Home is what matters

April 18, 2020 14:44 pm

The country is in a state of total lockdown to prevent potential community transmission of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Along with millions of Nepalese across the nation, I have chosen to suspend the freedom of free movement and stay home. The transition from social cohesion to social distancing has been brisk, yet we have no option but assimilate with the culture of distancing at the earliest. I find that in our attempt to distance ourselves from other humans we have come closer to our homes. A home is an inanimate object but for once I can feel it breathe and enjoy its privileges.

Self-isolation is rarely possible in a culture that demands families to stay together in the same household. When social distancing becomes the need of the hour, it’s hard to disentangle from all the regular norms we have formed over years as a joint family—norms that require regular interactions, eating at the same table and staying in the same room for hours on end. So here are a few precautionary measures you can follow to stay safe if you happen to live in a joint family.

BRUSSELS, March 10: A European Union summit via computer. The EU parliament a virtual ghost village in a shortened session. The assembly’s president working from home, self-isolating due to coronavirus.