At least 15,00,000 people worldwide have been infected in the coronavirus pandemic and it has led to the deaths of more than 90,000. Coronavirus has caused a lot of pain in our hearts and we all hope that this pandemic will be over faster than we dare to hope. But only focusing on the negatives of our current situation doesn’t get us anywhere. I am not trying to make light of the pandemic but trying to divert the attention towards the good and beautiful things world has come to see amid this pandemic.
At the time when one third of the global population is under lockdown a few good things have emerged and positive changes has occurred in our habits, lifestyle, culture and surroundings. Amid the self-isolation which many have been forced to accept, here are examples of some positive side-effects which have come from the coronavirus outbreak:
Earth is healing itself: While we are probably all aware of the negative effects of the coronavirus, it has a rather unexpected side effect: a positive impact on the environment. Since the outbreak began, measures have been taken all across the globe to limit the spread of the virus worldwide. One of the main positive impacts of these measures has been a significant drop in levels of air and water pollution in many parts of the world. Most notably this melioration in the nature can be seen in Europe and densely populated countries of Asia e.g. China, India and Japan. For instance, with tourists numbers culled because of the virus and things like motorboats effectively “grounded”, sediment churning and other water pollutants have dropped dramatically consequently waters in Venice’s canals are cleaner than they have been in living memory. In most areas of Venice, residents have been amazed by how clear the water has become. So much so, in fact, dolphins can be seen once again in the canals of Venice.
In Asia, many of the countries are under complete lockdown. So, there are fewer cars driving on the roads, fewer factories running and coal-fired power plants and industrial facilities have ramped down, air pollution levels have dropped by roughly a quarter over the last month and as a result highly polluted cities like Delhi, Beijing, Ji’nan are breathing clean air after years.
Coronavirus Pandemic is Bringing the Families Closer Together: One of the biggest problems of today is the family unit is down to disconnect. It’s usually because the families don’t get to spend enough quality time together. But it seems that this pandemic has helped the families in fixing that too. Lockdown as a result of Covid-19 pandemic has brought some positive changes in our cultural and social habits with families, especially youngsters, spending more quality time together. Earlier, due to different kinds of economic and academic engagements, it was quite difficult for all the family members to spend a week or even a whole day together under one roof. However, now, when all the educational institutions and offices are closed the young and the old members of the families are spending more time together, which is a blessing in disguise. Another positive aspect and aftermath of the lockdown remains the popularity of indoor games and learning new crafts and hobbies which including painting, making toys and other small things through the online programmes. It is good to see that now parents have got an opportunity to spend quality time with their children. In fact in this fast-paced world, parents must make space for their kids, and assure them that they care about them and will always be there as pillars of support. Moreover, as the family routines have been disrupted by having time off from work/school it gives us a great opportunity to be more mindful and see where we are stuck in a rut and also gives a good excuse to shake things up and try something new.
Community spirit: In the days of 21st century when almost every person is an individualistic, Covid-19 has strengthened the community spirit to a new level. People are helping each other and willing to do something for those in need, which is fantastic. People are distributing food among the needy on the porches of neighbors under quarantine; food trucks and restaurants are delivering free food to the labors and workers who are unable to return to their villages and spending days and nights under the sky. Many power and water companies are suspending shut-off notices; landlords are forbearing on collecting rent, while their tenants scrape by without wages; apartment houses are offering free lodging to students left stranded when their universities abruptly closed; celebrities, sportsmen and business tycoons are donating huge amounts of money for the treatment of the infected people; businessmen and entrepreneurs are donating portions of their salary to pay the wages of workers whose work has been halted; people are scouting out hard-to-find foods for friends with restrictive diets and there are other less practical, less concrete kinds of sharing going on, which nonetheless bring aid to desperate people. By now we all must have watched the videos of numerous people leaning out their balcony and windows, sending their hearts and voices into the outside air even as their bodies are confined to the home.
“It is good to know that people are still people, still willing to visit each other, still willing to bring hope, still willing to share what they have.”
Rising global solidarity: Amid this global pandemic the need of the hour is a global plan that includes countries sharing equipment and personnel, dealing with the economic fallout and not throwing up trade barriers, as well as sensible global travel guidance. If ever there was a wakeup call for greater global comradery and collective governance, this is it. There is a thirst for solidarity not seen since the waning days of World War Two. Humanity requires a common voice and global leadership to defeat the Coronavirus, to build resilience to reduce its secondary risks, and eventually to recover from the fallout. The states must stand ready to react promptly and take any further action that may be required. Global action, solidarity and international cooperation are more than ever necessary to address this pandemic.
Consequently there was an extraordinary G20 Leaders’ Summit focused on COVID-19 was held where leaders across the globe, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, participated to discuss strategies to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, addressed Heads of States at this extraordinary G20 Leaders’ Summit and told them to come together to confront the defining health crisis of this time; that we are at war with a virus that threatens to tear us apart- if we let it. He welcomed the G20‘s initiative to find joint solutions and work together by saying that this is a global crisis and it requires a global response. Leaders of the Group of 20 or G20 major economies pledged to infuse over $5 trillion into the global economy, and do “whatever it takes” to minimize the economic and social impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. G-20 leaders said they were also ready to strengthen global financial safety nets. It is also evident that the heads of the different states from time to time have come forward and assured their population, that they are working closely together to protect human life, restore global economic stability and lay out solid foundations for strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth. Most of the states are expanding their manufacturing capacity to meet the increasing demands for medical supplies and ensure these are made widely available, at an affordable price, on an equitable basis, where they are most needed and as quickly as possible.