By Melina Harris
WITHOUT being insensitive to the current coronavirus pandemic, I wish to make certain observations about our global society and how we might make the best of the current situation. I have always said and now maintain that Guyanese are amongst the strongest and most resilient people I have ever known and I have no doubt in my mind that we will overcome this too. Although we have not had to endure the ravages of war, famine, drought or any level of pestilence that would have a significant impact on our lives and livelihood, Guyanese have nonetheless endured our fair share of trauma.

The novel coronavirus is impacting our global family and was recently classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization as it is now present on all continents of the globe. What I find most fascinating about this pandemic is just how far our governments have gone to circumvent the spread of the deadly virus. Health warnings have been blasting from our radios, televisions and mobile phones in a constant loop ever since the WHO ramped up its efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Governments have introduced legislation at breakneck speeds and have taken numerous steps to circumvent the spread of the virus. Many nations have now instituted partial or complete lockdown measures and have advised that citizens should stay at home and only venture outside when absolutely necessary. Where individuals are permitted to work from home, they have been doing so.

So far, the corona virus has infected just over 270,000 people and has reportedly killed close to 12,000. The most vulnerable have been described as the elderly and those suffering from pre-existing comorbidities and the immunocompromised. The coronavirus is shockingly similar to the common cold or flu; however, the symptoms have been described as fever, tiredness, dry cough and difficulty breathing in severe cases. I do not purport to be a medical professional but in my opinion, the coronavirus seems just like the flu. Before I am flayed for drawing this conclusion, I will of course follow the WHO guidelines and those provided locally here in Guyana in order to curb the spread of the virus. Nonetheless,

I remain convinced that this pandemic is not all that it appears to be.
When I spoke to my younger brother who lives in London earlier this week, he gave me the lowdown on exactly what has been going on in London. Amid howling laughter, he described the changes he had noticed. Before we get into what my brother and I discussed, I would be remiss if I did not set the scene. For those who are easily offended, you might wish to turn away now. In my opinion, the hygiene standards of most native Londoners leave much to be desired. Studies can attest to the facts I now wish to state. Most natives do not shower on a daily basis and personal hygiene is often an afterthought for a large segment of society. Mannerisms such as covering one’s mouth when coughing, yawning or sneezing are uncommon. Simply put, you are more likely to see someone’s tonsils before you see them raising their hand to cover their open mouths.

So how has that all changed since the coronavirus? When I asked my brother how people’s behavior had changed, if it had, he flatly stated that it seemed like people were now being introduced to the concept of hygiene and manners. I laughed uncontrollably because I knew exactly what he was talking about. He went on to say that on public transportation, people are even reluctant to cough openly, and when they do so, they have been covering their mouths! How incredible, that behavior we had never witnessed before was now becoming commonplace. He said that everyone now carried hand sanitizer and were obsessively using it everywhere. When I asked about how work was being impacted on his site (he works in construction), he said he had witnessed the most unbelievable transformations from the very same men who admittedly didn’t have much time for hygiene before. The kicker was when I asked him how he was coping with the social distancing element of the government’s guidance. He laughed again and said it was something that he has always been practicing, especially working on a construction site.

Because of the highly infectious nature of the virus, the need for social distancing and isolation has become necessary. This essentially means staying away from people as much as possible. Although this might be a scary concept to some folks, there are those of us who might thrive in such an environment. So, although the world might be in full on panic mode, there are many different things we can do, to our benefit, during this time of chaos.
I recommend learning a new skill or taking up a new hobby whilst we socially isolate and distance ourselves from each other. There are countless things we always tell ourselves we would like to learn how to do but we often do not get the time to do them. I think a global pandemic requiring us to stay at home is the best possible time to take on the task of learning a new skill. I also recommend getting out and about into nature. Although this might not be possible, depending on where you live, I find that nature is the closest thing to God on this planet and being close to nature can be very therapeutic, healing and relaxing. Just remember to stay away from people when you do so!

Depending on how long this pandemic lasts, there might be a need to revisit this topic; however, I am hopeful for a rapid decline in new cases and for the coronavirus to disappear just as quickly as it appeared. I am also hopeful that this pandemic teaches us that we are all one in our fight for survival on this planet and that we are more powerful when we are united and working together in the best interests of each other.