Houston: Hope is a powerful tool in our war against the COVID-19. Now the entire world is fighting against the Coronavirus, making it one of the most terrifying pandemics in human history. It has touched almost every country.
Despite closures, shelters and lockdowns, the virus is rapidly spreading with its colossal contagious powers. It has killed thousands and is heading to kill thousands more.
How can we strategize to withstand and survive this mighty power of nature?
Hope and resilience are powerful qualities for surviving catastrophe. Hope or optimism is a positive state of mind with strong confidence of a positive outcome.
“Everything will be OK,” is the tune for instilling hope, which imparts tremendous energy and combat spirit for recovering from sickness or fear.
Resilience is the ability to withstand changes in one’s life, environment, or the world at large and still function. We must resist taking chances. Our hope today is not just in medicine; it’s also in the resilience of people’s spirits.
We are at early stages of the global war against COVID-19. In our generation, we have never seen anything like this before. There is a lot of anxiety about the rapidly changing situation. The aftermath is unpredictable.
It can lead to many issues besides relegating living conditions, long-term trauma, physical disability, loss of prosperity, and worst of all death of family members.
The Corona pandemic is similar to the 1918 Flu pandemic (Spanish flu), an unusually deadly influenza virus that infected 500 million people worldwide.
An estimated 17 to 50 million died in the Spanish flu pandemic. We should learn lessons from the Spanish flu as we progress through the current situation.
Here are some thoughts for facing the Corona battle:
- Empower with awareness. Never underestimate the virus. Strictly follow health advisories (social distancing, good hygiene etc.), since risk is higher for the unprepared mind. So, educate your intuition and properly prepare for the pandemic era.
- Get back to your roots. A simple family lifestyle is essential for minimizing risk. Limit worrying about careers or other outside concerns. When we stress, our bodies react with a fight-or-flight response, which can degrade health in the long term.
- Humanity. Coronavirus wave is the new normal to everyone. Life must go on. During this challenging time, humanity gives people hope. Do some good to others to instill hope. If you can do so safely, try to help those in dire need for life essentials. Selfless service is the best way of expressing our hope and resilience, and it can inspire thousands of people.
So, let’s build hope in communities across the spectrum. People at the frontlines remains one of humankind’s best reason for hope; they deserve our salute and solidarity. We can empathize with the patients as well. Let’s pray together and also contribute our share to win the battle.
“It’s going to be OK.” Embrace hope to stay resilient, a mantra to cope from this Corona disaster.
The author, Dr. Samba Reddy, is a reputed medical scientist in Texas.
Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization with which he is affiliated.