Reflections on the Pandemic of 2020-21

 

Last week (March 11) the World observed the one year anniversary of this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. and later this week (15-19 March) most of us will mark another milestone – a year of working from home!

So if you are one of those who like me are observing both or either of these milestones- consider yourself lucky! At last count there are 2.5 million people known to have succumbed to COVID!  And there are countless millions who either did not have the luxury of working from home or worse still no longer have a job! Spare a thought for those people and their families!

As the world reflects on what this pandemic has meant for us as individuals and as humanity here are some personal reflections:

The pandemic has brought to the fore the level of inequality that exists in the world.  Nay, it has actually exacerbated those inequalities whether by wealth (the rich have become richer while the poor have become poorer!) or by gender (woman have been disproportionately impacted). Race has been another factor but it has not been a universal factor across countries.

The end of the pandemic is nowhere in sight- and some scientists say COVID-19 will be with us for a long time –diminishing to the level of the flu that we have all learnt to live with.  One thing is certain –COVID -19 will change our lives forever in some shape or another! We have already witnessed the rise of ‘Vaccine Nationalism’, ‘Vaccine-Elitism’ and the consequential reversal of years of progress towards globalization!

People talk of ‘one day returning to a ‘normal pre-pandemic world’! I wonder if that is a good thing!  In the pre-pandemic world we were racing  towards environmental catastrophe caused by all the climate change actions that mankind was engaging in. It was also a very unequal world between countries, between genders and between races to name only a few!  Is that the kind of ‘pre-pandemic world’ that we wish to return to?  If so it will be a sad day for mankind as it will display that we have let this crisis go to waste and learnt no lessons!

Many years from now as I dangle my grandkids on my knee (or at least have zoom calls with them) and tell them stories of my life, I’ll probably reminisce about our experiences today!  Much like my own grandfather told me stories about World War II. At least, my grandfather could hold his head high and talk about how his generation learnt some lessons and ushered in an era of global growth and increasing prosperity!  I wonder if I will be able to say the same thing. L

These are my thoughts.  What are yours?