The story of Odisha’s fight against Coronavirus pandemic

On 18th March’20, my university decided to cancel our ongoing classes, postpone our end semester exams and gave us all a long summer vacation. It all came as a shock and made us understand the gravity of the ongoing situation caused by a virus called COVID- 19. The World Health Organisation (WHO) explains Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

Right now, with the world going through a Coronavirus pandemic, it was impossible for my home state to avoid it. On the 13th of March, the first Coronavirus case in Odisha popped up and a wave of fear was spread throughout the state. After my college cancelled classes and declared holidays, I decided to go back home. It all started to feel real when I had to go mask and gloves shopping before I travelled. In between all this, the second case came out and on the 21st of March, the Odisha government declared a lockdown for 40% of the state.

I was travelling with a friend and we both were wearing our masks, gloves and sunglasses to protect ourselves from the virus as we had to take our flight from an international airport. The moment we reached the airport we got scared of seeing everyone wearing masks and gloves. You don’t know if the person sitting next to you is infected by the virus or not. Seeing continuous sanitisation work all around the airport was giving relief. We had our hand sanitisers handy as it was told to keep washing our hands with soap or sanitising it once in a while to kill the virus. Masks and glasses helped us avoid touching our mouth, nose or eyes.

There was no checking before we boarded on the flight, that was surprising. However, when I landed at Bhubaneswar airport there was a temperature checking done of every passenger who was landing. Social distancing and quarantining were unknown then. People were on the road but now with masks on. The week-long lockdown in the state was starting from the next day creating a bit of panic in people’s minds.

A photo from my travelling journey during the coronavirus spread with precautions.

Lockdown and the aftermath

On 23rd March, it had been two days to the lockdown announced by the state government of Odisha. The city was still getting used to the culture of maintaining social distance and quarantining themselves, that there was an announcement made by the central government for a nationwide lockdown for 21 days. It came as a shock for every Indian as most were unaware of what was coming. People were panicking and everyone was on the road (contrary to what the lockdown was bringing to our lifestyle), as soon as the Prime Minister made the announcement. After a chaotic evening around the country, a morning of silence and new air came with our police force on duty in every corner of the country to keep the lockdown effective.

Initially, it was difficult for people of Odisha to understand the meaning of lockdown. The next few mornings were chaotic. People were unable to understand how to act and what their responsibilities were. The state government has been arranging many press conferences to give out the guidelines of the lockdown and clear queries. The COVID 19 spokesperson of Odisha, Mr Subrot Bagchi has been addressing the people about every Coronavirus related happening in regular intervals.

With the spread of this new virus, people’s WhatsApp inbox was flooded with forwards and fake news. People were forwarding fake videos unknowingly about some patients being taken from some locality in Odisha or videos of hospitals. Addressing this issue Bagchi said, “Some rumours were being spread after detection of the fourth COVID-19 patient. Any rumour related to COVID-19 is being dealt with severely. This will not be tolerated and strong action will be taken against the rumour-mongers. For any fake news, actions shall be taken against persons concerned under the IT Act and the Epidemic Act.”

The government of Odisha’s various twitter handles like the Health and Family Ministry, are active and providing people with information right on time. The Health and Family Ministry’s twitter page has been actively responding to people’s messages and comments for suggestions and complaints. Transparent communication between the government and the citizens has helped Odisha curb the spreading of the virus to a large extent. Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha released a video explaining the urgent need for going for a lockdown due to the number of positive cases increasing in India. Hence, there was a very small window to take pre-emptive action. “There is no cure for this virus. The only cure is prevention...Time has come for us to take the extraordinary step and sacrifice, to protect our state and our people. I humbly request you to stay at home and come out only for basic services,” Odisha CM said in the video.

Hospitals and clinics, pharmacies, grocery shops, vegetables, meat and milk shops, bakeries (won’t be allowed to sell hot tea or other beverages to avoid gatherings) and restaurants for takeaways and home deliveries were allowed to operate during the lockdown period. All steps were being taken to avoid large gatherings and maintaining social distance. All the public transports like railways, airports, and intrastate buses were shut down to avoid communication. The citizens were expected to follow the guidelines put forward to them by the government and avoid large gatherings. A discipline was expected to be maintained from the side of the citizens while getting out of the house to buy the necessary items. People were looking after each other to follow the instructions.

