Page 19 - Conducting Elections during COVID-19

INTRODUCTION 1

Introduction

The Year 2020 will, forever, be labeled as the year of COVID-19, a cataclysmic invasion of mankind by
a microbe that disrupted human existence, that induced a sense of fear, uncertainty and vulnerability
comparable to times of war.
Unveiled towards the closing months of the year 2019, COVID-19 and its fear gripped the world towards
end of the first quarter 2020. Fast pace of infections took mankind almost by surprise in the form of
an unprecedented invasion with inadequacy of vital information on different facets, inadequacy of
medicinal response and spikes in infections and resultant deaths. It came as a full blown disaster with
a pace which most nations did not expect and did not know well how to respond. People, big and small,
fell prey to the monster virus. Infections and deaths are being monitored by WHO. Some important
information on the subject reads as follows

As on September 17, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) Dashboard read:
Numbers at a glance

29 444 198
Confirmed cases
Last update: 17th September 2020.05:30 GMT+5.30
931 321

Confirmed deaths
Last update: 17th September 2020.05:30 GMT+5.30

216
Countries, areas or territories with cases
Last update: 17th September 2020.05:30 GMT+5.30

https://covid19.who.int/
https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease/novel-oronavirus-2019

These links are mentioned here to make it convenient for the readers to check on the latest figures, as
these are changing significantly.
Mankind has been reduced to numbers by this microbe.

India A-WEB Centre Tracks the Impact

We at India A-WEB Centre started tracking the impact of this virus especially on elections and related
matters right from the very beginning despite ‘lockdowns’. Vast amount of literature on COVID-19 is
available in international journals on Corona virus, its origin, the spread and response. Before taking
up the discussion on the COVID-19 and elections, it is necessary to understand some fundamental
aspects of the subject.

What is CORONA Virus?

Corona viruses are a family of viruses common among animals and
humans; certain types of corona viruses cause illnesses in people.
Some corona viruses cause diseases such as the common cold; others
cause severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
(MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), both of which
often cause pneumonia. COVID-19 is the illness observed in people
infected with a new strain of corona virus that was not previously
found in humans. On 31st December 2019, Chinese authorities notified