As the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues its global spread and the number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases continues to increase, anxiety related to the outbreak is on the rise in Jammu & Kashmir like other parts of the country as well. Feeling anxiety in response to a threat is a normal human reaction and consequently the anxiety and related disorders are most likely to have a hard time during the corona virus crisis. The advisory of the health & medical education department and shutting down of all educational institutions across Jammu & Kashmir are undoubtedly the preventive measures ought to be taken by the government to lessen the fear of the spread of the deadly disease but the decision to suspend class work and not the attendance of teachers in schools and colleges is an unwelcome measure as the gathering of dozens of teachers in attendance rooms is as good a threat as is the gathering of students in class rooms . Since the teachers in the absence of normal teaching work would discuss more about the dangers of corona virus, so the gathering of teacher in attendance in rooms have to be avoided the way gathering of students in class rooms has been suspended. The point of attention for the government in an atmosphere of anxiety and chaos over a deadly disease like corona virus is that when people fixate on the dangers of a deadly disease, anxiety grows unprecedentedly, but when they turn their attention elsewhere, it shrinks.
The government has to take all measures to keep under control public fears without overreacting and risking contributing to public panic. Care has to be take that too much media exposure does not heighten public anxiety in Jammu & Kashmir.
Unfortunately the government has taken a strong note of the psychological effect of the discussions over the dangers of corona virus on students but not teachers in educational institutions. Unfortunately the focus of the government is very less on the availability of the crucial medical supplies like gloves, respirators and face shield. The health and medical education department is yet to note of the causes of the rising shortage of gloves , respirators and face shield at retail drug outlets both in Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu region. By all standards of human understandabilities the government has to take measures to keep under control every single risk that comes its way in avoiding the spread of the deadly disease in Jammu & Kashmir. The government has to take all measures to keep under control public fears without overreacting and risking contributing to public panic. Care has to be take that too much media exposure does not heighten public anxiety in Jammu & Kashmir.