Those days of Face masking!

For about three years from the middle of 2019, I do not remember removing the mask during the working hours,  except when a photograph needed to be taken.

 

While playing a card game recently, someone asked me what is one experience that I am thankful for now! My immediate response was, 'not having to wear face mask'! 

While the COVID pandemic is behind us, it is worth recalling the controversy over optimising the benefits protection by face masking. There was a craze about particular type of mask, some of which costed thirty rupees a piece or more. Then came the double masking practice, which too was associated with specifications about some brands of mask. Having got suspicious, I checked with three dependable specialists in virology, who suggested that simple surgical mask is good enough along with hand washing, provided a new mask is worn every day. For those two and half years I followed that advice. 

Anna and I wonder how we escaped  COVID infection! There were a few instances when we came across people, who had respiratory symptoms which were later diagnosed as COVID infection. We did avoid going for any functions or visiting crowded places. I continued welcoming children and families for consultation all through the two years, with one rider that only one parent was welcome with the child during the clinical examination. I met with the other parent separately for conversation after that. 

We lost the  habit of going to church and got used to on-line worship services. We are yet to resume the weekly church going. Our habit of visiting families declined and that too has not picked up to like the former pattern. 

I also feel that social gatherings and fellowship occasions got disrupted during this season of COVID pandemic which did not resume even after normalcy has returned. There used to be a monthly meeting for fellowship for the faculty and regular faculty get togethers in the place from where I retired recently. The normal pattern of such occasions is yet to resume. 

We are more than glad that COVID pandemic is over. But it has disrupted our social life almost permanently it looks like!

Is video based meetings or face time conversations on the mobile phone a good enough substitute to face to face conversations!

With children having lost lost two academic years of class room learning, I come across children who are are still struggling academically and socially. 

The visual media exposure was about six to eight hours during this period. Some children are yet to replace it with the earlier habits of games and sports activities. 

I feel sorry for medical students and residents, who did not have the normal learning opportunities for about three years. 

How nice to sit back and feel that we are returning to our normal rhythm although slowly and partially!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)