As I write this article, we are living a part of history.
In January, we started to hear about cases of a new illness that was spreading overseas called coronavirus disease 2019 which was abbreviated to COVID-19.
In February, we saw images of thousands of people stranded on cruise ships. The sight of people with protective masks over their faces was common on television.
In March, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. A pandemic is a global outbreak of a disease. The number of people with the virus has steadily risen. Thousands of people have recovered from the virus, but tragically there has been significant loss of life as well.
Schools and businesses have been required to close. Airlines ramped up efforts to bring home travellers stranded around the world.
The government is working to set up financial assistance for families and businesses as layoffs begin. Payment deadlines are being deferred in some situations and Revenue Canada has given people a month’s grace to submit income tax returns.
Industrial strategies are being introduced including ramping up production of masks and hand sanitizer at existing companies and having other companies produce these items as well.
Countries are on lockdown and borders have been closed to try and stop the spread of the virus. People who travelled out of the country are required to self isolate for fourteen days. On March 18, the Government of Saskatchewan declared a state of emergency.
Terms like social distancing have become familiar to us. Items such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer, facemasks and disinfectant wipes were the first to fly off store shelves.
What will be the long term emotional and financial effects on society and on our healthcare system? What lessons will be learned? What memories from this experience will be passed down through the generations?
The slow down of the world due to the coronavirus has forced millions of people to stay at home. They had often dreamt about being able to spend more time with their spouses and children. I guess we should be careful what we wish for. After a period of relaxation and television people get antsy. Today’s society is not built on being isolated. We are accustomed to being with people and constantly having places to go and many choices of things to do. To all of a sudden be in social isolation is a jolt to the system. We have practiced ancestral behaviours like hand shaking, hugging, kissing, large gatherings and meals for decades and it is challenging to suddenly change our way of life.
In times like this, the online world can entertain and keep us informed of world events. The sheer volume of information can be overwhelming though. This information overload can cause anxiety, grief and fear.
I think back to our ancestors who lived through similar situations. Is what is happening now an example of history repeating itself? They weren’t overwhelmed with information like we are today though.
The 1918 - 1920 flu pandemic was the deadliest in history to date. The ghost of fear walked everywhere. This event overlapped the end of World War 1 by ten months. People recoiling from the events of four years of war began to realize that they were in the midst of another battle.
My dad was born in 1920 and Mom in 1929, so they heard lots of stories about it growing up. It spread to every part of the world and terrified people for generations. People wore masks, stockpiled supplies and avoided public gatherings just as we are doing today. Back then doctors knew viruses existed, but much research was yet to be done. Today researchers can isolate a virus, find it’s genetic sequence, test antiviral drugs and develop a vaccine, but that process still takes time.
My mom remembers hearing that they had nothing to give the sick at home to make them feel better. We must remember that this was before the invention of antibiotics which are now used to treat secondary infections such as pneumonia. Antibiotics weren’t invented until 1929 and didn’t become widely accessible until the 1940s. They didn’t have a medicine cupboard full of supplies like we do now. Doctors didn’t have the testing methods that are available today to make a diagnosis. There was little protective equipment for healthcare workers. Respirators that are used today did not exist until 1928.
In the absence of a vaccine, general preventative interventions like quarantining and good sanitary practices still have to be relied upon a hundred years later. They play a huge part alongside medicine.
Many books will be written about the coronavirus and its effect on the world and we will have been a part of that history. Pictures of today’s empty streets and classrooms will be viewed in awe decades from now.
What will be the long term emotional and financial effects on society and on our healthcare system? What lessons will be learned? What memories from this experience will be passed down through the generations?
This experience makes me feel like I am a part of something so much bigger than just myself. The answers to these questions will be revealed in the historic weeks and months ahead. The full story has yet to be written. History is in the making.
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©️Copyright 2020 Norma Galambos
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