The Internet is a wonderful thing and this point has been proved right time and time again, especially in times of crisis. The latest disaster to hit the world, the COVID-19 pandemic, has truly brought into focus why it is a saviour! Can you imagine self isolation in a world without the Internet?? Sounds pretty grim and lonely right?
Apart from giving us all the information and pointers we need on how to keep ourselves safe, the Internet has helped showcase the beauty of the human spirit through one of the worst catastrophes the world has faced in a long time. First there was the video of Italians of an apartment complex singing Volare and the Italian national anthem in unison from their balconies and windows. Then a pianist, also from Italy, posted a video of himself playing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ from his balcony to lift the spirits of people in other flats who were all in lockdown. Spain, on the other hand, joined together to applaud, from their homes, the true heroes in this crisis - doctors, nurses and other medical staff.
In India, while the Prime Minister has called for a ‘Janta Curfew’ on March 22, and asked for people to stand outside their homes and clap for the people at the frontline of the war against the epidemic, a doctor has started a challenge that has just begun doing the rounds. Called the #sanitiserchallenge or the #handsanitiserchallenge, it seems to have first been posted by Dr K Hari Prasad, president of Apollo Group - Hospitals, on his Instagram. In his post, he has shared a video of himself urging people to use hand sanitisers as it is proven to be effective against corona viruses. He goes on to challenge the father of tennis ace Sania Mirza, Imran Mirza, and two others, to help spread the word. Imran followed it up by challenging a number of prominent journalists to post similar videos on their Instagram. Since then, other celebrities who have been roped in include tennis star Rohan Bopanna and Shheethal Robin Uthappa, the wife of cricketer Robin Uthappa.
Here’s hoping this challenge goes viral!