Ghosts want you to stay at home: Scare tactics could reduce covidiocy

Ghost patrols to spook lockdown violators into staying home could work.

By ET Bureau | Apr 22, 2020, 08.07 AM IST

This picture taken on April 16, 2020 shows Urabil Alias, 38, wearing a ghost costume as he walks in a residential area to scare people from leaving their houses during the Movement Control Order, limiting the activities of people in Malaysia as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, in Kemaman, a district in Terengganu state. A ghostly figure with wild hair and a flowing beard is haunting a small Malaysian community in a bid to ensure superstitious residents stay inside during the country's coronavirus lockdown.

While there is no conclusive proof that loss of the olfactory sense is an indication of Covid-19 infection, dissipation (and sometimes complete disappearance) of common sense during this pandemic has certainly reached community transmission levels.

Instead of trying to cure that malaise too while combating the coronavirus, turning that phenomenon to advantage would be a more pragmatic approach for authorities.

Governments can take inspiration from the village on the Indonesian island of Java that has been deploying a posse of ‘ghosts’ to patrol the streets, playing on ancient local superstitions to scare people into staying safely indoors.

A man in a village in northeastern Malaysia also appeared to have come up with the same idea and decided to dress up as a ‘phantom’ — complete with white robes and a gruesome mask — to roam the streets to frighten covidiots into going back to their homes. So successful was he in his spooking mission that even the local police congratulated the man rather than charge him with violating lockdown norms himself.

Given that superstition has deep roots in India and the virus has taken a toll on discernment powers, ghost patrols — appropriately garbed in phantom-projecting equipment (PPEs), of course — could prove to be effective in assisting more conventional forces to implement stay-at-home orders.

Empty Mecca, No Devotees At Siddhivinayak: The World Turns Into A Ghost Town Post-Coronavirus Outbreak

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The COVID-19 pandemic has not only severely impacted global health but has changed how our world looks completely. Biggest metropolitan cities which were known for their fast-paced lifestyle have now come to a standstill. Well-known tourist spots and religious sites - be it the New York Times Square or the Holy Mecca - which were thronged by devotees and tourists, now lie deserted.

Several netizens have called the phenomenon ‘earth taking a break’. The images of the deserted streets appear eerily similar to a post-apocalyptic world.

Here are some images which show how the world has changed after the coronavirus outbreak.