Covid 19 pandemic is bringing many countries, organizations, parties, communities together and at the same time exposing the real truth of human development, misuse of resources, relationships, intentions, etc.
People are harassing healthcare workers, trying to evict them from rental properties and breaking relationships with them. These same people go and desperately look for health care workers when they or their loved ones become ill.
Health care workers are struggling to get proper and adequate protective gear and are in frontline, inadequately trained and prepared for this pandemic. Health care workers have to decide to live away( in garage, rental unit, hospital call rooms, temporary shelters) from their family members to protect them. They are at high risk of getting serious diseases, as typically their viral load is high.
They are losing their jobs and working hours as elective visits and procedures are being canceled.They are made to work in a different specialty without proper training. Some hospitals are instructing their workers to use only one mask a day. Some places are giving one mask for three days.
Many physicians in the USA are on visa and their Green Card application is pending for years. Their families are worried about-facing deportation if that physician loses his/her job or dies.
Many clinics are closed and owners of those clinics are taking a financial hit. They are finding themselves unable to pay overhead, employees' salaries, malpractice insurance, etc. They are on the verge of filing bankruptcy. Many locums and part-time healthcare workers have been laid off.
Even in the USA, hospitals are not properly equipped to handle this pandemic. Supply- demand chain is broken.
Imagine if healthcare workers walk out to save their own lives. For their services, they do not even get preferential testing, treatment and medicines. Many thing can be produced at large scale in a short time but healthcare workers can not be produced at short notice. If health care workers get infection or die, then who is going to take care of general public. Is not this everyone's duty to provide them with safety gear and extra perks so that their family is taken care of and they can do their work with peace of mind.
Health care workers are fighting like soldiers at frontline. They deserve same benefits and acknowledgement as soldiers and their families. they should not be made to chose between doing their work or chosing their life.
Health care workers should be exemp from malpractice suit during this pandemic. Many team members are working in speacialities where they have not worked before. As the requirement of ICU and ER doctors is increasing, many doctors from other speacialities are filling in. They are risking there life and their family members life to take care of patients. They do not deserve malpractice suit for this noble act.
People who can work from home are still being paid but many low-income families are without any source of income. They are at constant threat of dying because of malnutrition.
People who can hoard are indulging in hoarding.
In general stress and anxiety are increasing and tolerance is decreasing. Some are thinking to steal to survive and some are buying guns and ammunition to protect their accumulations.
People are unable to go to help their loved ones. Many are not even able to go to funerals, give hugs, and support to relatives, neighbors, and knowns. People are feeling heartbroken as they cannot visit their family members and become a part of their happiness and sorrow.
Someone's son tested positive. Son is in another state and has to quarantine himself for two weeks. She cannot go to help her son and cannot bring him back to live with her.
Someone's father died in India and she cannot go to pay last respects and support her mother.
Families are staying inside. Domestic abuse is increasing. Abuse of the elderly and children is increasing. As counselors are working from home, there is no one to come and personally support these people.
Children are off from school and spending most of their time on screens whether it is Computer, phone, TV or some other screen. They are at risk of getting addicted to screen and video games. There are going to be severe ramifications of staying inside for longer duration of time.
Housework and consumption of food are increasing as more people are at home. Frequent trips to grocery stores are required. Hoarding tendency is increasing.
It is easy to say to maintain social distance. Practically it is very hard to do. You never know who will come in the elevator to join you. Even if you take stairs, people may pass near-by, talk, cough and spread the virus. People bump into each other and pass near us in grocery stores and departmental stores.
People do not disclose that they are experiencing symptoms of the disease. They take their symptoms very lightly and attribute it to something else.
It is hard for general public to differentiate other diseases from COVID-19. They may think it is their asthma, chronic cough, seasonal allergy, changing environment, cold season, stomach upset because of some food they ate, etc.
Good people are helping others in different ways. Many are paying to their cleaners, dog walkers, baby sitters, etc., even if they are not availing their services. People are tipping more. Some are helping to buy groceries for people who cannot go out. Some are giving their accounts logins so that people can buy things of their choice.
Federal Government is helping by releasing funds from different departments. Local and state goverment id helping by waiving of fees, increasing the deadlines of paying bills, waiving interest charges, distributing free supplies. Chicago public schools are still giving free breakfast and lunches to students.
The post-pandemic era is going to be very different as the economy will be different, experiences will be different, population statistics will be different. People may shy away from handshakes and hugging. They may treat each other with suspicion and cold feelings. High levels of apprehention for a future pandemic may prevail. People may try to live in isolation and communicate via internet only. Many works, education, etc. may become home-based.