Six months since national lockdown — 40 quotes from India’s COVID-19 struggle

This special compilation captures notable quotes and excerpts from six months of YourStory’s coverage of the pandemic crisis. They capture some of the reality and resilience during the struggle. Share these quotes and excerpts with your networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights.

COVID-19 is still a threat, and until a cure or vaccine is developed, it is important to flatten the curve. - Prasanta Dash, UNICEF

The challenge in front of us is ‘can we save every life currently at threat by the virus’. - Dr Vishal Rao, HCG Cancer Centre

Government hospital workers also need to be protected and people need to know the story about these field workers. - Shivang Tayal, Tayal Foundation

Leveraging science to manage the virus is the only reliable way forward. - Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Biocon

Aggressive, sustained public health action from the community right through from the Head of State can have a profound effect on the trajectory and the outcome of this pandemic. - Michael J Ryan, WHO

Given the severity of the disruption, there is a compelling need for a multi-pronged response that includes financial and material support, healthcare assistance, and community responsibility. - Rajashree Birla, ABCCIRD

Even if you don't get sick, the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else. - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO

Today, personal health has become the epitome of everything that we can think of. Preventive and predictive health has taken centre stage. - Dr Subhasish Sircar, Health Vectors

If nothing else, this time has shown us that we can survive the very worst, but life is too short. The virus can strike any moment and take a loved one away. - ElsaMarie D’Silva, Safecity

A Namaste will work for the time being... hugs and handshakes can wait. - Meenakshi Vijay, Blue Ocean IMC

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We are foreseeing times that would divide human history into two eras - the world before the COVID-19 outbreak and one that survived it. - Gautam Adani

Mental health has come to the forefront with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and the space has seen a huge surge in demand. - Pankaj Chaddah, Mindhouse

There are two main problems right now that trigger anxiety in people – loneliness and the fear of death. - Dr Mohan Isaac

Things will get worse before they get better, so we have to collectively go through this phase and move on. - Nimrat Kaur, Médecins Sans Frontières

The coronavirus pandemic has shown us how interconnected and interdependent we are. - Sayonsom Chanda, Sync Energy

The power of togetherness is the greatest power of all. - Iti Rawat, WEFT

This pandemic is a collective crisis, more so for the daily wage workers who have been rendered without work and therefore meals. - K Ganesh, Growthstory

The outbreak of COVID-19 seems to be one major contributing factor to undo all efforts made in reducing and ending child labour. - Puja Marwaha, CRY

The coronavirus has forced us to pause and figure out how we run businesses, how we travel and how we treat each other, and most important of all how we treat the world and the species present in this world. - Shoba Narayan

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Today, as our physical spaces shrink, our virtual spaces are expanding. - Rahul Gonsalves, Obvious

To establish a pandemic-proof business continuity model, organisations need to focus on two key building blocks: the technology core and the organisational culture. - Sachin Bajaj, HCL Technologies

Home has become the epicentre of life. - Ajay Arora, D’Decor

Indoors is the new outdoors. There will be more demand for food services or delivery services because people simply don't want to go out. - Naveen Dachuri, Yulu

The new normal will be about work life integration more than work life balance. - Shilpa Vaid, Prione Group

Mobile phones have become a new mask, almost, enabling people to socially connect without the risk of catching the virus. - Devendra Chawla, Spencer's

The global scale and speed of the current educational disruption is unparalleled and, if prolonged, could threaten the right to education. - Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO

Now more than ever, online education is a critical need for millions of young children who do not have access to regular classrooms. - Adarsh Nair, Bharti Airtel

The big worry is that funding for the arts is under grave threat. Both artists and institutions are suffering. - Manasi Prasad, Indian Music Experience

Music, dance, and theatre have the power to transcend borders and become a beacon of hope, especially in testing times like these. - Vandana Munjal, TFAC

The one thing that the pandemic has starkly demonstrated is the importance of building resilience in communities and company value chains. - Mahesh Pratap Singh, Flipkart

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Many will fail. And this is not the end of the world. Prepare yourself for the opportunity that is lurking right behind the corner. - Abhishek Rungta, TiE Kolkata

You can’t predict or control the future. You can only adapt. You can however live in the present. - Raghav Mathur, RPM Euro Games

All of us know, this too shall pass. So look at the road ahead – the rearview mirror is just a reflection of what's passed by. - Phani Pattamatta, TiE Hyderabad

Hunkered down does not mean an end to life, or to our ability to be creative and innovative. - Dharti Arvind Desai and Maggie Trabucco, TiE NY

There’s no going back to the ‘normal’ – all we should focus on is building for the ‘new normal.’ - Deepinder Goyal, Zomato

Every country will have to create its own Post VirusWar Marshall plan and take care of those in society who are hit the hardest. - Anand Mahindra

A crisis is a great time to show your statesmanship, commitment, and character. This is the time to contribute to nation building. - Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Flipkart

This is an era of transformation like we’ve never seen before. But you will have to drive passion and have a sense of urgency. - Vivek Ranadive, Bow Capital

The coronavirus crisis is a catalyst for entrepreneurship. Throughout human history, crises have been pivotal in developing our societies. - Geetha Ramamurthy, GiGa Innovation Centre

YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).