We salute you, true Corona warriors!

“Every dark cloud has a silver lining,” they say. If this is not true always, it is at least most of the time. The Corona virus (Covid-19) has literally devastated major parts of the world,over the past six months. Ever since it surfaced seemingly in November 2019 in Wuhan, China, it has only tightened its grip everywhere, barring a few nations in the world.

Millions across the world have already fallen victims to the virus, showing no real signs of respite, in spite of the herculean efforts carried out by all concerned to contain its spread, including the months-long lockdown enforced by most countries including the U.S. that has lost the maximum number of lives to the virus. India, entering its fourth phase of lockdown, this week, is no exception to this. The curve, as was expected, hasn’t flattened yet!

The silver line over the thick dark cloud of Covid-19 enveloping the world is that it has brought humankind closer than ever before. The world is fighting Covid-19, as one family, not as a tragedy affecting one country or another in some part of the world, but affecting the entire humankind, a gesture of human solidarity never witnessed before. We have witnessed and are still witnessing daily, during these months of great tragedy unfolding before us, unprecedented gestures of compassion, spirit of willing sacrifice, and readiness to let go even one’s life for the sake of others, shown by ordinary men and women. The present issue of The Teenager Today features a few of them.

We are also told of the moving story of a senior Italian priest who willingly parted with his ventilator to give it to the young man in the next bed, thus saving the youngster’s life. While the story has its uniqueness, reminding us of St Maxmillian Kolbe in the Nazi concentration camp choosing to die in place of a co-prisoner, we have hundreds of our doctors, nurses, para medical staff, men and women police personnel who go every day to “ground zero,” knowing well that they can be affected by the deadly virus, perhaps even lose their lives!

In fact, many in our country and elsewhere in the world have lost their lives in the line of duty, leaving their families and dear ones in deep sorrow. The Teenager Today salutes them all, and dedicates this issue of the magazine to them — the “true corona warriors.” May God bless and reward them all abundantly, in this world and in the next world!