Spiritual Logic and An Unscientific Temperament Complicating the Already Complex Covid-19 Times
By Dr
Muhmmad Amin Malik
August 19,
2020
With over
2-crore confirmed cases and 7.34-lakh deaths till the time of writing this
column, Covid-19 has now spread to almost all 213 countries, and territories of
the world. The United States remains the worst-hit nation with over 50 lakhs
confirmed cases and 1.6 lakh deaths followed by Brazil. India is the world’s
third worst-hit country with over 22 lakh confirmed cases and 44,000 deaths till
date. Indeed, we are facing the biggest global crisis of our generation that
has touched every sector and changed the usual rhythm of our life. The bleak
scenario has caused a real psychological fallout. While this pandemic is
testing humans for their immunity, mental strength and the power of
imagination, there is plethora of misinformation, conspiracy theories,
prophecies, rumour mongering on media, that spread faster than the pandemic
itself.
These
theories work in multiple ways, from heightening the fear of death to the
inspiring spiritual healing of human souls. In an increasingly distracted
atmosphere in this hyper-connected world, the fight against the virus is
largely marred by age-old prevailing superstitions, spiritual logic and an
unscientific temperament that is complicating the already complex task. The
doctors are fighting the battle on the medical front, while the rest of us have
to continue our fight against the ignorance.
What can
you do when someone whom you hold in high esteem comes to meet you, and he
forcibly shakes hands, and hugs you? You try your best, tactfully saying him in
a loud voice “handshakes, hugs, kisses etc are not allowed now, please keep
away, maintain social distancing norms” – all with a smile. But in return he says
“hell with the virus, it is all fake, trust in God”. They even call those
adhering to Covid precautions as superstitious and sometimes one feels perhaps,
they are right.
Quackery in Iran
----
At one time, we saw religious scholars saying
that there is no need to follow social distancing as it was a conspiracy to
keep the community away from other fellows and later the gatherings have proven
to be hotbeds of outbreaks. We cannot take pandemic for granted. Right from the
day the outbreak started, the faith healers, astrologers, quacks and even the
politicians are having a field day, suggesting weird cures for coronavirus.
Many videos and messages full of prophecies of religious people keep
circulating on social media in which they prescribe a wide range of protective
measures against Covid-19. Some pundits
are recommending cow urine, bleach and cocaine as a treatment for the virus.
In some
parts of India like Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, people have started
worshipping ‘Corona Devi’ to get rid of Covid-19. Many videos claiming pandemic
as the outcome of a curse by a transgender woman, and in many others the
pandemic is nature’s revenge on mankind for eating non-veg food. Videos in
which a person recommends the soup of the inner layers of a pigeon’s stomach,
while in another eating the dust in a shrine is prescribed for those infected.
A politician in India claimed Prince Charles had recovered from coronavirus
with the help of Ayurvedic cures but the Prince rejected the claims saying that
he followed the standard health guidelines.
We have
witnessed these things at the global level as well. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards
have come up with a device which can detect coronavirus at a distance of one
hundred yards “using a field magnet”. In Cambodia, carefully dressed,
scarecrows at household gates are the traditional means to ward-off Covid-19
illness from the home. Brazil preacher and congressman promoted an anti-Covid
“day of abstinence”, claiming that fasting would produce a miracle and halt the
virus spread to heal his country.
This is not
the end. Heads of many countries came out with anti-lockdown campaigns, touting
unscientific methods, blaming scientists for selling false hopes. Tanzanian
President who holds a PhD in Chemistry cast doubt on laboratory equipment,
ordered a herbal cure for the virus, stated that outbreak is satanic and asked
people to keep going to church because virus cannot survive in the body of
Christ, it will burn. The President of Venezuela proposed that lemongrass and
elderberry tea could ward off the virus.
Brazilian
president compared the virus to a mild flu, incited his supporters to
participate in political rallies and promoted unproven drugs on social media as
miracle cures for the disease. The Governor of Nairobi (Kenya) distributed
bottles of cognac to the poor because he claims WHO’s advice says alcohol kills
the virus but was slammed by the medical experts that alcohol is in fact,
detrimental to the immune system. And of
course, Donald Trump once said that scientists should explore inserting
disinfectant into the bodies of Covid patients, which sparked-off a furious
criticism from the international medical community who in a statement warned
that people might not poison themselves by ingesting harmful chemicals. Trump
who once used the phrase ‘Chinese Virus’ didn’t wear a face mask, even mocked
at his rival for it, was recently seen wearing the same and he indirectly
called the act as ‘patriotic’.
There are
countless coronavirus-related unscientific cures, dubious prophylactic schemes
available in Google search. Most of them are unproven and has the propensity to
exacerbate the spread of coronavirus. While global health organizations
continuously making statements that there is no specific medicine to treat
Covid-19, many look towards quakes who assure them the treatment at lower
rates, cashing in on the situation by selling fake medicines. At a time when we
are struggling to find ways of coping the situation, it is important to check
the source and avoid sharing information that does not have a dependable
reference. We are confronted with life and death choices; it is not just about
our own well-being but about the whole community. In these unprecedented times
we need to find the light from within ourselves. The quality of imagination or
dreaming depends on the self-belief of individuals and the consciousness of
societies. Death is certain, one cannot run away from it but one cannot live
all along with this concept. Much depends on exercising prudence over the
displays of beliefs.
We need not
endorsements from influential people to take false confidence from unscientific
cures but we need to debunk all the superstitions, media rumours and challenge
unscientific temperament. When the things are beyond our control, the best we
can do is to go through the scientific findings and follow guidelines and SOPs
that come from the WHO and the local governments. If we all wear face masks,
maintain social distancing norms, avoid crowds and wash our hands, then we can
stay safe. Obviously, the lockdowns won’t be imposed and we can undertake our
business as well. Let us be positive, change our thinking and behavior and be
careful about these important issues for the well-being of the whole humanity.
Original
Headline: Quackery
and superstitions in covid times
Source: The Greater Kashmir