From the time God created this world. We have read and heard about the different ways mankind has perished. The wrath of God was vented on mankind in many ways. The verses in the Bible do state that-“Hide yourself for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed.
It’s been some time since I put up a post on my blog. So today when I sit down to write I have many things in my mind. The whole world is in a dilemma. Each one of us has our kith and kin spread all over the globe. We are worried and concerned about their health and the situations they all are in.
COVID-19 is the biggest challenge of our lifetimes. We have had epidemics and pandemics in the past years. Epidemics have broken many a time like the Zika virus in the US in 2016-2017, Ebola in West Africa,2014- 2016 and SARS in Asia in 2003. COVID-19, the novel corona has spread worldwide and has become the worst pandemic in 100 years. The earlier pandemics that spread worldwide were smallpox, an infectious deadly disease of the 20th century that has been eradicated from the face of the earth. The Black Death, also known as the Great Plague hit the whole of Eurasia in the 14th century. HIV/AIDS too was one among them it started from the late 19th century and still persists in this century. Among these, the Spanish Flu-H1N1 of 1918 -1920 was the much talked about disaster in recent times. It took away millions of lives. One-third of the world population was affected by this flu.
COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China towards the end of 2019. Pneumonia of an unknown etiology started off in Wuhan. The virus hijacked the very rhythm of our daily lives all over the world. And it has also taken a huge toll on public health. It took two months to become an integral and alarming part of our daily conversations debates and social media communication.
It has disrupted personal and professional lives and affected people and societies on several levels. It has also changed human attitudes and behaviors that have changed the experiences of human beings as an employee or a customer. COVID-19 has passed on a message to all that there is an invisible threat in the open. And from now on we humans will have to think twice before we decide where one should travel, work or live. We will have to rebuild the Trust in every channel.
During this lockdown, I happened to see Steven Soderbergh’s movie Contagion which was made in 2011. It has now become very popular on online platforms. The movie is more or less about a pandemic that has gripped the world. It depicts how the people are facing deadly pandemic, the failure of public health systems and the struggle to find a cure. The present situation around the world relates to the movie.
The Coronavirus has introduced an emotionally draining situation for all. Almost the whole world has gone into lockdown and we have taken it into our stride. The outbreak has changed life, with many schools, businesses and restaurants closed. It has given us an opportunity to empathize. Each one of us has been racing against time and racing against our own selves. The positive side of this pandemic is that now each one of us has got time to sit and relax and rebuild our ties with our families.
We are stepping into a virtual century. The impact is going to be big and tough. As everyone has started going into virtual working, learning, etc. Everything that can be done virtually will be done. Almost the whole world is staying back at home and proving that things can happen from their homes.
It’s important to note the different ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people’s mental health. We have to overcome this situation with little changes in our life.
We have to go into self-isolation or quarantine and social distancing or physical distancing. The first fear in us is of losing livelihood because of self-isolation and social distancing. We also feel insecure for ourselves and for our loved ones. We get anxious as we can’t get in touch with our loved ones who are living away from us.
We tend to stay at home as a phobia of leaving home might set in. Even keep away from people with simple flu. Even cough, cold and sneezing could cause a great stigma in our lives. We start to hoard essentials like food medical supplies, face masks, sanitizers, etc. The biggest stress that could affect us is from the reinforced messages from all forms of media.
“We need help now to survive so we must try to reorganize our lives.”
Self-isolation or social distancing can pose a significant challenge in one’s life. Self- quarantine and sedentary behavior can have negative effects on health. It may cause extra stress and challenges towards the mental health of citizens. We must do physical activities and do some small relaxation techniques to protect our health and remain calm. Yoga, meditation can manage stress levels. Performing domestic chores like gardening and cleaning can improve one’s health and keep us active. Walking in our house or walking around when you are on a call. Playing with your kids or pets help us to stay active. Reading and solving puzzles stimulates the brain and keeps us active. People working from home should try to take small breaks from their work and continuous sitting. They should walk around the house and take in some breath of fresh air.
To avoid panic buying, ensure and pick up only what u need and try not to finish the supplies meant for everyone. Try to prefer grains, fruits, and vegetables rather than refined foods in your daily diet. We must limit the intake of salt, sugar, and fat. Try to live a relaxed life and allow ourselves a few hours of virtual socializing. If we tend to find time to make calls, try to make video calls so that it will help you to feel that you are not alone. Spend some time with friends, our near and dear ones or senior citizens whom we know. It could change a relationship we could make them feel that there is someone to care for and think about them. And in return, we could get mental satisfaction. Because kindness and care can improve the stress everyone is in.
Another main point to note is that we must limit the spread of misinformation online because it could help people from panicking. We must engage our time and keep ourselves busy in creative thinking, painting, dancing, singing, etc. We must start educating ourselves as there are many things one could learn from the internet.
The world is facing a war between the virus and humanity. Our aim during this isolation is to stay healthy. We must try to keep moving and aim to maintain our fitness. We must all join hands together and stick to social distancing and help each other to flatten the curve.
Stay Home, Stay Healthy.
Lakshmi says
Nice one.. We will come back…
vishalsneha says
Thank you
Yes, we will …?
Sheela sajan says
Well written dear
Yes. We will overcome this
Stay safe
vishalsneha says
Thank you?
Yes we will?