25th February 2020: First two cases of Coronavirus were reported in Pakistan which burst the social media with prevention tips, Dua-e-Khair, memes and whatever people can create in a short time so they can be on the frontline to break the news.
The misinformation created the panic on social media and people started to worry about it more. Some small businesses took advantage of the situation with the increase in the prices of the masks and hand sanitizer. So, they don’t mean it, when they say, “We care for You.” Their care was intended to increase the profit so they can earn more while depriving the people of the necessities in the hour of the need.
Until the Coronavirus was out of Pakistan, we acted as Racist, saying that China deserves this punishment because they eat dirt, animals and forbidden things. It’s the way of Lord to punish them because they harm the animals.
But when the virus flew to Pakistan, the statements turned into, “God is examining us through the thick and thins.”
Note that the virus is not racist; our thoughts are. Some were so confident to say that Coronavirus cannot touch us because we are Muslims.”
Here, comes the lesson #1
The virus doesn’t see our skin color before infecting us and nor do our religion. Anyone can be infected by it, so avoid taking the ‘Purity Title’ on yourself and blaming non-muslims for everything. At this difficult time, we as humans need to support each other because the virus is new, and it can be as harmful to us in the same way as it’s for others.
What works in stopping the spread of Coronavirus:
1. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds
2. Cough and sneeze into your elbow
3. Stay home if you’re sickWhat doesn’t work:
1. Racism https://t.co/wBrkkBe7yP— MTA (@MTA) March 5, 2020
The History
Coronavirus originated from a small seafood market in Wuhan which provide the meat of both live and dead animals. The virus was reported in one person which later spread to 41 cases from the same market. Later, the virus spread all over China when anyone interact the droplets of the infected person. The Lunar Year in China which was about to start on 25th January 2020 faced the cancellation of events and World Health Organization (WHO) declared it as a global emergency naming this virus officially as ‘COVID-19.’
The virus had infected more than 80,000 people in China, and now it has also travelled to Pakistan through Iran. The situation is chaos for Pakistan since we don’t have a sound healthcare system here. But what makes the situation worse is the people who create panic that we all are about to die because of the virus.
Surely, we all will die one day, if not COVID-19, there might be another excuse; death is inevitable.
But at this time we need prevention. We should have taken a learned step by blocking the panic coming to us. Spreading false news can amplify the fear level of people, and one should also know that everyone has access to social media these days. Waking up to the news that Pakistan is no longer safe to live might be digestible for few but for many, it can create stress, especially for those who have all their ties in Pakistan.
So, lesson no # 2 is
Before you share anything, make sure it’s authentic, research about it, and if you aren’t sure, just drop it, even if they are the Desi Totkas.
Some are saying that #Covid_19 is mainly a cause for concern to elderly and *visibly* unhealthy people.
I’m healthy, but also have Multiple Sclerosis, an autoimmune disease. Meaning there’s a high likelihood I’d die from coronavirus.
Misinformation is going to get folks killed.
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) March 12, 2020
And also, how can we treat a pandemic with home remedies when the foreign doctors and experts are still finding the cure?
Read this false cases of Coronavirus reported in Pakistan.
Now, how can the meme-makers in Pakistan can single out this opportunity knowing that it’s the most trending topic globally? I saw a meme which says Corona can only harm the kids but not the office workers; we also deserve the holidays.
Well, despite being thankful that Corona isn’t coming close to us, we start taking it as joke to seek attention.
A virus which has locked down the developing countries like China, USA and Italy recently, cannot be a joke in any case. It’s the time to take the lessons and work on the solutions to prevent this virus in Pakistan because if it starts spreading in Pakistan then it can damage more to us than it had done in China, know that.
On the other side, the virus can be alarming for us. It’s a good time to see where we are lacking either it’s the climate change we need to address or the lack of humanity we need to overcome. Pay keen attention to the lessons Coronavirus is giving us.
The virus isn’t good at all, but it has done a favor to the corporate sector by fueling up the work from home policy. Freelancers are getting an edge in the situation because people aren’t attending office, so online working is taking a shift towards freelancers in Pakistan.
It’s also alarming for the companies to revise their healthcare policies and watch if their employees are safe at the workplace.
People who were never conscious of the cleaning habits have started taking care of hygiene and are now washing their hands frequently and avoiding the polluted places.
In these hard times of China, Pakistan supported them with the best they can do. Also, WHO appreciated Pakistan for their way of handling the virus.
Aga Khan Hospital also handled the first case of COVID19 successfully.
But before we prepare ourselves to treat the Coronavirus, we need to see where the virus actually is.
By treating our humanity virus and uniting to fight against it, maybe we can end this pandemic soon.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react.” — Charles R. Swindoll
So, the right attitude to tackle the problems and humanity is still out of syllabus.
You Plans, and he plans, and surely Allah is the best planner, so keep your inner virus calm because the chaos won’t do any good instead of worsening the situation.
Let’s unite for humanity.
A Short Note Before you Leave
Since the virus has now become pandemic so we shouldn’t take it on a lighter note. Here are small things you can do to treat the situation.
- Social Distancing: Avoid public places, travelling, seminars, weddings till the crisis calm down.
- Work from Home: The virus has more chances to spread when you interact with the droplets of the infected person. The person can leave these droplets anywhere, so home is your best place to survive in this situation.
- This is the time you should pay special attention to cleaning especially the doorknobs and the surfaces where the bacteria can rest. Wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer.
- Get yourself tested if you feel the symptoms like cough, fever, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing.
- Cough and sneeze into your elbow.
- If you have an online business then it’s the best time to align it with COVID19 and come up with something valuable at this time of crisis.
You’re not just protecting yourself by working from home, minimizing travel, and washing your hands.
You’re protecting people in your community who may have a greater risk of complications from COVID-19 than you do.
We’re all in this together. Let’s act like it.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 10, 2020
Best Sources to Follow for COVID19 Updates
- AlJazeera
- World Health Organization
- The Daily Times Pakistan (for pk updates)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Also, know that there’s no antibiotics to treat this virus yet and no anti-masks have been founded. China is still working to come up with the vaccines and antibiotics so don’t trust anyone who comes to you selling the antibiotics.
There’s so much to add to this blog but let’s meet you in the next part.
Till then, stay safe, guided and protected.
I prefer books and diaries more than phones and Facebook. Soulfully connected to Pakistan. And I passionately believe that I can change the world through blogging.
I want to congratulate you for Coronavirus VS the Virus In Us:
Do We Need a Virus to Revise Humanity? article.