The Second Wave was sudden and strong. It caught us unaware and unprepared. Just like every condominium, district and the whole country, the virus had engulfed us, made us hustle for life and despair in death. As individuals. as families and as a Community. I felt it taking over my mind and body space. Every phone call came with ‘not good’ news. The ones at odd hours were almost bone chilling and all cried helplessness. Survival was the name of the game with no rules, no boundaries and seemingly no way out. The wave was lethal with a momentum of its own and nearly each one of us was touched.
And just like it came, the Second Wave went away too...for me, for us, for every condominium, the district and cases started dipping for the whole country. Almost nearly at the same time, cases had a dramatic stop and all condos slowly reached the magic number ZERO. So what’s so different about what I am going to share?
This is a journey of a community which helped us arrive at Zero. As a Secretary of this Condominium Association and as a Community Volunteer I saw the behaviour change of residents, families and support staff as they got an unwavering focus. Arjun ki Aankh.
Perhaps that's what makes our community story shareworthy. A story of ABCD - Accountability, Belonging, Care and Dignity!
The Community
DLF Oakwood Estate is a condominium with 322 Apartments spread over 5.6 Acres with 2 Towers or 4 Blocks (A, B, C, D) and 2 Independent Ground Floor houses. By the second week of March 2021, we could sense that cases were rising all over Gurgaon, and we may not be all that secure despite our bubbled existence which is typical of hi-rise condominiums dotting new gurugram. We cancelled our community events which had the potential of a large gathering, and much to our disappointment, and as per the Govt advisory, we did not burn the Holika, nor did we play Holi.
Our First Covid Case of the Second Wave was reported on Mar 18, 2021 and we peaked around Apr 23, 2021 with 36 cases (nearly 40 considering that a few residents may not be self declaring or reporting to the estate office which was responsible for maintaining data and activating the protocols for Covid Management). By May 31, 2021 We declared ourselves, with utmost caution, that we as a society were Covid Free with the last covid affected family completing their quarantine period.
Rising Cases
No resident likes restrictions. It is in our democratic being to value our freedom. As office bearers of Resident Welfare Association we walk on a tightrope. Should we wait for Govt orders for a strict lockdown? Why aren’t we being declared a containment zone as yet? Why are the cases rising in our condominium despite the execution of established protocols which we had learnt as a community during the First Wave? Why are the seniors not practicing social distancing while walking? Do they not realise the risks involved? Why are people not learning from the experiences of other countries? Why are parents not counselling their children to stop group play? Children may be asymptomatic themselves but may be active carriers and are very likely catalysts for the spread of the infection to their families especially parents and grandparents.
Cases emerged in C Block one after another. Then they exponentially increased in A Block encompassing within families, friends, neighbouring apartments. Nearly every floor in A Block had Covid affected apartment. Panic began creeping amongst residents reflected through the messaging forums like whatsapp and telegram. Some attributed it to cases coming from outside the condominium, from children, from household help, from lifts... and from aerosols.
To top it all, there was an unprecedented shortage of support staff. Our Estate Manager and Office Assistant got affected with Covid. Our Accounts in Charge who was unwell also later got affected with Covid. The Deputy Manager took over and was the sole incharge of the Estate Office and the running of the condominium. The Covid wave had hit the office bearers and their families too. We as a condominium were proceeding like a ship amidst the uncertainties of stormy weather and the water was swelling up just outside our cabins.
With no signal from the State or the Central Government as yet declaring a lockdown, as an RWA we cannot just sit and watch the cases rise. We needed to act despite the apprehensions of the backlash of residents who were still waiting for the government to declare that we are in crisis and a lockdown seemed the only way out. As I look back, a couple of things became the turning point of how the pandemic was going to play out within the condominium
Being curious with an open mind and listening to resident doctors, understanding the nature of the First Wave and the Second Wave and getting their advice on how to manage the pandemic in our condominium.
Drawing from the experiences of the First Wave and building upon them to manage the numbers.
Collaborating with other RWA’s to optimise our resources before moving towards any investments towards covid management.
