Ashfaq Wani
In between of all the chaos caused by COVID 19, there lies a gift, the gift of time. While panic and anxiety has affected most of the people as we fight the new pandemic on the block, COVID – 19, the gift of time is by our side.
Our hearts unquestionably goes out to all those suffering the unsolicited upshot of the COVID19 outbreak, and more likely to the ones who couldn’t survive the battle with COVID19 and lost their precious lives at the hands of this catastrophe.
The continuing pandemic continues to span the mother earth and contaminate our globe with threat and fear, big enough to even quaver the hardcore bravest men and women of our societies.
Currently, many people around the world are practicing self-quarantine and are in a crisis of choosing different ways to stay safe. Many people prefer to stay at home to protect themselves from the pandemic COVID19. In between all events, we only need to follow the instructions given by our certified health authorities and the government. If you must stay at home for a few weeks, so be it. It will go faster than you think. Most importantly, it rewards the right purpose. Amidst all the chaos, many factors can cause additional and unwanted stress. Also, note that some things are beyond control. Your task is to be careful. If you adopt it correctly, I think that living at home can be very beneficial. It is a time of thought, self-reflection, and reward.
The goal is to make the transmission of COVID19 difficult. Large gatherings and ceremonies are banned, schools and educational institutions are closed, and offices have a “work from home” policy. Sports Clubs and gyms are closed. But instead of getting upset, we should all positively look at this. Now, People spend more time at home with their family, playing indoor games, watching television and whatnot.
Burials Devoid Of Funerals
World burial practices are being dramatically altered by the coronavirus pandemic.
For centuries, Hindus gathered to burn corpses on funeral pyres along the Ganges River. Jews received condolences at home during a seven-day mourning period. Muslims strived together to wash the corpses and offer prayers for the deceased.
On March 24, the World Health Organization said that the bodies of the victims of COVID-19 were not usually infectious. But its recommendations that relatives do not touch or kiss the body and government rules on social distancing to prevent the spread of the disease have upended important funeral and death rituals in virtually all of the world’s faiths.
Here are some details of how COVID-19 has changed traditions in various countries.
Maggie Farley recalls the way her father lived – the Denver probate lawyer’s personality and his struggle for reasonable housing – not how he died of COVID-19 without his family being at his death bedside.
Mike Farley was 87 when he died on March 23.
“It’s a human fear that we don’t want to die alone, and the worst part of it for our family knew that he was in the hospital alone,” said Farley, of Bethesda, Maryland.
All of the deaths due to COVID19 require final rites.
For many, a funeral is a ritual where we remember the deceased and comfort the living. But the COVID19 changed the way we adieu our dead.
Gone are those days of public gatherings for funerals that were filled with mourners.
Farley is grateful to the nurses at Denver’s Swedish Medical Center who set up FaceTime sessions so the family could talk to him and, two days later, see the last rites being conducted.
Another incident coming from London where a 13-year-old kid, Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab was buried without the presence of his family at his funeral.
Four men dressed in protective clothing and masks were carrying the coffin having the body of Ismail Mohammed AbdulWab that was lowered into the grave at the function at a ceremony at the Eternal Gardens dedicated Muslim burial ground in Kemnal Park, Chislehurst.
On March 24, the World Health Organization said that the bodies of the victims of COVID-19 were not usually infectious. But its recommendations do not prevent relatives from spreading the disease, and body rules and social norms at social gatherings have increased important funeral and death rituals in almost all religions of the world.
One more report coming from Iraq
Abdul Hadi Majeed, a soldier by profession, says his father’s dead body was among few other deceased bodies, the authorities intended to lay to rest in the outskirts of Baghdad. But tribal leaders refused to allow the bodies to be buried there; fearing they could spread the virus.
“It took eight days to get the body of my father from the morgue,” says Majeed, whose father died of COVID-19 in a Baghdad hospital in March. “It was very difficult arranging the burial.” He said.
The burials were later conducted by paramilitary forces in hazmat suits according to Islamic rituals at a cemetery in the holy city Najaf, south of Baghdad.
Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a fourth death due to COVID19. The toll of COVID-19 positive cases reaches to 250 across the Union territory.
According to the government, out of 224 positive cases, 214 are active, 06 have recovered and 04 others have died in the Union Territory.
Jammu and Kashmir reported its fourth COVID-19 death after a woman in the Udhampur district in Jammu died from the infection Wednesday night.
The 60-year-old woman was brought to the government medical college. The family of the woman said she had a history of chronic arthritis.
She was initially taken to a local hospital by her family and was then referred to GMC Jammu. She died when her samples were being collected for testing. The results, which came after her death, confirmed she was COVID-19 positive.
The family was told to follow the protocol laid down by the government for the cremation of her body.
This is the first death in the Jammu region. The first was a 65-year-old man from Hyderpora in Srinagar. Two other men who lost the battle to COVID19 were from Baramulla and Bandipora.
Witnesses said that only a few people were allowed to attend funeral prayers of these deceased covid19 victims after wearing protective equipment.
Keeping all the COVID19 tragedies in view, it’s highly instructed to all the citizens of the country to observe self-quarantine and stay back home until the war with COVID19 is won.
History is a witness that social-distancing has worked in the past. So “physically” distance yourself from the outside world. Avoid going out unless necessary. But don’t think this is a limitation on your rights. Think about what you can do with the extra time you have, otherwise we complain that we don’t have time every day. In the past, people almost did the same. All the people were at home and only moved out when needed. So don’t think that social disturbances are putting pressure on you; you have willingly separated yourself to put in your bit to help humanity. Together we can do this.
