Tag Covid-19
Remote work
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020 and a country-wide lockdown was announced, we all went virtual. The hitherto exception became the norm.
Unable to cope with the “new normal”, we found the first weeks unsettling. A month or so later, we started to love it.
Two and a half years since, we now have people unwilling to come back to the office. What triggered this article was a discussion I had with a friend who had been to an event organised by the realtors in Bangalore. The afternoon session was about how to get people back to the office.
My Experience with COVID Vaccination
This first of July, I got my second shot of the Covid-19 vaccine. Over the past months, I have seen people opposing vaccination (which surprised me), some being suspicious of one of the vaccines (which included me), people expressing concerns, and people that I care about getting affected with Covid after choosing not to vaccinate, despite getting the chance to get vaccinated—more than once.
Is COVID-19 Winning
Today is Sunday, and time for me to share what I have learnt about the disease. Disclaimer: I am an engineer, not a medical professional. What I am sharing here is for informational purposes, not health or medical advice. If you have specific queries, please talk to your (or a) doctor. And do not trust WhatsApp University.
Enjoy Your Life With Covid 19
There was a time when I was a favourite student of WhatsApp University. When I realised the ultimate quality of education there, I was so envious of it that I quit. After all, those of us who have had the privilege to attend the mainstream universities would be jealous of the free-and-open system. This is why I dropped out of the university (and I made a video about it as well):
COVID Vaccines
India is among the world leaders in vaccination. Also called the Pharmacy of the World, India is the largest manufacturer of vaccines. The public has been no different; you will find most of us wanting to get vaccinated. Polio vaccines are an example, where all children born in India get vaccinated through the extensive vaccination programmes that the government runs.
Powdered oxygen cylinder for COVID
WhatsApp is on fire these days. Another forward popped up a couple of days ago, which was a Tamil message. I have added a translation along with the message:
- BST HEALTH
உடலில் ஆக்சிஜன் அளவு 98 - 100 க்குள் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று சொல்லுகிறார்கள்; 43 க்கு கீழ் ஆக்சிஜன் சென்றுவிட்டால், ஆக்சிஜன் சிலிண்டர் தேவை;
COVID has become deadlier
It saddens me that we all fall prey to sensational WhatsApp forwards. And the fact that people I love and respect send this—and may take offence at my fact-checking the claims—worsens the feeling. This evening, I saw the following message in two of the groups that I am member of:
Transparency on ventilator
I am wary of all politicians, no matter what party they belong to, what ideology they promote, or any other quality of a political party you can think of. Even if my dear grandmother were a politician, I would be wary of her; more so if she held power. Let us keep politics aside, because politics is politics—a game of whataboutery and other fallacies. Let us talk human life for once.
What Justice
The number of Bollywood stars to die in three months was abnormally high in the second quarter of this year. Death of any human is sad. The circumstances of the death of Sushant Singh Rajput were salt to the wound.
I subscribe to The Hindu, and the story did not get much prominence. I wondered why, because the news of the death of Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor had smacked us right in our face. The piece about Sushant’s death also carried suicide helpline numbers. My eyes narrowed. Thoughts work fast. My brain instantly took me to the Werther Effect; I had read about it. I searched. And I found the WHO guidelines on reporting suicide1, whose Quick Reference reads:
COVID and Credibility
One week is a long time sometimes. I have been waiting for some five days to make this post. On Tuesday that I received a message in one of the WhatsApp groups that I am part of, questioning the credibility of the WHO.
Speaking of WhatsApp, I gave a talk at work about being a drop-out of the WhatsApp University. Check out the redone home version of the video here if it interests you. If you are into satire, you might enjoy it. I even made some literature for the university.