The Sun Will Rise

Any Contagion situation is dire, but the ability to make light of awful situations is a remarkable indication that we should embrace to survive any future catastrophe. Today, the world is facing the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis, a pandemic that has changed the lives of millions of people, and it is in times like these, that we need a powerful force to keep us going; a force like “Hope” can sometimes be the Key as a source of encouragement. Many who are locked at home, others who are working to help and prevent the virus, everyone needs the reassurance and the hope that “we shall overcome this”.

“Keep calm and carry on." "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." "Don't worry, be happy." Call them mantras or maxims, but such inspiring statements and words of motivation that get repeated over the years, have given people the power to keep steady through challenging times and eventually overcome difficult circumstances.

The coronavirus disease outbreak has been devastating and is an unfortunate reminder that diseases don’t respect borders. In a matter of months, the virus has swept the globe, infecting more than 4 million people so far out of which more than 280,000 deaths recorded; numbers that raise our concerns regarding this virus and force us to ask a lot of unanswered questions that require a lot of research, lab tests, theories and assumptions that might or might not lead to an absolute solution; at least not in the near future. The imaginaries became reality. “What if?” became “Now what?”

The fear and uncertainty has disrupted financial markets, crashed economies, broke healthcare systems, occupied hospitals and emptied public spaces. It has separated people from their workplaces and their friends. It has muddled up modern society on a scale that human beings have never witnessed.

Causes, symptoms, origin and all the definitions of Covid-19 dominated the news sycles. a vast number of articles, interviews and even webinars have been surfaced covering this pandemic in the last few months, so i guess you are familiar with what it is, how to deal with it if you get infected and how you deal with infected people who come nearby. facts and data that i don't want to go over and over again because people are now at a stage where they need a touch of hope and hint of faith to survive throughout this threatening era.

You might have heard in the past the word “Plague”, an infectious disease caused by a bacterium spread from rats to humans by means of flea bites. The term emerged in the 1300s in Europe and killed about a quarter of the population and was called “Black Death” due to the serious and fatal infections that it had caused. Thanks to modern medicine, however, the plague is now extremely rare and not a great risk to many people anymore, but some are likening the current COVID-19 to a metaphorical Plague due to its consequences; however, coronavirus is different. COVID-19 is caused by a virus, essentially a tiny bit of nucleic acid and protein that needs a living host, whereas the plague is caused by bacteria, which are single-celled organisms. Further, while antibiotics work on bacteria, they do not work on viruses.

A lot of positive effects such as cleaner air, all time sanitization, increased production of masks and online learning, have been perceived from the unprecedented strict measures that every government in every country is imposing on its people who are struggling to comprehend the new world they find themselves in; anxious about what the future holds but also determined to support research and help find a way out.

“Mental Health”, a term critically important to every individual’s daily routines, have been disregarded lately, though it has been evolving a lot among people and indirectly affecting their behavior, mood and the way they communicate with each other.  The new reality of social distancing and other safety measures, including serious financial implications for many households, is testing everyone, and those living with mental illness may find this time even more challenging if the support system they rely on is not in place. Therefore, it is important that we learn how to protect our mental health during this stressful and ever-changing situation, while also following the guidelines set by health authorities to protect our physical health.

When it comes to epidemic awareness and response, the expression “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is mostly fitting. Be prepared to what comes next, as COVID-19 isn’t the first threatening disease that has surged around the world, nor will it be the last. We need to make the best with what we have now and embrace that this time could have a positive impact on us; for whatever happens, we just need to endure. Because as the days rack up, or the situation intensifies, more things may fall apart and further call on our resolve to power through.

Accept that things are different right now and everyone is adjusting. Prioritize what’s most important and know that it’s okay to let some things go right now and give yourself permission to daydream about the future and what is on the horizon. Try to get in touch with your creative side, as I am doing by way of writing an influential short article that might be an incentive to only a handful number of people, but at least I know I did my Job with them via this piece of writing.

We’ve got to keep breathing because tomorrow the SUN WILL RISE again, and who knows what the tide could bring? But THIS TOO SHALL PASS.