COVID-19 – A Balancing Act for Government and All Citizens – Part 2

Covid-19 is driving social change and attitudes at an unprecedented pace, with little time to think through all the implications of decisions. Each person is having to show a level of resourcefulness and resilience to keep in control of life for themselves and in the interests of those around them. Sharing fairly the UK’s resources is a big issue. So is dealing with the implications of social distancing and self-isolation – it is clear that unless these behaviours are generally observed along with other basic hygiene advice from UKGOV, the fight against CV will be tougher and longer. Just as keeping a balance between protecting life and ensuring economic survival is essential at the macro level, so to is keeping a balance in the individual’s own decision making.

ARE PEOPLE GETTING ENOUGH FOOD?

Food supply lines look solid. Supermarkets are being constructive; relaxation of competition regulation should enable supermarkets to work together to meet local needs. The clear and sustained messaging from UKGOV, suppliers and the food industry, is that there is plenty of food and other daily necessities to go round. Constant pictures of queues and empty shelves do not reinforce but undermine the truth. As ever, it is some people – whether through fear, or selfishness – who create the problems for the straightforward majority by stockpiling and filling their trolleys, to the detriment of others. Again, self-inflicted wounds by the public. Many good aspects of human nature will emerge during this epidemic: it is to be hoped that the less attractive features will be quelled rather than dominate: it is the behaviour of citizens that will end this emergency, and the more that mirrors the guidelines UKGOV has emphasised, the quicker that end will arrive. It will be a sad day for UK society if UKGOV is forced by the behaviour of one segment of the populace to introduce regulation or rationing to ensure a fair distribution of what is plentiful produce.

PSYCHOLOGICAL BATTLE – RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF SOCIAL DISTANCING

The social distancing behaviours will lead to couples, and small and large families being cooped up together, often in small spaces, for a long period. At the other end of the scale are single persons, particularly the elderly and maybe people who are normally lonely, experiencing even less human contact. Risks are evident:  people will get unfit; they will lose tempers; relationships will be strained; addiction to screens will be exacerbated; eating and drinking may be a counter to boredom but may worsen the already life-threatening malaise of obesity which currently prevails. The withdrawal of sport from lives will be like bereavement for some, for example the lack of football removes a major outlet for tension and energy release. Risks to children, for whom school is a safe haven and monitor, puts them more at risk. People who go daily to work, and who are now homebound without a social life, will experience loss and frustration, wondering how to fill time as outside amusements, beyond their devices, are unavailable.

On the other hand, if the approach is rebalanced, this can be a time for opportunity: to think and reflect on what matters; to develop and adopt a home exercise routine –  no gym needed; for families to engage in communal activity – a chance perhaps for the adults to learn to cook and for children to join in and do the same; play board games- Monopoly can be bonding and fun; see Sherbhert https://sherbhert.com/incidentally-2/ chess is a great time consumer and mental exercise; let alone this being a chance to read . Families can go walking together, avoiding others. It could be the chance to clean up the home thoroughly and proudly. Already people are experiencing a common purpose and more concern for others – this could become endemic! Will people approach this positively and with imagination, so that at the end of social distancing, the behaviours and so the quality of life will have changed for the better?

THE WORLD GOES ON

The Coronavirus epidemic must not become our sole obsession, so that the rest of life is neglected. At the moment, many big issues have fallen by the wayside and there is a risk the public focus gets this all out of proportion. People die every year in great numbers from flu, usually the older and the weaker. While Covid-19 is so contagious, its fatality rate is higher than anyone would want and it needs great attention, for the vast majority the effects will be more in the box of significant inconvenience and reduced living standards, which will bounce back, but not life threatening. Other bigger disasters are ongoing and not getting the resources to tackle them:

• 3.1million children worldwide die each year from malnutrition.
• 5 million Syrian refugees “live” with very little life, or even shelter, or hope outside Syria; 13.5 million live in Syria in dangerous circumstances.
• 14 million at risk of starvation – in Yemen
• A survival crisis in East Africa, exacerbated by a locust epidemic, threatens millions.

The list of chronic and voluminous real human suffering around the world which occurs year on year puts Coronavirus in the shade in many respects. Serious though the CV impact will be, it needs perspective.

Even in the UK, it is a fair question that, if the new resources being marshalled to challenge this emergency can be found, could not in normal life a fraction of them be applied more aggressively to the troubles of poverty at home? There is a risk this virus makes countries and their people most affected too inward looking, self-centred and unbalanced in their view of the scheme of things.

LOOKING FORWARD

Resilience with mutual help will have to be developed and called upon for citizens to come to terms with a very new lifestyle. Working from home for a lengthy period, when one is used to working alongside colleagues, will take acclimatisation. It will be beneficial perhaps for people to share experiences, techniques and habits which they try, especially celebrating successes and learning positively from failures- some will work, and some will not – to give days a structure and purpose which suits them.

For some it may help to think of the “social distancing” or “self-isolation” in small chunks of, say, a week at a time, for others a longer-term structured plan may suit. Undertaking some form of new voluntary activity will benefit the community but may also supply satisfying variety to the day.

Perhaps this process will make people more aware of aspects of their world which are taken for granted. In particular, the interdependence of the roles people play.  Key workers will be identified and appreciated more. There will be many such lessons which, if taken on board long term, may result in a resetting of some priorities and understanding of others for the better. Also, maybe there will be more gratitude , not just for the NHS and all its workers, medical and otherwise, but for others less in the public eye such as delivery drivers, and other public servants such as the police and teachers, and civil servants, and , could it ever be, Ministers of the State.

See Sherbherthttps://sherbhert.com/the-coronavirus-war-the-behaviour-and-resilence-of-citizens-will-win-it/ and https://sherbhert.com/covid-19-a-balancing-act-for-government-and-all-citizens-part-1/