The fear is looming

When the disease was in China, it felt like it was far away. Now that it is in our neighbourhood, its seeming too close for comfort. We have begun to catastrophise within the darkness of uncertainty. We are feeling helpless, clueless, and powerless. And this is driving us to nihilism. Some of us are thinking about whether

- we will succumb to this virus

- well have access to a vaccine

- well be alive to see the end of this

- our jobs are safe anymore

- stock markets will ever stabilise

What the present is looking like

Our worry is not limited to our own health. Its extended to fretting over the health of parents, grandparents and children. A lot of us dont know how to entertain our kids during this extended school break. Or what we should do with so much spare time working from home. Were stocking up more food and supplies than our houses can accommodate. Were glued to social media, and obsessed with forwarding information without assuring its legitimacy. Memes and jokes are taking up more of our time than ever before. Anxiety is rippling through the ocean of humanity. The earth is quaking with uncertainty. What might become of us after this?

A dark future?

Natural as well as man-made disasters have the propensity to generate chaos, and render human beings powerless. There are bound to be immediate consequences like sadness and apprehension over the loss of loved ones, health, jobs, money, and security in general. Those with inadequate coping defenses resort to alcohol, nicotine, cannabis and other substances of abuse to help combat angst. However, in the longer term this lengthens psychological turmoil, resulting in more permanent depression and anxiety. Lower income individuals sense more stress because social distancing impacts their jobs and daily wages notably. Were already seeing unrest and vandalism in some countries over securing food and housing supplies. An incessant fear of the unknown can convert us all into nervous, guarded, and mistrusting human beings. And those already battling anxiety and depression stand greater tendency for catastrophic panic. Prolonged stress dilutes immunity further. If we dont contain the anxiety pandemic rightly, we might see a physically weaker human race, purely attributable to our psychological shortcomings.

There is hope

Countries are realising the need to strengthen healthcare systems and replenish health budgets. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore governments adopted stringent measures for containing the disease, people obeyed; and saw positive results. Self-quarantine in Italy drove residents to unanimously sing together every evening from windows of their apartments an orchestra of a hundred homes altogether. In many cities, people are offering free babysitting, tuition classes, art lessons online, pick up and drop services for kids where needed; as well as food delivery for vulnerable older adults.

In spite of all the darkness, history has proven that some good always comes from the bad; that humans cognise, devise and improvise with time. The biggest yet simplest lesson humanity can learn, is that prevention is better than cure. And that we can take simple steps now, and in the future, to avoid the spread of any and many diseases. That cleanliness is important every day. And kindness doesnt need a time table. That children learn from observation how to relax in times of crisis and not go into a state of frenzy. And its good to spend time at home in general, not just during a pandemic.

Read more:

Coronavirus: What will become of the world? - Free Press Journal