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Collected Item: “Inside the Outbreak”

Give your story a title.

Inside the Outbreak

What sort of object is this: text story, photograph, video, audio interview, screenshot, drawing, meme, etc.?

Text story

Tell us a story; share your experience. Describe what the object or story you've uploaded says about the pandemic, and/or why what you've submitted is important to you.

And it came to pass in those days, when nations were troubled and fear moved unseen among the people, that the watchers of health took their stations.
At a national public health centre, a few young trainees listened as experienced voices spoke of waves yet to come. The virus was still a whisper, but it carried urgency. A team was formed — not of heroes, but of learners ready to serve. Trained to trace, to ask, and to listen, they worked with case forms and a shared sense of duty. Lessons once taught in lectures became practice: words turned into action, maps and numbers into strategy and stories.
Then silence came.
Delhi locked down.
Roads emptied, skies cleared.
The hum of traffic faded — replaced by the hum of phones.
Coordination continued through remote surveillance. Managers, travellers, and staff were contacted daily to identify symptoms, confirm exposures, and initiate follow-up. Case and contact forms recorded networks of households, workplaces, and communities. Data from many sources were verified and analysed to guide timely response.
The numbers later faded, but the quality endured — of purpose, empathy, and the collective commitment to care. The outbreak revealed that the strength of public health lay in relationships — in trust built through listening, coordination, and compassion.
Behind every dataset stood people working quietly, connecting systems and communities.
Blessed are those who serve unseen, who pour water for the thirsty, and share bread with the hungry.

Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your story. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?

Delhi, Empathy, Solidarity

Who originally created this object? (If you created this object, such as photo, then put "self" here.)

self

Give this story a date.

2020-03-01
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