A photo of people following social distancing while buying vegetables and other grocery items. || Source: Internet

“Because we fear community transmission, we have to take our surveillance to the next step. Taking advantage of this 48 hours shut down – from Friday 8 pm to Sunday 8 pm -- tracing as per WHO protocols will be carried out by administrative agencies. We need your continuing cooperation to fight this COVID19 pandemic,” said state chief secretary, Asit Kumar Tripathy. There will be no groceries, no vegetable or dairy shops open, no deliveries, no passes will be allowed, even pharmacies will be limited. The Odisha DGP, Abhay explained the way the curfew will be put in the four cities of Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Puri and Bhadrak. He said no entry and exit will be allowed to and from these cities during the curfew period of 48 hours. The move comes after the fifth patient to be infected in the city came out. The sixty-year-old has no travel history whatsoever, neither in the state nor outside of the state had tested positive for Covid-19 in Bhubaneswar.

Even if there is a lockdown and the fast lifestyle of people has become slower, it hasn’t stopped. People are at home more than ever and finding different ways to keep themselves busy or entertain themselves. Lockdown has given a chance to families to spend time with each other and do things together which they were unable to do because of a busy lifestyle. People are starting to look at the positive side of it and trying to calm themselves down. In my conversation with my aunt who’s a housewife, I understood no matter what the situation is one has to try and find a way to deal with it to get out of it stronger. We were talking about gardening. “Finally, I got some time to pursue my hobby of gardening,” she said. When I told her that I have started helping my mom in gardening she got excited. We spoke for a long time and at that time her locality was sealed to contain the community transmission of the virus. I asked her about the situation and she said, “it's a little scary because the first case of the virus in Cuttack is from here but the curfew and the seal will help contain it. We’re facing difficulties in getting out of our houses to get the essential needs but the government has provided us with a facility of door delivery if we place an order. All we have to do is call them on the given numbers when we need anything. The service is a little late but it’s probably because there are many houses and they have to take care of them all.” Then she told me she keeps herself busy by watching the old television shows which are telecasted now. “The Mahabharat and Ramayan series reminds me of my childhood. They are nostalgic. I am very happy that they are telecasting them during the lockdown. The rest half of the day passes while cooking as we have stopped ordering and started cooking more,” she laughs while she says it.

“When I had gone out for grocery shopping during the lockdown, there was strict instruction made for us to wear masks and maintain distance in the city of Cuttack,” my aunt said. The government had put policemen on duty to maintain the law and orders. Police were always there to keep a check on people and guiding them when necessary. “There were circles made in front of shops to help us maintain social distance. It was a very nice initiative. I saw people being aware of and following it. No one was creating a lot of problems,” she said. People were being understanding about the situation. The citizens of Odisha were helping the police in maintaining law and order. People were obeying the guidelines made by the government. The residents of various societies were also giving refreshments and water to the policemen working in their locality to help them do their duty in ease. A sense of collectiveness started flowing between the people of Odisha. Right now, everyone was equal and everyone was together.

It’s nice to see how people are still working and students are still studying, from home. A lot of companies are holding meetings, and getting work done from their employees from home. This pandemic hasn’t stopped students from learning all around the world and even from Odisha. Various schools and colleges had to cancel their ongoing classes due to the spread of the virus but they have all started taking online classes to not let students miss out on learning. I was talking to my cousin the other day about how his online classes are being conducted. “Our school is conducting online classes for us and it’s a new thing for them and us. Teachers are facing difficulties in getting used to it but it’s okay at least we are getting to learn. In my private tuition classes, we are having online classes too and it’s a lot more interesting. Sir is using interesting methods to keep us motivated and interested to study,” he said. Like this various other institution are also taking online classes to letting the students learn. The work from home culture is new in Odisha but it’s effective. People are getting used to the practice to do their office work from home effectively. Children are trying to find online games as an alternative to playing outside to pass their time.

A screenshot during a video conversation with my aunt and cousin about how they are dealing with the lockdown.

