Pandemic jolted us out of our routine

THE EDITOR: We are in the middle of what might undeniably be considered a global disaster with long term ramifications, and as we try to keep focused on the things we have to do to stay safe, it is difficult to see the upside of this surreal situation in which we find ourselves.

The worldwide pandemic disease caused by the covid19 virus has wide ranging effects on the normal functioning of our societies including a shutdown of commerce and systems that are essential to our way of life.

The learning curve is steep for us all. Our governments are struggling to keep up with ensuring our safety and providing for us when we are not able to make a living for ourselves, not to mention charting the unknown future of our financial system. We are in for a bumpy ride.

Because it is highly contagious and can be deadly especially to high risk individuals, communities and countries have been put in lock down. Social distancing which has been mandated is actually more of a physical distancing. In reality we are being less socially distant as we reach out to the people in our lives to make sure they’re okay. It has brought individuals and societies closer together as we look out for each other and realise we are all in this together. This is a good side effect and practice especially for a future that we all share in a highly interconnected world.

After some lockdown of most human activity and industry in parts of China and Italy, satellite images showed an astonishing reduction in pollution levels in those areas. Another type of pollution not usually thought of is noise pollution. It is so constant that we hardly notice it except for jarring interruptions, but it is not benign. Right now, the silence is deafening and decidedly welcome. These scenarios are being repeated everywhere, bringing reduced pollution, at least for the time being, and a heightened awareness of the relationship between our way of life and pollution. We can see how the climate crisis can be diminished with quick and concerted action. We just have to accept a forced pandemic of lifestyle changes which, by the way, does not mean a diminished quality of life.

We are also looking closely at what’s happening in other countries and in the process, actually learning more about them and rest of the world as a whole. The perspective that a bigger picture gives us is a huge benefit to our future relations.

Now more than ever, this situation has helped us understand how much we need our governments, the people who grow our food and bring it to us, our health care workers and a proper functioning health care system, the media, and other essential workers and systems needed for a dignified life. The next time we look to vilify or diminish them with flippant criticisms, this will help us remember how vital they are to our well-being.

This pandemic has jolted us out of our everyday routines and forced on us a new way of living. We have learned about emergency preparedness, and to do without. One of the biggest upsides is that when the next pandemic comes, and make no mistake it will, we would have learned more about how to deal with these situations and have put in place systems that will mitigate its effects. This is a huge benefit.

Another good takeaway is that working together as a family of man, we have the best chance of overcoming the many enormous challenges we face in the relentless uncertainties of our fast moving world. Even though the United Nations is a fractured organisation, we can recognise that it is the only body we have right now that can serve to coordinate international action of about 194 countries to deal with the challenges that we face together and take this opportunity to rewire it.

Covid19 is a great equalizer. Nature does not discriminate. Floods and fires affect us equally. We can learn that when nature comes knocking, our fancy things and status symbols are worthless, and it is the people who we so often look down on that we turn to for what we need. Think of the farmers, many in their ragged clothes, are still growing our food and the poor cleaners, at risk to themselves, are in the hospitals and who are now essential to many people’s survival.

Right now, we are all grieving losses of all kinds and this is heart breaking. Think what it must be like not be able to be with a dying loved one or to have a funeral. But in the best of times, everyone is dealing with their own demons and we need to be kind to each other. At the end of the day, our status and the power we use to get it aren’t worth a hill of beans when we are in a lifeboat. The planet is our lifeboat and we should treat all others and the environment in a way that will bring us safety and survival.

The effects of this crisis we find ourselves in could have been mitigated if we had learned the lessons of past contagion. Without diminishing the dire circumstances and death all around, as we emerge from the darkness of the covid19 pandemic, let’s hold close the upsides of this pandemic and learn the lessons that will help us work together to combat the problems we have to face in a highly interconnected world.

With the time we have on our hands, let’s reach out to each other and take a long bath in the light of the new found knowledge that covid19 has brought us.

Jenny Baboolal

via e-mail