Nepal, July 2 -- Many states in the United States, including Illinois (where I reside), have opened for business after about three months of stay-at-home orders. But these states, many among them located in the south, whose governments refused to issue lockdown restrictions in the name of freedom, and were either slow in closing or remained open, have seen a sudden rise in Covid-19 cases. But even in states like Illinois, not everybody has followed the CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines for wearing a mask, washing the hands frequently and maintaining social distancing.

I have spoken to a few of these obstinate people and have come to know the reasons why they ignored CDC guidelines. They all believe in conspiracy...