Tapping the wisdom and resourcefulness of our own members, residents, staff and service providers.
Managing Individual behaviour and providing maximum possible support as an RWA through the creation of robust community directives and its on-ground implementation seemed the only way to go.
Sanitization of Lifts and Common areas need to be stepped up to its optimum.
We need to put together a first responder emergency system and explore tie-ups with on-site medical care facilities.
We need to keep our ears to the ground, trust verified sources of information and contextualise the situation towards our reality and issue our condominium specific directives accordingly.
Can we have Standards of Practice amidst uncertainty?
The First Wave had predominantly focused on sanitisation in order to prevent community transmission. Our support staff was already optimising their schedules to clean the common areas especially the Block lifts and lobbies.
The Second Wave was difficult to crack. Epidemiologists suggested that the virus was largely airborne and we were at the community spread stage. 45+ Vaccination had begun but most of our condominium did not fit into the age profile so vaccination for them was not around then, leaving them even more vulnerable to infection.
Oakwood COVID 19 Prevention Measures, 2021
Our established protocols had continued to be in action after the First Wave. Now with an even more stepped up schedule these seemed to be inadequate since cases were rising despite the SOPs in action.
Oakwood COVID 19 First Response Guide
Within all the gloom of what seemed to be ‘not working’, one thing which we ensured was to ensure dignity to all the covid +ve patients and their families in the context of privacy and household management.
Self declaration was encouraged, celebrated and supported. As a first, permissions were immediately sought to share their apartment numbers so that their neighbours and blockmates were aware to avoid community spread. No names were announced. OECA specific SOPs were shared. The housekeeping team briefed and provided adequate bin liners to ensure separate Biomedical Garbage Collection and Disposal. The MCG Biomedical Van was intimated and the collection was ensured the way it would help them.
12 Immediate To-Dos
Our first OECA COVID 19 Directive was published at least a week before the state declared a lockdown in the city. We identified the 12 things we could do as an individual and as a community to #stop this spread and #break the chain.
Somehow, despite no specific evidence, household helps are easily labelled as super spreaders. Some have got themselves tested over 7 times and with negative results, yet one of the covid management strategies is to stop their entry into the condominium. We looked at this differently and kept this optional. Many residents are work from home
OECA COVID 19 #Break the Chain Directives
Oakwood COVID 19 Support Group (OCSG)
Perhaps it's noteworthy to analyse what differentiates us in our strategy towards Covid Management is the constitution of the Oakwood Covid 19 Support Group which we had put in action towards the end of the First Wave. These are a voluntary group of residents who wanted to help covid affected families and help arrest community spread by being their go-to person through their quarantine period through sensitising, educating and supporting them in whatever way was possible. Through the first wave, when the patients were few, this group had largely been on a standby mode and a few members even questioned the utility of such a group which seemed largely cosmetic. In the second wave, the group metamorphosed into an Oakwood Covid War Zone in which Resident Doctors and OCSG Members joined hands for facilitating first response medical emergency services. They become the trusted guardians and guides for all patients. They tracked their health, became sounding boards, got them medicines and food and some even walked their dogs. They updated the status of every patient on the main whatsapp group which also comprised resident doctors who guided them on a need basis. So each patient got the shield of these committed OCSG volunteers. Realising the value of this support network, many patients and their family members joined the group as volunteers once they recovered. Each volunteer brought specific qualities which made the group unique and special. While some helped with direct patient interface, others supported with data verification, publishing a daily ready reckoner for residents, designed behaviour change communication campaigns or published the daily covid tracker.
Covid Data Verification
This group came together to check on verified leads for covid related services and supplies and hospital beds in Delhi NCR.
Publishing Oakwood Covid 19 Ready Reckoner for verified leads of services which could be of help a Covid +ve households within 2-3 km of DLF Phase 2 which was published on a daily basis which was updated frequently.
