This year has thrown us in the face of unprecedented times that seem more suited for dystopian fiction than reality. Our common enemy, the novel coronavirus presents a litmus test of the efficient performance of the healthcare infrastructure globally and how governments tackle a snowballing crisis. At the individual level, it is not just a test of our immunity but also mental health. When a catastrophe surpasses all distinction and difference — geographical, racial, economic, social, political, of caste and gender, it espouses a kind of solidarity. Unlike humans, viruses don’t discriminate.
The outbreak first noticed in Wuhan, China spread to other countries as people travelled in and out of China and the authorities alerted WHO only at the last minute. The WHO quickly declared Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) as a public health emergency of international concern and the infections only amplified. The irresponsibility of the Chinese led to the domino effect of disease which has shaken the entire world with 2,168,045 confirmed cases globally and 12,000 cases in India.
When the WHO declared the COVID-19 as a pandemic meaning a global epidemic, a wave of panic and fear swept over people, as sanitizers and face masks became our closest companions. The past few weeks have been nothing short of a learning curve for many of us, with understanding what quarantine and lockdown meant and how it would pan out. Who knew that a virus could shake up the mightiest of countries and put brakes on major economic activity?
The lockdown experience is a first for all generations that are living it and is truly one of it’s kind. Commentators are forced to draw references to the Spanish flu of 1918 which began in Europe before it started its global march and wiped close to 3% of the global population. They say COVID-19 could be a once in a century pandemic. It’s already been more than three weeks that we’ve all been at home, going out only to the grocery store or pharmacy while maintaining physical distance, a privilege not available to everyone. The media has drilled the need for “social distancing” to fight the pandemic successfully. Terms like “social distancing” only enlarge the cloud of panic that surrounds us in this digital age. We can alternatively try and use the term “physical distancing” instead, without generating more fear of isolation in the minds of a close-knit community of people. We might be physically distant and not seeing each other in realtime but that doesn’t entail that we remain socially isolated, thanks to smartphones and social media.
With the overabundance of information and misinformation being circulated mindlessly by some, it is believed that the authorities will have to simultaneously fight an ‘infodemic’. In the age of fake news and hyper-connectivity, it is not difficult to mislead people who cannot cherrypick reliable sources from the supposed sea of information. The taboo of touch may see a life beyond the pandemic as these concepts can get internalised by many in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Recent research suggests it takes nearly 66 days for a behaviour to become automatic so it won’t be a surprise if people are sceptical of social gatherings and showing affection long after containment of the disease.
We live in a global village with deep interconnections with other countries so that seamless exchange of commodities, services, ideas, and people across borders can take place. When it comes to a pan-country phenomenon like climate change or a pandemic, we suffer collectively. The world economy in 2020 is on track for the sharpest downturn since the 1930s. As businesses of all sizes suffer, unemployment rates will increase causing ripple effects. This crisis can potentially espouse a rethink of how countries want to depend on one another and whether we need to rejig the present growth model. The global economy with the United States at the centre was already falling apart and the calamity is another nail in the coffin.
We may think of ourselves to be self-reliant but life in modern society entails multiple layers of connections, whether at the unit of the individual or of the country due to a complex ‘division of labour’. For this reason, many of us are facing disruptions in our lifestyle and consumption habits beyond essential items and services. Nevertheless, these things are tiny in the face of the looming crisis of hunger, sickness, poverty and death.
Initially, I was keeping a tab on COVID-19 developments and checking the statistics. It made me feel pathetic and quite helpless, there isn’t much any of us can do other than maintaining good hand hygiene and wearing masks. The initial days of lockdown were tough as life’s everyday rhythm gets disrupted. Small things I took for granted earlier like a saunter down the market, a jog in the neighbourhood park or just a leisure walk down the sideway seemed things of the distant past.
There was a brief spell of boredom and slowly I had an epiphany as my gaze moved beyond the immediate and the personal. Things are quite bad but they could be much worse. Not everyone can quarantine at a comfortable space called home with a fridge full of food. Grocery and medicine are available, although access is limited. If one can access essential goods and services, all one needs is compassion for the deprived and maintaining a calmer outlook.
