Lessons I learnt from the pandemic
The Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has spread all over the world. In order to ensure the safety of their citizens, almost all the countries have imposed lockdowns. Months after its outbreak, we continue to hear sad stories of those who have been affected by it, and at least partial lockdowns continue in many countries, including India.
As a college student, I have learnt the following valuable lessons during the pandemic:
1. I have become aware of the importance of medical literacy or health literacy which can be defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions”. Even before the pandemic, medical literacy was required. But, now it is needed more than ever. It was due to the lack of medical literacy, that even U. S. President Donald Trump seemingly promoted the drug hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, as a “preventive measure” for Covid-19, though its effectiveness was never clinically proven.
Almost everyone has a sad story or other to narrate. However, by looking at the pandemic only negatively, we won’t be able to move forward.
2. I have also learnt how technology has basically become the backbone for human development. We rely so heavily on modern technology that all our day-to-day activities have become digitized. From basic education to stocks, everything has become internet-reliant. The lesson I have learnt is that with the help of technology we can learn many things on our own. Technology has not spread its wings throughout the world, certain places still lack proper internet connectivity, which has become the digital oxygen for us humans.
3. Moreover, I have learnt how easily humans can adapt to change. In a week’s time, most educational institutions and industrial organisations adapted themselves to using web conferencing applications like Zoom, Google Meet, etc. Online education has more benefits than physical face-to-face teaching as it has a much wider spread and all information or educational content becomes open-sourced.
The pandemic caused a lot of suffering to people all over. Millions of people lost their jobs and livelihood; over a million people lost their lives. All of a sudden, everything came to a standstill. Almost everyone has a sad story or other to narrate. However, by looking at the pandemic only negatively, we won’t be able to move forward.
Though the pandemic is looked at negatively by vast sections of people for various reasons, it has also had positive impact on us in many ways. Above all, we have come to know that the future is always uncertain and as humans, we need to live our lives, and move ahead in the best way possible.