What We Should Thank COVID-19 For- From Pressure Comes Diamonds

By Dr Makini McGuire-Brown

So yes, I acknowledge the devastation that COVID-19 has caused the world. As a physician with ICU experience I know the dread of impending respiratory arrest, futile mechanical ventilation and feeling like a constant loser. Virus: 304,000; Physician: 0. But today we are going to park that depression and kill COVID with kindness! The truth is that we all have something that we should be thanking COVID for!

Suddenly all those jobs and employers that could not accommodate flexi-hours or work from home time have miraculously adjusted! I would like to see them try to tell their employees about productivity and its correlation to the office. We now all have a rebuttal. “Remember in 2020 when….” “Yes, that’s what I thought; work from home it is.”

Hello sky! Well thank God humans were forced to stay inside, the sky over Delhi can finally breathe without coughing. The BBC reports a 50% reduction in pollution in New York compared to the same time last year. Albeit temporarily, it seems that nature has gotten a break from our maniacal onslaught. This hopefully should encourage individuals and governments alike to do better to protect our environment. There is now no excuse. Nature can now say, “Remember in 2020 when…” “Yes, that’s what I thought; do better, keep me cleaner.”

To my fellow Caribbean islanders, how quickly our supermarkets can initiate delivery and pick-up. Who knew? Thank you COVID-19. It is said that desperation breeds innovation. Let us use this as the higher standard to which we will now hold our public and private sector organisations to. If you can improve innovate, be creative and offer better service during a crisis, you can do it anytime. No more excuses. , “Remember in 2020 when…” “Yes, that’s what I thought; aim higher, serve better.”

Finally, I sincerely hope we all are taking this time to be thankful and grateful. Thanking God if you still have a job; thanking God for the opportunity to give selflessly, receive graciously and spread love abundantly. Thanking God for time spent with family members and cheaper funerals and weddings (sorry, it’s true!). Let us also recognise the superhuman that is a  teacher! Take your bow and secret evil laugh at the tsunami that parents are facing now that you calmly temper everyday! The most important thing that we all should have learnt by the time this is over (thank you COVID for your longevity; there is still time for those more stubborn-minded among us to learn) is the importance of humanity; hope, faith, kindness, goodness, selflessness and love. “Remember in 2020 when…” “Yes, that’s what I thought; be better.”

PS: Thank you COVID-19 for less traffic and online exams too!