Can We Not Have The Thrissur Pooram This Year, Please?

TW: Covid-19 – Ok, now before you start the ‘whataboutery’, the title – Can We Not Have The Thrissur Pooram This Year, Please? – is clickbait. 

We’re not talking exclusively about the Thrissur Pooram, but it is at the forefront of what keeps us awake at night. India is bang square in the middle of the second wave of Covid-19. As was the case for many other countries, the second wave is much worse than the first. Experts say that we are still 2 weeks away from the peak of the second wave. With all the stories pouring in, it is hard to fathom how bad 2021 is going to be for many of us.

Thankfully, Kerala has not slipped into the healthcare spiral that some other states seem to have. From what we’ve heard from healthcare professionals on the ground, Kerala isn’t facing the Oxygen cylinder shortage yet. And while the number of cases have been high, the number of critical cases (that are being pushed to ICU) have not increased proportionally. So our healthcare infrastructure has been able to manage so far. But they also say that the next 2 weeks are critical as a surge in cases might push our infrastructure beyond the event horizon.

So it is with this in mind that we ask, “Why have the Thrissur Pooram?”. Why have any public gatherings at all?!

Now yes, you might point your finger at the election campaigns and rallies. Yes, those were mistakes. Even we at PinkLungi got complacent and recommended our followers to go watch movies in theatres with two “Why you should watch ‘xyz’ in theatres” pieces. We thought the worst was behind us. Many of us did. But as Shekar Gupta from The Print says, “This virus loves complacency.” 

And so we’re back where we were last year. In fact, we’re in a worse position. 

Yes, we have vaccines. But only 13.78% of Kerala’s population has been vaccinated. Shailaja teacher has told the press that there seems to be a vaccine shortage. Also, experts say that the vaccine might not necessarily function as a shield (but helps reduce the severity of the infection). 

Yes, we have RT-PCR tests and allowing only people who have tested negative to attend public gatherings is a good precautionary step. But there are reports that there are variants of the virus that aren’t getting detected by RT-PCR tests. 

Bottom line is that there is a lot that we don’t yet know about the virus. And so, the best defence against this virus is to stay home, step out only if absolutely necessary, and follow Covid protocol. 

Also read: WHY IT’S OKAY NOT TO BE ‘PRODUCTIVE’ DURING A PANDEMIC

Also, do keep in mind that our healthcare professionals have been going through this horror for more than a year now. And imagine how fatigued they must be if we feel this bad. So if you ever have to go to the hospital, and run into some delays or admin related problems, be patient with them and don’t be rude to them. 

We end this post with hashtags that should’ve been on the title. But we thought it was best to leave it at the end out of fears that people would’ve gotten tired of hearing it (but is as relevant today as they can ever be):

#StayHomeStaySafe #BreakTheChain