Dinesh Raj Kafle

A new virus called, COVID-19, emerged in Wuhan of China towards the end of 2019. After the pandemic outbreak, a few months passed as a ‘fun-filled’ period for many, listening to the rhetoric of American President Trump as he blew hot and cold over the spread of the virus in his own country.
The World Health Organisation had then alerted the world that the spread of the virus might take the shape of a pandemic which proved right. The spread of COVID-19 and the high number of deaths in Italy had started drawing the attention of the people across the globe. The virus then took no time to enter India, and gradually it arrived in Nepal. The virus arrived here through the several Nepalis who returned from abroad, mainly from India. The entry of coronavirus through air passengers had gone on an alarming level.
The Nepal government had imposed the lockdown in the country from 24 March 2020. The lockdown and prohibitory orders are still in place in many parts of the country. Even after seven months of coronavirus detection in the country, the number of COVID-19 infections is increasing every passing day. The people have survived or coped with the situation with a lot of difficulties. The sad part of the entire episode is that many Nepalese have died of the dreaded virus.

Virus Fear
Every person born in this world has to die one day but the prospect of encountering the death brought by the deadly virus has scared everyone in the world. Whenever a person suffers from the coronavirus-led disease, no family member or friend can be near the infected persons. Sadly, even after one dies of the disease, the dead one cannot receive the traditional farewell or cremation rituals, because of the virus’s fear.
Unless a vaccine to immunise the total population against the virus is found or treatment and medicines are easily available in the market, the virus continues to pose a massive threat to our life. Many of us do hope either a vaccine or medicines will be available for us soon. However, nobody knows yet when the moment of bliss and excitement will come to us. Looking at the prevailing situation, we have no other option but to adapt to the grim situation and must do what is best for us by taking advantage of all available information and resources.
Spraying harsh disinfectants or bleach for disinfection has their side effects on the human population, as they might cause asthma or irritation of the lungs among the vulnerable groups. Without appropriate processes, spraying of disinfectant or bleach may harm our skin and body.
In the meantime, wearing a mask may lessen around 65 per cent chance of getting infected by COVID-19. Applying masks have become a proven protection strategy from the virus while maintaining a safe distance of at least six feet from the nearest person will also keep the coronavirus infection at bay. Using sanitiser on hands is a good way of keeping away the contagion, but handwashing with soap or liquid soap and clean water is also a better option whenever one visits public places, uses toilets, touches roadside bars, door handles, and so on.

Personal Story
Our common practices of washing hands and feet before entering homes or rooms as well as washing hands before eating meals have now proven to be excellent ones. These practices have now gained importance with the rising incidents of coronavirus infection around the world. We need to keep ourselves clean which also requires keeping our environment and places clean too.
Let me tell you a personal story of mine here. I am an elderly person. My life was passing smoothly in the past when somebody would make tea, prepare food, wash my clothes for me. Now, I am alone at home. Three of my sons and their families stay out of the country. They insist that I should be staying with them on a rotational basis. As an elderly person, I regard myself as a happy father, except for that I lost my wife and daughter in a gap of about 20 years. With all care and needful treatment, I could not save them as the disease called cancer had no treatment. After I lost them I joined a forum that works for the prevention of cancer in our people. With the support from some friends and family members, cancer prevention initiatives are going on for the last 25 years in Nepal as part of NAHUDA, a non-profit organisation that works for the prevention of cancer among our people.
The fear of COVID-19 forced my cook to move out of Kathmandu. I could not dare to hire another house help due to the strict lockdown. Due to this, I started making my food myself. A few cooking tips are worth remembering because, after a week, I started preparing tasty foods of my choice. During the ongoing lockdown, I had invited one of my colleagues for dinner. After dinner, he appreciated the foods. The remarkable thing was he had appreciated the foods without knowing the fact that I had cooked the food.
I have learned to cook as a fun and good pastime. It however made me an active person and gradually encouraged me to do a few other household chores. In between the time of cooking and waiting to follow the next act, I do some yoga for a brief time. I name it as the kitchen-time yoga.
As a management student and trainer, I have myself practicised the theory about the work efficiency methods and critical path analysis. It is a real-time action plan that produces better results.
In France in the 1980s, an experiment on the supply of food items, food users, and a cook’s attitude was held. The result of the experiment showed that the cook with a friendly attitude can even improve the Intelligence Quotient of the users without seeing each other. But the result of the same experiment regarding the groups of students was found negative.

Cooking
This experiment was conducted for four weeks between the two groups of 15 students. The experiment was carried out for two weeks. Nothing was changed during the fortnight except for the cooks. Simply, the cooks with two mindsets or attitude were the difference. All conditions were kept as usual. Only the cooks were replaced every fortnight. The behaviour and IQ level of each group of participating students were found reversed.
We find foods cooked by someone even with meagre resources super tasty, while someone with plenty of resources cannot cook palatable foods. I felt that the cooking habits of mine have made me more energetic, happy and fresh. It has given me an opportunity for optimum utilisation of my leisure time, body movements, and self-help that has provided me with sound sleep every night since I started cooking.

(A retired management trainer, Kafle holds a Ph.D.)