You didn’t see it coming? Really?

The world has not experienced something of this magnitude since the Spanish flu in the early 1900s, a pandemic that killed millions. When Covid-19 reared its ugly head in Wuhan, China last year and took many lives, were you unaware? 

The situation got progressively worse before it got better and panic-free. By January 2020, it was evident that a pandemic would occur yet global citizens chose to bury their heads in the sand. Life went on as usual with travel, business, politics and social activities. 

China may have seemed far away to Marco Polo but did we fail to realise that we are living in a borderless world? Any virus knows that.

Today, we see governments scrambling to take measures to protect their nations' economies and ensuring that food distribution networks function well enough to reach the most vulnerable. 

Healthcare workers are overworked and falling ill themselves. Students, tourists and businessmen stranded abroad are fighting tooth and nail to get home to their loved ones. The elderly and anyone who has died cannot receive a proper funeral due to the need to protect the living. 

A sad state of affairs no doubt but one that could have easily been prevented since January if people in authority had foresight. It is insufficient to have eyes and education. What was needed and is still needed is strong leadership with the foresight to prevent loss of lives and livelihoods or at least to minimise them.

Since January 2020, we knew that infections from human to human spread easily. Schools, places of worship, crowded public transportation, malls, restaurants etc. were breeding grounds for the virus. Aeroplanes, trains, ships and any mode of cross-border transportation were means of passing on infections. 

Personal hygiene should have been our first priority from the get-go. Yet we chose to see what we wanted to see. We chose not to close down these places or restrict movement as we feared the backlash from business and citizens who complained that their rights were infringed. 

We delayed making “work from home arrangements” and chose not to make contingency plans for the inevitable day when the virus reached our shores. We chose to react instead of being proactive.

Granted not everyone is blessed with the gift of foresight but that is why we have leaders. We have global leaders, national leaders, heads of household and grassroots leaders. Yet nations and societies appear to be ill-prepared to handle this pandemic. 

It is only when numbers of infected and dead persons rise to the point of alarm, movement control and lockdowns are imposed, albeit too late. Even then, punitive measures are not imposed immediately because citizens are expected to obey. 

In countries such as Japan that have well-mannered, civilised people such stern measures are not necessary but in most other countries it should have been anticipated. Not everybody is capable of logical thinking and being responsible. It also appears that age does not guarantee wisdom as we have seen too many adults behave like irresponsible teenagers.

What we overlook is that we are all in this together. While we may be proud of our individuality, our oneness is what really matters. Whatever you may do or fail to do will affect the next person. Making fun of politicians and the idiots with well-meaning but wrong advice does not help anyone. 

Being angry with the police, the army, the internet providers, airlines, hotels and restaurants only creates unnecessary tension. Instead, stay calm and sensible. My kindergarten teacher’s advice comes to mind. Behave yourself, wash your hands, share with others and help one another. We can get through this together even if we have been slow to take the necessary action. Too late, you think?

I daresay there will be similar epidemics and pandemics in the future. Hopefully, we will survive to tell the tale and take early measures learnt from this one.  - Mkini