Odisha Police in action mode

Days kept on passing and things seemed to be normal, everyone was getting used to the quarantining lifestyle. The roads seemed emptier with time. However, the police force was always there on the roads. It was commendable how every policeman was doing his/her duty with full dedication and making the lockdown effective. To my luck, my sister’s friend’s father, Mr Ranjit Kumar Prusty, is the deputy superintendent of police. I got a chance to discuss with him over call about the situation of the state, cooperation from the citizens, efforts of the police force, support from family and a lot more.

In my conversation with him, he told me that their main work right now is to inform people about the seriousness of the virus and how lockdown can only help in stopping it. Mr Prusty is in charge of the rural division of Cuttack and hence the major effort that they had to put in was making people aware of the virus and the situation that the country was going into. “We faced problems, in the beginning, to make people understand the situation and meaning of lockdown, social distancing and quarantining as these are all a very new concept for them and all of us. The police on duty got a quick training on how to aware people of the virus. We roam around the streets with a loudspeaker once in a while announcing the dos and don’ts for coronavirus to make them aware. If we see people on the road then we tell them to go back and how not obeying the lockdown will lead to spreading the virus and then give them warnings,” he said when I asked about what is the job role of the police during the lockdown.

The Odisha police force has been working day and night to maintain discipline and make the lockdown successful. He told me the duty of a policeman is 8hours everyday right now. The government is providing them with umbrellas, gloves, masks and other essential things for their safety. “After working for 8 hours, coming back home and seeing my family I feel good. They are scared that during my duty I am meeting a lot of people and right now it is advised to not meet people but to do the duty I have to. Even though they are worried, they support me in my duty to protect others,” he told. It is commendable how the police force is working day and night to ensure our safety and security.

A photo of my friend’s father who’s a deputy superintendent of police when he was on duty during the Coronavirus was spreading.

Lives of the underprivileged 

“We are maintaining distance from anyone who’s sick and not going to work. We’re following the news to get information about the coronavirus. The news says to stay away from the sick,” said Kumari, our house help. She had come home to collect her payment for the month of March, it had been a while since I saw her last before the lockdown started. Kumari aunty is always ready to talk about any issue in the world and she gets her information right through the local news channels. I took this opportunity to ask her about the situation of her slum. She said, “since the day Modi announced the lockdown we are not going out for work or anything. People in our slum are staying home and taking care of their health. It is a difficult time but the government is helping us.” It is definitely a difficult time for everyone but mostly for them because the majority of them are daily wage workers. Due to the lockdown, all the daily wage workers around the country are sitting at home and unable to earn money. However, my house help’s slum has found a way out for this. “Most of the people are selling vegetables now adhering to the rules set by the government. It at least helps them to earn little money every day. The people who had small snacks stalls are now making tea and snacks at home and making small packets of it. They go in the morning and give it to the vegetable shops and other essential shops which are open, this way their business is going on. Each one of them is adhering to the government orders,” she told me when I asked about the daily wage workers in her slum. During such a time when people who have a proper house to live in and money to survive are losing interest and motivation to work from home, these people are finding out ways obeying the laws to earn money with full dedication.

Kumari aunty also told me how their primary source of information is the television and they have started watching the news more to stay updated. That has helped them know the dos and don’ts about Coronavirus. “Through the news channels, we understood what we should do and what we shouldn’t in order to stop the spread of this virus. One lady came from her daughter’s house from Bhubaneswar in a vegetable transport vehicle during the lockdown and we complained to the police so that she can be checked as the virus has spread a lot in Bhubaneswar. She tested negative but we didn’t want to take any risk that time,” she said. It’s great to see how they are not just understanding the situation but at the same time being responsible and taking required actions.

Kumari aunty mentioned how different people are approaching their slums to give them money or groceries for their needs. “The Marwari community of Cuttack came near our slum with packets of grocery items and distributed to everyone during the time of lockdown. We maintained social distance and covered our faces with masks or some cloth during that time,” she explained how the distribution process took place. She also talked about how the government has been helping them as they had promised. About 94 lakh families in Odisha who are covered under the national and state food security schemes were getting grocery items like rice and dal free of cost, due to the difficulties owing to the month-long lockdown. The groceries are distributed under Pradhan Mantri Garib Anna Yojana. As announced by the Odisha government, the groceries will be distributed to the poor people of Odisha for the month of April, May and June.

