New Normal: New Etiquettes

Dr. Purva Joshi

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, as the lockdown regulations are getting less stringent and the unlock phase sets in, extra care needs to be taken when it comes to public health. The saying -necessity is the essence of invention, stands true in the sense that these recent times have caused a huge destruction of economic, social, psychological and general well-being globally and because of which there is introduction of “New Normal” which is clearly different from the pre-corona era.

It is now time when we have to start looking at things differently, think differently and act differently.
Public health is no doubt the responsibility of public health professionals; but also it is equally the responsibility of public themselves. The recent experiences have clearly explained that the public health is in public domain and where social isolation has to be the new norm.

The general rule which stays unchanged is-
SMS
S- Social distancing (with atleast one metre distance in public)
M- wearing Mask (not only designer masks, even simple masks serve the purpose)
S- Sanitization (frequent hand washing and maintaining the general hygiene)
One important concept which is seemingly influencing the mental and psychological health of all is -VUCA principle
V- Vulnerability, for example, essential items are vulnerable to get exhausted and therefore it’s important to manage the resources optimally.
U- Uncertainty of time, of beliefs, and therefore it is important to follow the general guidelines as released by the responsible agencies.
C- Complexity of performing the tasks, for example, availability and maintenance of PPE kits and therefore it is important to take all precautions while at work
A- Ambiguity wherein there is no clear picture about how things would be falling in place.

Thus it is important to take care of health and stay safe.
The new etiquettes will be “hands-free” with minimal physical contact and more virtual connections.
Instead of getting entangled in the blame game, all should understand their social responsibility and get accustomed to the new normal which is the different normal .

The writer is a Public Health Specialist and Drug Safety Physician at IQVIA, Thane.