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Surviving the Covid-19 outbreak: there's hope for humanity
19 Mar 2020
Amidst the panic and fear spread across the globe of the coronavirus pandemic, news outlets across the world have shared stories of hope and encouragement, showing us global citizens that in fact, things do get better!
Source: pixabay.com
In these times of uncertainty and how the virus will impact markets and businesses across the world in the long term, we need to take a moment and look at the positive changes since the outbreak was first reported months ago.
Recovery and healthcare
According to the Coronavirus Covid-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University, of 218,827 confirmed cases globally, 84,121 patients have recovered, as of 19 March 2020.
The New York Post has reported that China has closed down all 16 temporary coronavirus hospitals in the epicentre, Wuhan. The final group of 49 patients walked out of the temporary hospital in Wuchang, the capital of Hubei province, just last week.
Researchers from the University of Utrecht and the Erasmus Medical Centre in The Netherlands, claim to have developed a human antibody which, they say ‘offers potential for prevention and treatment of Covid-19. The Dutch News, reported that the research will first need to be sent for peer review, and as of now, they can only speculate if it could work on humans. Once this process has been completed, the researchers will then need to find a large pharmaceutical to buy the antibody and mass-produce it.
After being diagnosed on 1 March, Zhang Guangfen, a 103-year-old Chinese grandmother made a full recovery from the virus after being treated for six days in Wuhan, China. The grandmother is the oldest person to recover from the deadly disease that we know of so far, reports The Independent.
South Korea has implemented drive-through testing in order to keep social distancing ongoing. But aside from that, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) recorded more recoveries than new cases.
According to News Week coronovirus recoveries in South Korea outnumber new cases for the first time since the outbreak began. South Korea had one of the largest outbreaks with its first case reported on 20 January. Of the 8,413 confirmed cases, there have been 1,540 recovered cases.
Vulnerable and elderley
Some supermarkets and banks are offering specific time slots catering for the vulnerable and elderly in order to avoid contact with possible infection. Here in South Africa, Pick n Pay will open all its supermarkets and hypermarkets an hour earlier every Wednesday for pensioners.
A retired couple in Melbourne, Victoria, recreated a cruise experience from the comfort of their own living room after they canceled a trip due to the coronavirus.
#TogetherAtHome
Entertainment artists such as Chris Martin, John Legend and Charlie Puth did a little #TogetherAtHome performance to help lift the spirits of those who have gone into isolation.
The environment
There have been some positive impact on the environment, albeit the negative impact on the global economy.
- Coronavirus control efforts linked to better air quality in China. A drop in air pollution was first observed in China’s Hubei province, where the coronavirus outbreak began in December 2019.
- Government policy and behavioural changes can have impact global CO2 emissions
- Coffee chain, Starbucks bans reusable cups to help tackle spread
- Air traffic has taken a dive since the virus spread to Europe, resulting in curbing the sector’s increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Mental health and physical wellness
The anxiety, the extreme measures, and manic media coverage surrounding the Covid-19 outbreak has drastically redirected our attention towards many noteworthy components of our lives. For some, we have become more mindful of our hygiene practices as well as being more respectful of our bodies.
Social distancing has required changes in how people work, how we live and how we interact with each other. Across the globe, major events have been cancelled or postponed, therefore limiting non-essential travel. This has allowed us to slow down and reevaluate just about everything in our daily lives.
Although this will have a substantial impact on work and life activities that fuel the economy, we are given the chance to connect/re-connect with those closest to us.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has provided tips to manage anxiety and stress during the outbreak.
Many people are avoiding large groups, including fitness spaces. To keep in shape and healthy, several fitness trainers, gyms, and studios are now offering free online workout options to help everyone stay fit and connected.
Business Insider South Africa reports that Virgin Active will offer 'online workouts'.
In Spain, a fitness instructor led a workout from a rooftop for quarantined people to do on their balconies.
There are thousands of fitness videos on Youtube that you can follow.
If yoga is your thing, Down Dog is offering free access to their app until 1 April 2020.
As we search for glimmers of hope during this difficult time, it is important to stay safe and strong and know that things will get better!
