what Aaj Tak pointed out perspicaciously, was a conundrum: “There’s no need to be afraid, but we are still afraid.”
What else would we be if not afraid with headlines like ‘Coronavirus scare’ (Times Now, Mirror Now, News 9), ‘Coronavirus crisis’, ‘3 cases spark panic’ (India Today), ‘Corona grips India’ (India Ahead), ‘Scary virus in more than 70 countries’ (India TV).
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Don’t panic, just don’t
As for the residents of Noida, when they read, ‘Is NOIDA the new destination for Coronavirus?’ (India TV), they’ll be heading out for the nearest hospital, straight away.
And then there were the leading questions that led to few answers but increased fears: ‘How prepared are we for an epidemic?’ (India Ahead), ‘Are we equipped to fight the virus?’ (TV 9 Bharatvarsh), ‘How ready are we for Corona?’ (ABP News), ‘How did corona come from Italy to Delhi, Rajasthan, Agra and Bulandshahr?’ (ABP News).
The visuals were hardly more reassuring: we saw hospital scenes with medical staff in astronaut gear, tending to patients in screened off beds, to the accompaniment of heavy metal music, drums — and the usual screaming headlines. The coronavirus also made a guest appearance as a big, furry ball with cactus-like thorns — scary.
But news channels told us not to “panic”. “Don’t panic,” said Times Now; “No need to be scared,” said the PM; “Don’t be scared,” repeated ABP News, faithfully. Aaj Tak went a step further — “Don’t worry, don’t panic.”
“Don’t panic, Stay safe,” advised Republic Bharat, adding scarily, “China’s menace has arrived in India”. “14 suspected cases in Hyderabad,’’ announced News X, adding, “Don’t panic”.
“There is panic,” admitted Dr Karan Madan of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on the “biggest doctors panel’’ at Republic TV. “There is panic,’’ agreed Dr Samir Bhargava, who explained that people came to his clinic with just a common cold and insisted on being tested for the virus.
“People are in a state of panic,” declared Dr Arjun Dang in what sounded like a war situation (NDTV 24×7), “But don’t panic,’’ said Soumya Swaminathan, chief scientist, WHO.
Why ever not? Well, for 80 per cent of patients, the coronavirus is no worse than a common cold, she observed.
Yes, but what about the other 20 per cent?
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Avoid people, embrace gobar
By the way, never have we seen such a galaxy of distinguished doctors gathered together as we saw Tuesday night across news channels — except of course, in a hospital. From NDTV 24×7 and Times Now, to India Today, CNN News18, Mirror Now, Republic TV, Zee News and ABP News, leading medics were out there explaining how we ought to wash hands and cough into a tissue. Their presence was most reassuring.
New channels also helpfully offered ‘cures’ to the dreaded disease and preventive steps: “avoid people,’’ was the two-word piece of advice from A. Velumani, MD, Thyrocare (on India Today). In a country of 1.3 billion, that’s a little difficult…
Well then, there’s always a little ‘gobar’ as Republic TV and some Hindi channels reported after a BJP MLA backed by Union Minister Giriraj Singh insisted it was the cure — Republic TV did scrupulously warn us that this was “bizarre”.
Not good enough? How about some alcohol? Aaj Tak suggested that ‘one peg’ a day would keep the virus away — seriously. CNN News18 had a better suggestion: use alcohol as a disinfectant.
Which brings us to the man for all diseases, Baba Ramdev. The yoga guru appeared on at least three channels — ABP News, Aaj Tak and TV 9 Bharatvarsh — to offer up asanas and pranayam. The latter had checked swine flu, chikungunya, flu, blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid, stress and depression, Ramdev claimed, so stands to reason it will counter corona.
He also shared a recipe for giloy, which would increase your immunity. Choose between ‘yog’ or ‘rog’, he said, with a big smile on his face.