What a year 2021 has been for all of us, I think for most people it will not be easy to forget what happened during this period, very challenging yet full of aspirations and craving for ‘making it through’ zeal. A lot of people lost their near and dears, many separated from their families while many other lost their livelihood and emoluments.

At the start of this year, world appeared to be little relaxed after the first wave of Covid virus, but this laxity proved fatal and very costly to most nations. Health infrastructure crumbled even in the medically most advanced countries, killing people left, right and centre without making any discrimination of national boundaries and of rich or poor. In fact, we have lost around 5.5 million people world over since this pandemic started in December 2019. All efforts made by the respective governments proved inadequate in comparison to the magnitude of the disease. Economies of most counties collapsed like a pack of cards since everything went into lockdowns and all movements completely paralysed. Since saving lives and wellbeing of people was paramount for every government, it came at a very heavy price. Millions of people lost jobs and first time after the great depression after second world war, the economies went in red everywhere in the world. Several trillion-dollar worth of trade and productivities were lost due to lockdowns in almost every country. Hospitality, airlines, and retail industries were the worst effected among all businesses due to months long lockdowns. If one variant of virus was controlled another variant was launched, whole world was aware of its origin but unlike former US President Donald Trump no one could dare to catch or even blame the culprit.

Now world is watching with bated breadth as a new version of virus, Omicron, is already creating devastation in European countries. The world was preparing to celebrate and cheer up at the time of Christmas but governments in different countries are already in process of imposing restrictions and enforcing lockdowns one again. Thousands of people are still stuck in overseas and separated from their families for almost two years now. Airlines industry is in total chaos and finding no clue about how to remain operational. Now for them there are lot of new rules and restrictions to be adhere to. So, it is believed that world may never be the same again in the continued onslaught of this deadly virus until some concrete joint efforts made to check the real culprit.

Despite of terribly turbulent and depressing framework all around, the world has tested its resilience also in tough times. People have behaved more emphatically toward one another by supporting and helping to those in need. While in the past, it would take 10-15 or 20 years to develop a new vaccine for a pandemic of this enormity, the average time taken to create and develop a vaccine for Covid has been just around a year. Even a developing country like India also developed two of its own vaccines and created history by vaccinating around 1.3 billion people in less than a year’s time. India was predicted to be the epicentre of deaths and devastation by doomsayers but the firm grit and resolve of an able leadership proved everyone wrong. Not only the country vaccinated the greatest number of people in the world but also supplied free vaccines to several poor and friendly countries.

One of the most important lessons for common man to take away from this crisis is that henceforth only an organised and regulated lifestyle can ensure our wellbeing. If we have a strong and improved immune system and lead a disciplined and healthy lifestyle then we will be able to defeat this virus or any other virus in future. We can’t afford to be negligent about our own health and lifestyle anymore if we wish to lead a healthy and happy life. On behalf of The Indian News, I wish all our readers and well-wishers a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year 2022. -Yugal Parashar