Humankind will overcome this virus and learn from the experience

 

The news, social media and radio stations are all reporting the horror of the Covid19 virus. This has caused an increase in fear and panic worldwide. Some people are locked in their homes with friends and families and others are alone with no one to turn to. This isolation can be very frightening for many. We are social beings and we need to have others around us even if we are not communicating with each other. Their presence makes us feel that we are not alone. Before COVID19, when someone was alone, he/she was advised to go for a walk, go to the mall, go to the park, watch a movie or just go out for a meal where you can see others. Today these options are no longer available for people. Isolation is not the only thing that people are dealing with. There are many issues/problems that individuals are encountering as they stay at home. There is fear and worry about what is happening in our world and no one seems to have the answer.

 

This uncertainty has created anxiety for many people. There is a feeling of loss, helplessness, and hopelessness as we try to make sense of a senseless situation. This sense of hopelessness increases mental health issues as people are isolated and quarantined at home. After a month or two isolated dealing with fear, the joys of staying home suddenly disappear and home becomes like a prison for many. Our society will be heading to a pandemic of mental illness from the aftermath of Covid19. Communities must be prepared to handle the demand and reach out to ?at-risk? individuals to help them cope with this situation.

 

Covid19 is a traumatic event and individuals will suffer symptoms like the victims of wars and similar disasters. There is also the burden of grief for individuals who have lost loved ones. They are not able to sit by the bedsides of dying loved ones or say goodbye. Also, some are unable to attend funerals or be with close relatives to help them mourn. At the end of this pandemic, our world, lives, finances, and norms will drastically change. The effect of these changes may have some positive and negative consequences.

 

Whatever happens, we know that we must cope with the situation, and everything will work out in the end. Humankind has survived some terrible things from the July 5, 1201 Earthquake in Egypt and Syria, the Black Plague between 1347 -1530, the Indian Famine in 1767, the Irish Potato Famine of 1845-1848, the drought in China between 1867-1879, the Flu Pandemic in 1918-1919, the Yangtze, Yellow and Huai River floods from 1928-1931 in China, The Great Depression in the 1930s, Chinese Famine 1959-1961, African drought 1981-1984, North Korea famine and floods between 1995-1998, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, cyclones, tornados, wars, and the list goes on. We will survive this virus and Covid19 will be in the history books.

 

In most cases, disasters have brought humankind together as they struggle to find a solution for a common cause. They become resourceful and creative to survive. This is a time in history where the world has the technology and resources to fight through this virus. The sad reality is that some people will die, but billions of people will survive. Scientists and doctors have an idea of what we can do to flatten the curve, and there is no cure or solution to the current situation. This is a global pandemic and every nation is working to find a solution. Everyone has a vital part to play in the safety, reduction and spread of this virus.

 

As we are isolated at home let this be a learning experience for us. Share memories together, read, play, pray, learn and research new things, meditate, clean and declutter the house, and cook delicious and healthy meals. Let this be a time of laughter and closeness and not a time of fear. Wasting time should not be an option because it will lead to fear, anxiety, and depression.