Oakwood COVID 19 Ready Reckoner
CovidCare@Oakwood was a whatsapp group formed for the families of Covid+ve patients who could share their learnings, leads and resources with each other
Behavior Change Communications
As an RWA, our approach was to create a robust covid safety roadmap in the form of a directive which steers away deterrents like strictness and fines and moves the community towards sensitisation, demystification and education. Despite the unknowns associated with Covid 19, we followed an evidence based approach wherein we learnt to differentiate between fact versus rumour and panic versus planning.
Behavior Change Communication was the campaign adopted so that people could make informed choices on how they responded to the risks that were presented before them. The idea was to invoke trust and faith that all Covid +ve patients and their families will be handled with care and empathy by their friends, neighbours and community. We created campaigns for encouraging Self Declaration and practicing COVID 19 Appropriate Behaviour.
Patients responded with a lot of responsibility. They shared their movements, sought help and helped other patients through their insights and wisdom.
Onsite COVID-19 Testing Camps : Govt and Private
During this period of 2 months we facilitated over 6 onsite Covid Testing RTPCR and RAT camps so that residents remain indoors and do not expose themselves unless really necessary.
Enforcing Optimal Sanitisation
In a highrise complex. Lift and Lobby becomes the most frequently used area and therefore a potential super spreader and an aerosol trap.
Sanitisation of All Blocks, All Floors and Common Areas including Lifts and Lobby.
Enforcing Established SOP’s
Frontline staff which included the Housekeeping and Security needed all the support, sensitisation, training and PPE to mitigate the risks as they took the cudgels as guardians of Oakwood. They ensured that the SOPs were followed with earnestness.
Data Bank for Plasma Donors of Recovered Patients for Oakwood
Through google forms we collected data bank of recovered patients as willing to plasma donors
COVID 19 FIrst Response Mechanism - Oxygen Availability
Our Oxygen Cylinder meant for the Swimming Pool First Aid was refilled and made available for emergency purposes. Additional cylinders were donated by a resident and were made ready on standby mode.
Strengthened ties with RWA of DLF Phase 2 for Oxygen Sewa Kendra (OSK)
Located in the heart of DLF Phase 2 we are aware that we cannot remain covid free for long if our neighbourhood locality has still got many covid cases. Also we need to collaborate and help the RWA of DLF 2 which set up an Oxygen Sewa Kendra as an emergency arrangement until the patient gets an oxygen bed at a Covid Care Centre or at a Hospital. This is a win-win association which will ensure that Oakwood Residents get the services and the model could be publicised and built up to benefit all the residents in and around DLF -2
Supported MCG
We Coordinated with MCG to send our collected wood and fallen trees logs collected over the last few months to help tide over the shortage of fuelwood at city crematoriums running short of wood. With this action, we felt happy to save many natural oxygen cylinders - our living trees, which otherwise would be cut down to meet the crematorium's demand in these times
COVID 19 Vaccination Drives
Vaccination of every resident is the hope we have to prevent the third wave. We initiated the Vaccination and Record Keeping of each resident, support staff and household help which is work-in-progress. Onsite Private Vaccination Camps and FOC Govt Vaccination Camps were encouraged to cover all stakeholders.
Zero Covid Cases
From a spike which touched nearly 40 reported cases we came to Zero in 2 months. In this period, Covid had snatched 2 of our community members during its initial spike which had the city to its knees with its medical shortages. This has been a loss which we as a community are yet to come to accept. But there was enough reason to feel satisfied that our condominium became Covid Free after such turbulent times we faced as a community.
Easing Restrictions: Unlock Oakwood
After sustaining ourselves on Zero Cases for over 2 weeks we began easing restrictions , step -by-step to restore all the conveniences to the people. People as a collective are wise. Rational decisions do outnumber a few irrational ones. Same
I believe that an RWA must restrain itself to become a policing body and this avatar needs to be donned only to tide over unprecedented situations.
The key here to nudge a community is to mobilise people to drive behaviour change and keep the communication and dialogues alive so that people make informed choices for themselves.
Our behaviour change communication campaign towards the end marked that transition. The baton is now in the hands of residents to look after themselves to practice restraint, assess covid risk, take covid safe choices. It's their life. We need to let go and lead ours. Seems they are doing fine so far!
