Reporter’s diary: Coughs creep into conversations in the city

The message, which begins with a very realistic recording of someone coughing, provided at least a few callers with some light moments.The very first call, soon after the implementation of the government directive, took this reporter too unawares – thinking the person on the other end was ill. Before the reporter decided to reschedule the appointment, rest of the message poured in. For those pressed for time, listening to this long-drawn recording repeatedly could be a cumbersome exercise.

Senior citizens, not accustomed to making so many calls a day, were also left stumped. An ageing family member, upon hearing the very realistic cough over the phone, immediately assumed the worst and began to give this reporter a long-winded lecture on the disease.

Even a simple drive is no longer bereft of repeated wisdom on the disease – radio stations have decided to play overly-friendly recordings to raise awareness and even music streaming services have begun to play ads centred around the disease. It is disconcerting, to say the least, to have a global disease suddenly linked to an offer on speakers.

For a couple of days, the cough-laced phone calls were being viewed with mild amusement or mild irritation, depending on the urgency of the caller’s need to connect. However, after a service provider sent out messages warning users that the pre-recorded message would cause a delay in connecting calls, people started questioning the efficiency of this new ‘awareness’ campaign.