A Silver Lining
The fast-paced modern life seems to come to a standstill and we suddenly realize we have the posited luxury of time. We go as far as saying that time is money so aren’t we in some sense richer? With no intention to justify the present topsy-turvy situation, It also brings with itself some opportunities and takeaways.
Never have we possibly had so much of leisure time at our disposal to do what we like to, to cultivate or hone a hobby, to learn a life skill we’ve always procrastinated or to do a thorough cleanup of our living space that we brush under the rug. This seems to be the perfect time to take up tasks that we have been wanting to do for long but somehow never got to do them from the comfort of our homes. If we can engage in acts of kindness and charity towards daily wagers, migrant labourers and the less privileged, we can alleviate a fraction of their plight. Kindness and empathy will take us leaps ahead in the battle against the virus.
Being in self-quarantine at home irrespective of whether one is working from home or not gives a chance to cement existing relationships with friends and family. It gives some headspace to even possibly reconnect with old colleagues, teachers and friends over the phone. This period can open our eyes to certain toxic relationships or fake friendships that we might be sharing with people but weren’t conscious about due to masked feelings, convenience or sheer benefit. In crisis situations, one mostly connects with the few that one genuinely cares for.
We live on this Earth as the most evolved creatures, the most superior of all species who act as the lone inheritors of Earth’s bounty. Another silver lining from this catastrophe is how nature is reclaiming its spaces. Even though countries including India are committed to achieving 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including combating climate change and sustainable production, our sensitivity towards the environment needs to rise (UN Agenda 2030). At present, fewer vehicles ply on the roads and Air Quality Index (AQI) has markedly improved. In the seven years, I’ve lived in Delhi, the air has never been as pleasant. Birds and the wild are moving freely over long distances, sometimes venturing into new areas, thanks to less human interference.
We’ve seen that when most of us remain indoors, flora and fauna flourish in the outdoors. So, at least we must try to minimize pollution, of the air, soil, and water and not waste resources like fuel, electricity and water. As a country, we need to switch bigtime to hybrid renewable technologies soon. The Earth is the only home we’ve got and we cannot wait for an ecological catastrophe to strike us to get into mission mode. Carl Sagan captures it well in his book ‘Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space’
“Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.”
Sustainable production goes hand in hand with sustainable consumption. The lockdown has given many of us enough time to declutter and organize our almirahs and shelves. Whether it is unused garments from the wardrobe, expired condiments from the kitchen or piles of paperwork and untouched books, many of us will most likely clean up our homes. It is always a good idea to donate something that no longer serves any purpose to someone who may value from it.
Life seems much more peaceful with limited possessions wherein one can immediately find the specific item one is searching for at that moment without going crazy about locating it. Marie Kondo, an organizing consultant in one of her books writes on KonMari method which is a system of simplifying and organizing your home and workplace by getting rid of physical items that do not bring joy into your life. Beyond areas of work, hobbies, and passions, a minimalist approach is probably the right way to go although to each her own. I’m reminded of one of my teachers who would often use the adage “Less is more.”
The lockdown continues to have wide-ranging implications for all of us but something basic that will come out of it for many is a greater appreciation for the outdoors and life’s simpler pleasures. Soaking in the morning sun, the sweet afternoon nap, sipping one’s favourite tea or coffee in the balcony as the sun sets when the sky is a canvas of myriad hues and the joy of cosying up to fresh sheets are the little but precious pleasures.
Since most of us are saving on commuting time which is a significant chunk of the day especially in metropolitans, we mustn’t hide behind excuses to stay active. Whether it be housework, walking on the terrace or some Suryanamaskar, it can uplift our mood and enhance our immunity. If we live mindfully by engaging in what gives us true happiness, interspersed with moments of digital detox, anxiety won’t knock our doors.
We are in this together and hopefully, we will come out of this stronger, more sensitive and grateful. Perhaps, some of us get stirred up to function and live differently in months to come and cumulatively, the post-corona world feels a tad bit different.
