Many people can likely still remember where they were when they first heard about the airborne illness that was rampantly spreading, which was later confirmed to be a Coronavirus, and named Covid-19. For most folks in this part of the world that knowledge arrived in March 2020; April the latest. Who did they hear it from? The sources of information, and very frequently misinformation, were varied. People had long begun to access their news from non-traditional sources and more than a few ignored the by then much-touted caveats regarding reliability.
Initially grossly misunderstood and underestimated, Covid-19 virtually tore through the world spread by travelling humans and morphing with tremendous speed not only from epidemic to pandemic, but presenting with various strains. In its wake, millions lay dead or ill, the latter ranging from mild to serious based seemingly on luck, or so it appeared at the time.
As the scientific community grappled with the epidemiology of this unexpected Coronavirus and raced to find answers, there were instances where information was leaked or released too soon. Conspiracy theories, already a global phenomenon, blossomed in this atmosphere and fuelled distrust and panic. None of this was helped by the vacillation, denial, and ignorance displayed by some world leaders.
Perhaps the worst example of leadership came from the US, where to date there have been over 111.7 million cases and 1.2 million deaths from Covid-19, the highest in the world. In the very early days of the pandemic, then president Donald Trump swore that his government had everything under control and the virus would soon “go away”. This was furthest from the truth as at one point, nothing was being done. Mr Trump’s refusal to wear a protective mask for months, until both he and his wife Melania tested positive for Covid-19, made it a polarising issue in the US, which likely contributed to the electric spread of the virus there.
Then there was his infamous White House press briefing on April 3, 2020, where he said that disinfectant would knock out Covid-19, “in a minute, one minute,” while his medical adviser stood there squirming. He had then turned and asked the doctor, “… is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning?” He had also touted the use of the controversial antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine as well as sunlight and UV rays as cures, again, much to the chagrin of medical professionals.
Over in the United Kingdom, where there have been 24.9 million cases and over 232,000 deaths, then prime minister Boris Johnson had been accused of saying he would rather let Covid-19 take the lives of older folk who had reached their time, than damage the economy by shutting the country down. (Older people are more vulnerable to the virus because of underlying conditions.) He had denied that charge, but was forced to accept wrongdoing and apologise over the scandalous, alcohol-fuelled parties that took place at 10 Downing Street, the PM’s residence and office, while the rest of the country was on lockdown. Mr Johnson, who later resigned from his PM post over his handling of Covid-19, had also contracted the novel coronavirus and was hospitalised.
Then there were others like Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro, who like Mr Trump and Mr Johnson downplayed the seriousness of Covid-19, leading to that country having the fifth highest number of cases and the second highest number of deaths: over 710,000.
The lockdowns, the duration of which varied from country to country, saw the halting of global travel and the closing of major businesses and educational institutions, leaving some people isolated and unfortunately led to other sorts of crises. Cases of domestic violence and child abuse, for example, soared under those conditions. Mental health conditions ballooned. There was also a great deal of job loss as some smaller companies could not afford to reopen after the restrictions were lifted.
On the positive side, the technology already at our fingertips was put to utmost use as folks worked from home and schools held classes online where possible. Creativity flourished at the same time and many niche or side businesses sprung up. Long-lost friends, finding themselves with time to spare, rekindled their relationships albeit online. The pause, because yes, the world effectively went on pause, allowed us a glimpse at how living at a sedate pace could be better for us all and the planet as well.
Unfortunately, it could not last. Long before the World Health Organisation dropped its global health emergency designation in May last year, much of what had been halted was spinning again. A lot has changed, however. The things we conquered during the forced closures, like working from home, remote doctor’s visits, and online learning have expanded. Personal and physical interactions have contracted, to some extent. That was inevitable given what we lived through.
It has now been four years since the onset of the pandemic and while earlier there had been talk of a return to normalcy, by now we all know that will never happen. Like the common cold and the flu, Covid-19 and its over 20 variants are here to stay and are spread in the same manner. This calls for all of us to be more vigilant with our own health. Caution and mindfulness have to be our watchwords. That’s the new normal. That’s life, or, as the French say, c’est la vie.
