As the year 2020 is approaching the end of its first half, the only thing that people have been remembering for these six months is the Covid-19 pandemic. Whenever you watch any news channel, most of the time you hear about the coronavirus crisis: the number of increased cases, the deaths, the supplies that are insufficient, and much more. In most of the countries, like Nepal, the spread of this virus is still rapidly increasing despite the numerous steps taken by the governments to control. It is perfectly normal for people to feel demotivated and depressed in this bleak situation. However, it is also very important to look at the positive side of this crisis, no matter how few in number they are.
I believe that almost all of us have felt a decrease in pollution levels due to the ongoing lockdown. Only limited vehicles are allowed to ply on the road; air travel has been suspended and many industries have been shut temporarily. This has definitely hit our economy hard, but the carbon emissions have significantly declined in this period. It was reported that Mount Everest was visible for the first time after decades from Kathmandu due to a reduction in air pollution. This is surely a change for people living in the urban areas of Nepal.
The trend of eating junk food has increased dramatically in recent years, especially among children and people in their early adulthood. Regular consumption of heavily processed food has become a full-blown addiction for most of us. During this lockdown, many of the fast-food restaurants have been closed and only some can provide home deliveries. Several grocery stores were shut, which limited our options for buying these unhealthy food products. The craving for junk food is most likely still present in us, but this lockdown has definitely proved to us that this is not a necessity but a want. We have also learned that many of these expensive food items that we buy can be made at home and despite the excessive effort, they taste fresher and healthier.
Many people seem frustrated due to the current lockdown, worrying about how it has ruined their future plans and daily routine. However, we often seem to forget that there are some people who were always on lockdown. This lockdown does not seem to be much different from what several differently-abled people are used to. Thus, some people with disabilities who could not go to work, school, religious functions and missed out a lot on what ‘normal’ people usually do seem to look upon this situation with a very positive attitude. Sure, this pandemic has brought difficulties for them as well, but it can also be taken as an opportunity. The whole world is adjusting to this new ‘virtual’ lifestyle. Classes, works, concerts, and even religious functions are now accessible to people in their homes. Although this is good news for the differently-abled people, it is quite disappointing that it took a deadly pandemic for them to be given these facilities.
This disastrous pandemic has taught us lessons that will be crucial for our lives. The future is uncertain and there can be many more epidemics and pandemics in the future. But, the Covid-19 pandemic has made us realise how important it is to develop the health sector of the country and how valuable the people working in the healthcare sector are. Nepal’s lack of preparedness to deal with the coronavirus came with its own consequences. The shortage of supplies, lack of proper treatment to patients, and the inability to utilise the materials donated by other countries and organisations efficiently have caused the number of cases to increase as time goes on. During this crisis, much has been learned about the containment and mitigation of the infectious disease and much more is to be learned. More investment must be done in the healthcare sector for us to be prepared to deal with the crisis such as this one in the future.
The extent of the damage done by this pandemic can only be predicted. There is no guarantee that a vaccine will be made nor is it certain that we will be able to live our lives just like before the virus came. The world that emerges from this crisis will be very different and we can only hope that we will be able to recover from this and move on. It is suggested that we apply the required safety measures recommended by the WHO and other law-enforcing agencies in order to remain safe and healthy. There is a need for a collective and combined effort from all the citizens in order to combat the ongoing health crisis so as to revive the livelihood and all sectors of the economy as a whole.
Chand is a student.
