What We Can Learn from the COVID-19

The coronavirus has been declared a pandemic, but does this really mean that we all have to live in fear?

For the past few weeks, all the news and conversations have been around the coronavirus, and with good reason too. Since the first coronavirus (COVID-19) case reported in China, the numbers have rapidly increased and spread to other parts of the world bringing many countries to go into lockdown, closing schools, canceling events, and encouraging people to work remotely where possible. With all of these precautionary measures and emergency responses in place, we are seeing different reactions from people.

On one hand, we have people that are taking these events lightly, making jokes, and using the closures as a time to venture out for holidays to popular destinations instead of following the warnings to staying safe and avoiding crowded places. On the other end of the spectrum, we have many other people who are living in fear and panicking about what this new and seemingly fatal virus means for them and their loved ones. This group of people is preparing for the worst by stocking up on non-perishable items to ensure that they don’t go hungry should the situation escalate further where people are unable to leave their homes. Interestingly, in some parts of the world, there has been a huge demand for toilet paper and supermarket shelves have been stripped bare. Controls have been put in place so that customers can only buy a certain number to ensure that there is plenty available for others. Such behavior only causes others to panic and brings the world to a state of chaos.

What has made the situation worse is how quickly news and often misleading information is spread through social media. People who live in fear are quick to believe every piece of news that is shared without fact-checking and ensuring that it comes from a reliable source. In the UAE, the government authorities have taken steps to share news on official platforms and even social media to ensure that accurate information is shared and to squash rumors that are being spread that cause fear and panic in people. This should come as a relief, but people still need to be educated on knowing what news sources to rely on.

Despite the number of people infected with the coronavirus in the UAE, the Ministry of Health is taking proactive measures and the infrastructure is well equipped to handle these cases. The different authorities involved are ready to deal with such unforeseen circumstances, unlike many other parts of the world, where the number of deaths is increasing due to the poor infrastructure and healthcare system.

Since the announcement of school closures in the UAE, the Ministry of Education has been working with schools to introduce distance learning so that students do not fall behind academically. Many organizations in the UAE are also looking at how to enable employees to work remotely to ensure business continuity.

What we can learn from this incident is that we need to become even better equipped with technology so that the next time something like this happens, we are ready to deal with it. As students, we need to have regular opportunities for distance education which can promote independent learning and increase self-discipline. As people in the workforce, we need to be agile and flexible so that our physical location does not dictate the work that we do. Working from home or anywhere else should be the norm. This will not only help in such drastic events but also support us as individuals, as working parents, to be able to multitask life’s different demands.

What we can also learn from the coronavirus is that life does not always have to be a rush. This slowing down and cancellation of events can help us regain some of our energies and re-evaluate our lives and what it is that really matters. Self-quarantine doesn’t have to be that difficult. Look around your home and find the things that you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time.

Right now, it is not the coronavirus that is killing us, but rather the fear of the unknown. Life will always pose risks to us, whether through this pandemic, natural disasters, or other unforeseen events. For anyone of us, life can come to an end tomorrow, yet, living in fear is not the answer. Yes, it is important that we all exercise caution. We should wash our hands with soap and water to prevent the spread of contagious infections, corona or otherwise. However, none of these actions can guarantee our safety or long life. All we can do is to be mindful of our actions, take precautionary measures to improve the quality of our lives, and really seize every opportunity in front of us to live life to the fullest. Staying hopeful and positive is what we can do, not only for ourselves but for one another. Spreading fear and paranoia is not the way to support humanity. There will always be a coronavirus, SARS, Ebola, and other unknown dangers coming our way, but right now, right here, just look around you and hold on to what you still have and cherish it. Embrace your life and all the blessings around you today.