With India recording new cases of COVID-19 every day, the fear of coronavirus has gripped the entire nation. The government is trying its best to deal with the situation. Most of the public spaces like malls, theatres, etc. have been shut and schools and universities have been closed to prevent the spread.

Amid this fear and panic, while some people have the choice to work from home, or stay home, others are required to work in highly vulnerable environments.

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It is difficult to imagine what would be the mental state of people who are working day in, day out in this environment of pandemic.

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It is easy for us to rush to a hospital when we have even slight cold or fever. And we expect the hospital staff to attend to us without fail.

Aren’t they more vulnerable to the disease than us? They are taking care of infected patients all day long. Agreed, they have the protective gear, but does it guarantee 100% protection?

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Dressed in masks and layers of protective uniform, they continue doing their job despite all the risks. 

Few days ago, a striking image of an exhausted doctor lying down at a makeshift hospital in China after discharging the last patient went viral on the Internet. The image reminded us of the immense sacrifices made by those working in the health departments around the world.

In another heartwarming gesture, we saw an image of a doctor and patient watching the sunset together on their way for a CT scan at a hospital in China.

This is a global health emergency and health professional are helping each other across borders. Recently, doctors from Cuba and China arrived in Italy to help the health authorities there. Cuba, which is well-known for its excellent healthcare around the world, also helped controlled Ebola.

Even when countries like Italy are under complete lockdown, grocery stores and pharmacies are expected to remain open. The people working in this industry are offering us food and medicines, the things we need the most during this time.

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Most of these people do not have access to masks and sanitisers like we do. But they are doing their jobs so that our lives do not come to a halt.

While schools are being shut down and some of us are getting paid leaves, the soldiers of our army are working round the clock in bringing back stranded citizens from other countries.

While schools are being shut down and some of us are getting paid leaves, the soldiers of our army are working round the clock in bringing back stranded citizens from other countries.

These centres are undoubtedly one of the high-risk zones and our defence personnel are working relentlessly to deal with the situation.

ET

The airport staff, railway staff and other workers who are involved in sanitising the public spaces for us, are also putting their lives at risk. While we can ask for sick leave and stay at home, they are the ones working towards making our lives safer.

ET

These people might be working behind the scenes, but they are our front-line fighters. They deserve all the appreciation for whatever they are doing in curbing the spread of coronavirus.