The blessings of Coronavirus!
By Mushtaq Ahmed
Every day we are learning at least one thing about coronavirus. Our knowledge of the disease is increasing, as we read and watch more and more about the impact of the pandemic. However, admittedly, we still know very little about the virus and how it operates, where it started, or how to cure it.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Corona virus is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans. Corona viruses are also said to be transmitted between animals and people.
Detailed investigations by researcher have found that previous strains have transmitted from civet cats and dromedary camels to humans. Several known corona viruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, and cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
In 1918, when the First World War was in full swing, a discipline of virology was also augmenting the killing around the globe with a flu virus and caused the death of 80 million people. At that time the flu virus was definitely blamed but due to the core focus of the world was on the war and flu virus went on back foot.
Scientists around the world were under the burden of finding solutions to combat with the virus. This is not beyond interest that both the war and virus proved to be a blessings for the world. The enthusiasts of virology successfully invented the vaccines and medics who were saving lives in the world and the expansionists through war became saturated geographically and state autonomy became the destiny of many nations. Consequently, an undersized world converted into nations and caused the formation and development of United Nations and every nation is contributing in the development of the world otherwise there were few nations who always have been in trouble to address the social, economic and other concerns of people of the planet. The recent example of the trend is Corona virus, when about two hundred countries are contributing their resources and expertise to save the human lives in the world.
Undoubtedly, there is a panic in the world but, as the Quran says, “For indeed, with all hardships will be ease”.
The current outbreak has spread across the world, specially the countries that are most capable of fighting it. Moreover, countries around the globe are extending their cooperation to the countries in need. Almost all of the continents are on one page to eliminate the contemporary threat of COVID-19 from the earth. China appears to be completely in control of the Coronavirus threat.
Among the Coronavirus affected countries, in the European region, as well as Canada, United States, and some Asian developed countries, are the most advanced in the field of micro biology, genetic engineering, nuclear technologies, as well as fifth generation internet communication technologies. Optimism is reasonable!
Panic does not help anyone; we must be led by reason and guided by hope. With a global hope to rewrite our future, a completely new culture of doing research and bringing changes can be developed. We have to re-calibrate our minds, as social and civilizational beings.
COVID-19 may help the birth of new realities; it may defiantly reduce the bread size in term of global economy, as businesses fail to make profit. If they can’t produce, they cannot sell things. This means they would not be able to make profits, which means they are less able to employ people. On the contrary, many believe that people may become rich; however, believing to become rich is “pie in the sky” at the moment because where there is a lack of modern industry, there is no opportunities as this could be dream of poor societies. However, it is now obvious that markets will run the societies in the world with the practice of value in-use and value in-exchange. One challenging but progressive development has been accelerated by the epidemic is that the religious and scientific corridors are now open and very close to each other for further and potential dialogues which will help initiating and maintaining global tolerance. Because a catastrophe has forced all the religions and thought of the world to think together.
As a result, groups that believed only in worships and were reluctant to pursue the philosophy of science are now beginning to believe in modern science, discovery, and invention along with worship even with the necessary changes in practice and performance.
Those who curse developed societies are, now, taking them seriously and adopting their social defense principles, which will surely help in the formation of a global society. On the contrary, those who believed only in “observation” must have begun to think about beyond the matter, in result, the prospects for a global social and economic balance are becoming clearer with a further concept of sin and reward but it will definitely go through an evolutionary process of debates despite the fact that everyone in the world has faced a devastating condition of hunger, loneliness, fear and lockdown. When the world reviews the previous social contracts, it will surely take care of the fact that humanity is a holy religion. War budgets will be reconsidered; health will be given priority, book will be read, etc. Anyways, we will come to believe that social needs kept man united and religious needs divide human beings. Hope we will live together in future.
