A tweet from doctor in India, highlighting the privilege of anyone who can actually practise social-distancing in order to stop the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19), has been circulating on social media and online forums this weekend
Dr Jagadish J Hiremath, chief medical officer at ACE Health Care in Mumbai, tweeted his thoughts last week saying that ‘most of the ways to ward off coronavirus are accessible only to the affluent’.
‘Social distancing is a privilege,’ he tweeted. ‘It means you live in a house large enough to practise it. Hand washing is a privilege too. It means you have access to running water. Hand sanitisers are a privilege. It means you have money to buy them.’
Continuing in a thread, Dr Hiremath went on to explain that while many are unhappy to be spending so much time in their home, we should be grateful for having a home we can go into lockdown in.
A disease that was spread by the rich as they flew around the globe will now kill millions of the poor.
‘Lockdowns are a privilege,’ he continued. ‘It means you can afford to be at home. Most of the ways to ward off Corona are accessible only to the affluent. In essence, a disease that was spread by the rich as they flew around the globe will now kill millions of the poor.
‘All those who are practising social distancing and imposed a lockdown on themselves must appreciate how privileged we are,’ Dr Hiremath’s final tweet read. ‘More importantly those who can do it yet still move around infecting others especially the poor are criminals. Poor cannot afford it, please be considerate.’
His words have since been shared online, starting a popular Reddit thread and posted on Instagram by film director Nandita Das (with the final sentence altered to ‘Many Indians won’t be able to do any of this.’)
It speaks to a growing problem around the world, where it seems some of the poorest in society are now responsible for keeping communities fed and cared for. They are being asked to put themselves at risk by continuing to work; most can't afford to stop, even if they wanted to.
‘I've heard it described as a "white-collar quarantine," which I find quite accurate,’ the top reply on one Reddit post read. ‘All of the office workers get to work from home and have their groceries delivered; but all the low-level minions have to keep going to work and putting themselves and their families in danger so that society doesn't grind to a screeching halt.’
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