COVID- Trick or Treat? - Unpacking the good, bad and the ugly of a pandemic

From social distancing to the need to wear a mask; from the inability to hug our family and friends as we once did to other stringent restrictions- life has taken a massive flip. Consequently, one can quite naturally sink into a rabbit hole and pity party. However, upon some thought, I can understand that actually, this pandemic has been a blessing in disguise to some extent.  Hence, just like how we reminisce our prior lives, the good is what I will begin to unpack. 

When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a global pandemic on 11 March 2020 (Arnold Tsunga, 2021), most governments in Southern Africa swiftly introduced lockdowns and curfews to curb the spread of the virus. With hardly any options for safe travel/leisure, people may have been quick to focus on the negative. Now, I certainly do not judge them for it because personally, I wish we all could have erased the terror which the past 3 years brought forth. Nevertheless, I urge you to ponder for a brief while- Has EVERYTHING been bad?

 

For many of us, I believe, the pandemic has offered us an opportunity to slow down a bit and focus on the essentials. Whether it be increased quality time with family, catching up with long-lost loved ones or simply bonding with yourself- chances are, that you have had the opportunity to reconnect.

Masking itself as a life-threatening event, this setback has given us a much-needed pause from our demanding lives. With so much time on our hands, many people were able to initiate tasks/projects they had been putting off whilst others worked on themselves by emerging fitter or with a refreshed perspective.

 Skim through these two statistical statements below to understand what I mean:

- “In response to COVID-19, the brand started producing fabric masks and launched a line of home décor products. As Guimarães looks to the future, she plans to continue using Facebook and Instagram to advertise, sell products and build awareness for the inclusivity-focused causes...” (Sassaricando, 2021). This depicts that increased digital marketing during this pandemic has actually led to a growth in turnover and paved the way to initiate many small businesses.

- “If you haven’t heard of Chloe Ting then you are definitely not social distancing correctly, because she is everywhere. Quickly becoming the face of lockdown fitness, Chloe’s workouts are known to tone you up and help lose weight, with some people losing as much as 50 pounds. So, I decided to try it for myself and see if I too, could become a toned, skinny legend.” (Taylor, 2020)à

Furthermore, technology has been embraced in new ways. Previously when we would paint excessive screen-time as destructive to our health, we now cling on to technology for obvious reasons. Institutions worldwide are using virtual platforms such as Zoom & Telehealth services for reasons we are well aware of. This suggests that the population has practiced good problem-solving and decision-making skills by introducing productive social, business and health concepts to combat this stumbling block.

"Stories of people doing good for others have been on a historic rise over the last year from donating on GoFundMe to actively assisting others." (Center, 2021) A wonderful experience during these trying time was and is, witnessing the communities come together. From my experience, we had begun delivering groceries to senior citizens and participated in a soup kitchen for elderly Covid-19 patients. This revealed that we embody the potential to think about more than just ourselves.

Amongst other weird epiphanies to be thankful for was that this pandemic returned simplicity in our lives. When I saw people being dependent on oxygen for their lives, I realized that in order to LIVE, what we really NEED is just the basics. Learning to detach from our wants will allow us to be content with whatever it that we have. Is this not true richness? - being content with what you have.

 Let me let you on something about myself. I can be a very oblivious person. However, as an OT in the making, I have been taught to sharpen my observational skills as it is a critical assessment methodology which every good OT requires. Hence, whilst practicing this skill, I was struck by a thoughtful reflection- Black, White, Indian or Coloured, this pandemic saw no race and engulfed humans across all nationalities. In this way, Covid-19 was able to subtly address racism and inequality. Oh, how we struggle to make the ignorant accept and respect humanity. But all it took to shove this into our faces was collective suffering…

Moving on to the bad and ugly of this pandemic:- We are not programmed to be optimistic 24/7! It is not natural to remain on your own with uncomfortable feelings. Communicating your raw feelings including those that are absolutely upsetting, is completely normal. Hence, we are going to also acknowledge the bad and ugly of this pandemic. Let’s discuss it instead of neglecting it so that our needs are acknowledged, understood and met healthily.

Needless to say, that the numerous shutdowns resulted in a high rate of unemployment in SA. “South Africa faces a major unemployment crisis, alongside a deeply unequal employment system. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened this crisis…an unsafe reopening of the economy could jeopardize rights at work, placing many workers and their families at risk.” (injustice, 2020) Subsequently, the single mother who worked at a hair salon and/or the sole breadwinner who worked as a laborer on a construction site were destitute. Similar financial crises led to detrimental declines in peoples’ mental health and subsequent well-being. Moreover, bereavement during this only intensified mental health decline in many individuals.

https://www.pnas.org/content/118/9/e2016632118- Click on this link to gain more insight into Lifestyle and Mental Health Disruptions during Covid-19.

 One would think that having more family time during lockdowns would cultivate more pleasant memories. However, the victims of domestic violence during this period would beg to differ. “Since the outbreak of COVID-19, emerging data and reports from those on the front lines, have shown that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified.” (Women, 2020). Now there could be an array of triggers leading to this violence entailing poor finances, mental health issues, poor frustration tolerance, emotional dysregulation etc. You may tap onto this link should you wish to read more on that- https://www.aa.com.tr/en/latest-on-coronavirus-outbreak/covid-19-outbreak-triggers-violence-against-women/2055833- 

Additionally, it was disturbing to see the inequality with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer due to the populations’ reaction during this pandemic. For example, the underdeveloped countries deteriorated due to the several drawbacks stemming from this pandemic whereas the more affluent countries hogged onto the resources, further depriving the poorer countries. Moreover, reading about vaccine trials being conducted in developing countries was utterly perturbing!! (Pfeiffer, 2020). However, the ethics hereof is a topic for another day.  

Hence, with the abovementioned, I am a firm believer of the saying that darkness does not drive out darkness; only light can do that. Similarly, whilst unpacking the good, bad and the ugly of this pandemic, I realized that life navigates you through paths you never anticipated…but, it has the potential to turn out to be the best road you have taken. I like to believe that weirdly, all the sweet epiphanies I have encountered during this pandemic, couldn’t have been inculcated through any other situation. It is 100% natural to encounter awful setbacks, to breakdown and to feel defeated. However, every key has a lock. Likewise, we all have the potential to tackle every challenge in life, emerging stronger, wiser and more flexible.