Expansion of healthcare facilities to meet the requirements

By April 2, the Odisha government in collaboration with KIMS and OMC was able to set up a 500-bed hospital with 50 critical beds at Ashwini hospital Cuttack. Odisha is one of the few states in the country which was able to contain the spread of the virus at an early stage. The hospital is made adhering to the guidelines of WHO and ICMR. While coronavirus was rapidly rising in the country, the state government of Odisha has set up a fully functioning hospital at a very early stage. On 11 April Odisha had announced that 2 new COVID-19 hospitals with a total capacity of 300 beds very soon in association with National Aluminium Company and Paradip Port Trust. The state has already set up 10 exclusive hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, with a total bed strength of 1950. It is also planning to establish 34 COVID 19 hospitals with a capacity of 6000 beds in the state. The Odisha government is trying to take every step possible in order to dedicate its healthcare workforce into treating the COVID 19 affected patients.

This is a photo shared on Twitter by Health and Family Welfare Ministry of Odisha, with all the necessary details by the government of Odisha for people to know the details of the hospitals set up for the COVID 19 patients’ treatment.

On the 11th of April, East Coast Railway helped in delivering medicines and medical equipment in various parts of the state such as Palasa, Brahmapur, Bolangir, Bargarh, Sambalpur Rayagada, and Kasinga railway stations. This has helped in making sure that the distant regions of the state are having enough medicines and medicinal equipment at the time of need. Aiming to meet the shortage of doctors and healthcare workers at the time of coronavirus pandemic, the Odisha government has reported having given extensive training to over 1,516 MBBS students so that they can help in combating the COVID 19 crisis. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported about the said decision taken by the state government. "Considering the dearth of doctors, it has been decided that the 7th, 8th & 9th Semester MBBS students of all medical colleges will be trained who could be deployed in case a need arises," an order issued by Odisha Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy had stated.

Is Odisha doing well enough?

This is the question everyone is asking about every country and state if they are doing well enough to contain the spread of the virus. Odisha government launched the website for COVID 19 related information way before the first case was detected in the state. When the country had started getting a few cases of coronavirus, Odisha started putting a restriction on large gatherings. Odisha started spreading the word for social distancing and quarantining much before as a preventative step. Before the central government decided on the country to go on for a 21-day lockdown, the Odisha government announced a lockdown a night before that. Odisha government a step ahead of the central government in every phase of decision making. The lockdown has been successful in Odisha with efforts of the police force, health care workers, the citizens and the government.

Even when there was curfew announced in few cities for 48 hours, the result was commendable. Everyone obeyed the law and let the police do the work. Active surveillance helped to contain the hotspots. The state has much fewer active cases than other states in India, as of April 16, 2020.

This is the current status of the coronavirus cases in Odisha. There has been a 2 % death only. 32% of the infected people have recovered. 66% are active cases. Most of the cases are mild and need no hospital care but they are being kept in the hospital to avoid spreading of the virus.

This bar graph shows the sample testing situation in Odisha. As it has been told by WHO and different scientists that more and more testing is to be done to detect the infected number of persons and stop the spread, Odisha government has been trying to increase the number of tests every day. More and more tests are being done by people from the hotspots to detect infected people.

This graph shows the day-wise increase in the positive cases in Odisha since the day the first case was detected in the state. As we saw in the previous graph that the test numbers are increasing and here, we can see the positive cases numbers are decreasing. It is a very positive sign for the state of Odisha. If more and more tests are done and a smaller number of infected people are found then the doctors can concentrate on treating the people infected and help curb the spreading of the virus.

Odisha’s approach to fighting against the Novel Coronavirus which started from China and now has spread all around the world seems to be very effective. With making the people aware of the situation to giving them punishment if not following the rules, the Odisha government did everything. They were the first to take every step of action to stop the spread of the virus. The citizens are having hope in the government to secure their lives and do the necessary. Now we can wait and see how effective this Odisha model of dealing with the coronavirus will be.

By: Disha Acharya

Graphics Source: Health and Family Welfare ministry's Twitter page