Antarctica is cut off from the rest of the world for months at a time – and there’s not been a single case of coronavirus. So why are research teams there following isolation rules to combat the virus, when it’s probably not even on the continent?
“A case of Covid-19 here could be disastrous,” Pradeep Tomar, on the Indian base, told the BBC.
“So we are taking lockdown measures, too. It feels like we are isolated within the isolation.”
If there was an outbreak it would be devastating. There’s nowhere else to go, medical facilities are limited – and the likelihood of spreading it to others would be high.
But most of the team members are still more fearful for people back home than for themselves.
“I truly wish I could serve my country in this time of need,” Tomar said. “Nobody has ever witnessed something like the ongoing crisis. I hope to see the same world again when we go home.”
Source:Â bbc.com