Coping
with Covid in 2021
We survived the first wave of
Covid-19 in 2020. For the last two weeks, I’ve sat perched like a cat on the
windowsill, simply watching the world go by, recollecting my thoughts, reading
and crocheting yet another blanket and trying to build up the courage to jump
back into the living room and re-connect with the ‘real’ world.
I told my grown-up kids: “Brace
yourselves. 2020 was a practice run. 2021 is the real deal.”
Here’s why.
Since the day we heard rumours
about this nasty virus that jumped species in Wuhan in November, 2019, we have
been inundated with conflicting information that’s kept us glued to our TV sets
and rooted to our couches where we consumed mountains of potato chips and grew
enormously fat and lazy. Well … maybe not everybody did this.
While it all seems so unfair, we
have no choice but to come to terms with the situation. How we do this differs
from person to person, but there are more or less the same stages to acceptance
that we all go through. These are (in no specific order) denial, grief, anger,
bargaining and depression. Sometimes we simply go backwards and forwards between
stages, never really making any progress. Optimists may hit a double-six more
often than pessimists, while extraverts may struggle more than introverts.
Be that as it may, leaders,
decision-makers, trend-setters and you and I need to seriously think about
planning for the long-term effects of Covid.
1.
Covid will be with us for a l-o-n-g time.
It will ravage society for many years to come before it ‘burns itself out’.
2.
Developing a vaccine is not the only
answer.
a.
Viruses mutate (change their appearance like
chameleons do) getting stronger before growing weaker when they mutate too
often and too quickly
b.
The current vaccine will not cover all these
mutations
c.
People will need at least 2 vaccinations for
these to be effective, increasing costs
d.
Can governments (especially third world) afford
these? Will donations be ‘left-overs’? Will private health-care costs soar?
e.
Do we honestly know the side-effects?
3.
Coping with the aftermath. Training people like doctors,
pilots, engineers – even post-office workers and traffic officers takes money
and time. These people need to be dedicated and passionate about their work,
enjoy good health and have years of experience under their belts before they
can get to grips with the task at hand. Already we have lost too many qualified
people to Covid. Who will replace these vital people we rely so much on? Inevitable
this will lead to:
a.
Food shortages
b.
Baby shortages. Infertility has been a pressing
problem for years. The new strain of Covid is affecting younger people – those
in the childbearing age bracket.
c.
Unhealthy life-styles has led to widespread
health problems and obesity – even in children.
Before you slit your wrists or curl
up into the foetal position on the window-sill, there’s hope. Yes, there is.
And it’s quite simple really.
·
Stick to the original non-pharmaceutical
precautions: Social distancing, wearing a mask (washing it at least every day)
and washing your hands every time you’re out, sanitising them as often as you
can while you’re out
·
Eat healthy. If necessary, grow your own
vegetables, or at least herbs in flower-pots on your balcony.
·
Teach what you know to others. Share what you
have learned in your lifetime with others so that they too can learn skills.
·
Teach yourself something new, a new language or
a new career with an online course. Some of these are free.
·
Support child-rearing families. Give them hope.
Encourage them to be prepared. Don’t waste. Learn to minimalize. Use what
you’ve got.
·
Cherish people. Take nothing for granted.
Celebrate life.
