We all started 2021 with the hope of everything getting better and were preparing ourselves to go back to normal. But things took a different turn and India is now facing the second wave of covid-19 in the worst way possible.
The situation keeps getting worse because the demand for hospitals, medicines, oxygen, etc to help a patient is way more than what our medical infrastructure can provide right now.
It is very difficult to remain positive when all I see around is people losing their loved ones due to the shortage of basic medical help. It was different last year because everyone had someone with a better state of mind to provide them with emotional support. But now, everybody is affected by this in some way or the other.
Going through the newspapers in the morning or scrolling through social media is scary. There are traumatic pictures of people suffering or people constantly asking for help to save their loved ones.
But Social Media is being a great help at this time and is an important place for spreading information. I have formed a group with my friends to help people by sharing pieces of information regarding the availability of beds in different hospitals around the country and the availability of oxygen cylinders at different places. Everybody is helping in every way they can. But the worst part is that we cannot help everyone in need because that amount of help is just not available. I feel guilty and I feel I am failing to help the people of my own country. But I tell myself it is okay to feel helpless because we are all trying and doing our bests.
I turned 18 during the pandemic and it has been a year since I started college, but I haven’t been to my college yet. All the things are online, which doesn’t make anything better. You learn from the environment you are in, but it has been a long time since we have been in any other environment than our house. It is just me sitting in front of a screen. It is exhausting because I am always asking when will things get back to normal? When will I go back to a classroom? Will I ever be able to live a college life? How will I make new friends? It is difficult to make friends because you have never met or seen the person on the other side of your computer screen. There’s always a feeling of being left behind because everything else is moving fast and it's difficult to keep track.
This is not the kind of life I imagined, I am sure nobody did. I keep telling myself to hope for the best even though it is too overwhelming. The way people (even strangers) are helping each other in every way they can is amazing. It is helping in keeping the ray of hope alive. The huge amount of love and support we are getting from all the other countries is something we are grateful for, it is constantly reminding us that we are not in this alone. I keep telling myself these are just tough days and we will get through this.
If there is any message I would like to send to the rest of the world is that 'No country should go through the crisis India is facing today.' It is now in our hands to end this. Please know your responsibilities and do your part.