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The Pandemic has a Silver Lining
Covid-19. We all know the drawbacks. Most of us are experiencing some form of quarantine, impotently watching the number of infected rates climb every day on stats websites…in some places exponentially. Crazy times indeed.
If this had happened years ago when I used to suffer from health anxiety, I would have been shitting myself. I’m sure many people are, and I want you to know that one of the best cures for anxiety is to stop thinking about yourself, and look for things to be grateful for.
Off-hand, I can think of a few things that make me very, very happy:
Less Poaching
Poachers have been raping South Africa of it’s wildlife to sell for Chinese traditional medicines for some time now. It’s reached the point that rhinos and pangolins are at the brink of extinction. The prevailing theory of Covid 19 seems to be that the current epidemic originated from a Chinese ‘wet market’, some say from a pangolin.
They’re called wet markets because fish, birds, wildlife, bats, dogs, rodents, exotic and endangered species are slaughtered right there for the customers, causing the floors to run wet with blood, excrement, and innards. As you can imagine, not very hygienic and completely barbaric having the animals watch each other being slaughtered.
Anyone with half a functioning brain could have predicted a pandemic coming from one of these markets, and now that it’s actually happened, China have been forced to ban human consumption and trade of wild animals. This is a massive win in the fight against poaching. I can’t imagine the world, and modern China turning a blind eye to what ‘traditional’ China has been doing any longer. Their barbarism has affected us all now, and it can’t go back to how it was.
China have been forced to ban human consumption and trade of wild animals.
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Less Pollution
I’ve been working from home since 2006, and I’m also a PC gamer, so the quarantine situation has had barely any effect on my life. For many others though, the social distancing is wildly different to their usual daily routines. Millions of companies around the world are now are letting their employees work from home for the first time ever.
Without the catalyst of the pandemic, how many of these companies would have gone this far outside their comfort zones? Very few, I’d wager.
It’s absolute bliss on the roads right now. The amount of petrol being saved, and the reduction of exhaust emissions all over the world is unprecedented.
People are going to discover a quality of life they didn’t know they were lacking – the time they save from commuting, they can exercise, do personal chores, spend time with loved ones, or even just sleep.
I’m confident that even after the crisis is over, employees all over the world will be pressurising their bosses to make the work-from-home culture, regular. Companies themselves will benefit too: Lower utility bills, less need to pay for company cars and fuel, and maybe even lower rent because of less need for large premises.
It’s an absolute win for everyone, and especially the environment.
The amount of petrol being saved, and the reduction of exhaust emissions all over the world is unprecedented.
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Less Meetings
On a lighter note, and I’m personally feeling a measure of smugness over this one: Marketing managers all over the world are realising that you can actually say everything you wanted to say in an email. That’s right. I’ve been saying it all along. There’s no need for that damned meeting.
There’s no need for that damned meeting.
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Conclusion
Those are just off the top of my head. I’m sure you can think of other positive benefits during this dark time. Feel free to hit up the comments.
Further Reading:
- Pangolin, threats and COVID-19 infection
- Why They’re Called ‘Wet Markets’ — And What Health Risks They Might Pose
- Inside the horrific, inhumane animal markets behind pandemics like coronavirus
- The Chinese Wild-Animal Industry and Wet Markets Must Go
- China bans human consumption and trade of wild animals
- China has made eating wild animals illegal after the coronavirus outbreak. But ending the trade won’t be easy