20/04/2020
We already have immunity towards many diseases because we have been exposed to
numerous antigens since an early age. The exposure to these antigens is more profound in
slums and villages. Religious amulets worn by children, being unhygienic and a hub for
various pathogens, are the very cause for building immunity. Children playing near open
drains, and the presence of a general unhygienic environment also contribute to building the
same.
Places of religious gatherings, the bigger ones like Makkah and Medina, or sites like
Hrishikesh, Haridwar, Thirumala temple, Dharmastala play a vital role in herd immunization.
In my experience of almost 25 years I have seen that the majority of people coming back
from such congregations suffer from viral infections of the upper respiratory tract. It is
obvious that the people visiting these places are exposed to various bacteria, viruses and a
list of pathogens. Keeping this in perspective, it is hardly any shock that the cases in this
recent corona virus pandemic have been less wide spread and fatal in the Indian sub-
continent and the middle eastern countries in general. Countries like Germany have seen a
lot of immigrants (From the middle east) in recent years, hence the severity of cases has
been low. Sweden has not imposed a strict lockdown and we aren’t seeing much severity
there either. The current lockdown we are facing is mostly us playing defensive because it
might stop the chain of infections, but will it help us overcome the virus?
