Abhilash Purohit

Novel Corona Virus

So, we have news of a new virus.

We have had quite some epidemic scares just in recent years. There was Swine Flu, Bird Flu, SARS, MERS, Nipah, Ebola. There are some old epidemics that still don’t have a cure – HIV/AIDS being the prime example. Why is this suddenly scary?

I don’t know why I feel the way I feel. I have always treated such news in the past without much seriousness. It never felt personal. But, something is different this time. Once again, I can’t explain why I feel like this. I have checked with some of my closest friends if they feel this way too. That eerie feeling that something big and scary coming our way exists with them too.

It’s my gut feeling that this is going to be some sort of a doomsday virus if we aren’t going to take extreme caution. I’m hearing scientists who are losing their temper some times in asking us to treat this like a war. I’m hearing governments and businesses talking about it like it’s nothing. I’m seeing people making memes.

Scientific urgency, corporate disregard, and social apathy – somehow all this is pointing towards a grim future. I am not being needlessly paranoid here. Or maybe I am. Time will tell.

I want to tell you something today. Start behaving like this is a serious world-ending level threat. My spider-senses are tingling.

Start preparing your business to work from home. If you are solo, this is simple. If you employ or partner with multiple people, start preparing for the eventuality that you’ll work from home and do some practice runs. Know that it is not easy. There are a million distractions working from home.

Start also preparing for a future where your debtors will not pay you on time. Immediately cut down on all non-essential expenses.

If it all turns out to be overkill, so be it. If this virus leads us into disastrous uncharted waters, you’ll thank yourself that you prepared yourself for it.

I have never wanted my gut feeling to be wrong this badly. I’m happy to apologize for a future that never happens.

Stay safe, stay prepared.

Yours,

Abhilash