Covid 19: The Journey To A New World

The Covid-19 coronavirus, having been declared a pandemic, has affected the world significantly since the last few months. This has been tough for the world on account of its unprecedented impact and the suffering we all are going through. It is also clear that this virus doesn’t affect the majority of people. I also believe that with lock down we can slow down the infection rate but we cannot get rid of this virus. We have to learn to live with it. This virus is a challenge for the vulnerable like elders and people with low immunity. The virus will keep spreading and over a period of time most of us will develop immunity to it naturally or till we get a vaccination.

Physical Health- During this time social distancing and personal protection is the key. Collectively we cannot do much but individually we can all make a difference. If we take precautions the exposure to the virus will be less and easy for our body to deal with it. We need to do regular exercise, sleep enough and eat healthy to keep our immunity high.

Mental Health-The economic impact of this virus is going to stay for a few years at least. This will bring uncertainties in our life. We have to learn how to deal with uncertainty. Our rational mind is always thinking of solutions. Sometimes the situation is beyond our control and we cannot come out with a solution. Accepting the situation is the key. We also have to accept that the world is not perfect and there is no such thing as perfection. Our decisions are situational and in unforeseen circumstances when seen retrospectively, they may not seem correct and that is ok. It is important to accept whatever decision we have taken then, without any regrets. We need to envision the positive that is pleasant and keep an optimistic outlook towards life. If we survive through this, we will be the champions. Hence be kind to yourself and others. Engage in self-development and self-care.

World Economy- The world economy will go through a change. The impact of lockdown and business activity disruption is going to be deep. The world economy will take years to come out of it. We can already see the impact of this virus on the economies of USA and China, which had looked robust just 6 months back. Tough decisions need to be made considering both sides; on one side we have the threat of the virus and the fatalities and on the other side we have the prospect of poverty and starvation. China has lost its credibility in the world and this will affect its goal in becoming a super power. Chinese people tolerated communism as the economy was going great. But if the economy goes down there will be social unrest and there can be possibility of a USSR kind of ending which will divide China into smaller countries like Tibet and Uyghur. The economic challenges may force countries into a war like situation which will again have an economic impact across the world. India is expected to keep itself independent of this global power play and sort out its long term issues with neighbors. Hopefully by the next decade India can emerge as a true economic super power.

The New World- This pandemic and lock down has been a game changer. We have seen around the world how nature is reviving when we accept and give space to nature. The capitalism which focused on materialistic success is not satisfying. We need something else to fill the vacuum, probably a spiritual way of living. More kindness,  more compassion, more respect, not only for humans but also for nature. That is the new world I envision.

Let’s stay healthy, stay safe, stay positive and work for a better world for all of us.