NEW DELHI:With Indians fast cancelling summer holiday trips and companies telling employees to work from home amid the growing coronavirus outbreak in the country, grandparents can't hide smiles as they will have the opportunity to spend more time with their grandchildren and extended families at home.
Although anxious about theirs as well as their kids' health as the number of coronavirus cases rise in the country, senior adults find solace in the fact that the family is around and they can plan better safety measures at home than when the family members are travelling or out of the country.
"I am happy that my kids who stay in Delhi will come home this summer as they have cancelled their holiday plans for June due to the new virus scare. Any travel is risky at this point of time and this is a godsend for parents like us who stay away from their grandkids, " Veena Mohan, a retired school principal in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, told IANS.
At least 25 new coronavirus cases have been reported from India in the past three days. The virus has affected more than 60 countries across the globe.
More than 92, 000 cases have been confirmed worldwide and the number of deaths from the new virus has reached 3, 110 globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
G. Rohini, a retired banker who stays in Bengaluru, has told his son in Delhi to move with her till the time the panic settles down.
"Staying together helps as we can monitor each other well and practice the hygiene routine more sincerely. Travel is a strict no no at the moment and home is where the thrill is, " said Rohini.
According to health experts, curb travel, avoid large gatherings, wash hands at regular intervals and visit a physician the moment early symptoms show up.
Wash your hands for 20 seconds with hot water, especially when you return home from being in public.
According to Kamna Chhibber, Clinical Psychologist and Head of Department at Fortis Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences, people should capitalise on the free time by utilising it to spend more time with friends and family, doing activities at home and indoors.
"View this as an opportunity to be able to go back to your hobbies, engage in self care and maintain the overall well-being as well, " said Chhibber.
Vishal, 30, who works in a software company in Noida, has cancelled his summer holiday trip abroad and instead plans to take his family to his hometown in Indore -- after a gap of two years.
"My parents are thrilled to see us soon. The coronavirus outbreak has given us an opportunity to stay back in the country this summer during the school breaks, " Vishal said.
There is no vaccine yet to tackle the new virus and pharmaceutical giants have scrambled to develop one soon.
"No illness is ever a blessing. But yes, the coronavirus epidemic is allowing people to take comfort in their own homes and curb their anxiety regarding the epidemic by engaging in activities which they draw strength from, " Chhibber told IANS.
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, "COVID-19 spreads less efficiently than flu, and transmission does not appear to be driven by people who are not sick, while in the case of influenza, people who are infected but not yet sick are major drivers of transmission."
"It is important to understand that an illness like the one being caused by coronavirus brings with it immense anxiety for many. Everyone should take extra precaution at this moment, " Chhibber noted.