Corona Doesn't Divide Us--It Unites Us

By: Jun Song

It would be an understatement to say that Covid-19 has just affected our lives. It changed the basic rules that most of us lived by. I think I can confidently say that none of us think or live the same way we did just a year ago. The virus has taken a lot from us. We don’t get to regularly meet the people we once met as much anymore. We can’t go outside without masks and gloves. For some of us, this costs us our jobs and businesses. The economy is in a weird state and countries are in a panic. For some of us, unfortunately, we have lost our loved ones.

It seems as if Covid-19 has caused nothing but trouble. It seems like it only brought sadness into this world. While it has been a terrible experience, it would be wise to look back on it and see what unexpected positive things it has also done for us.

For starters, we’ve learned a lot about health care from it: what to do in a pandemic, the importance of washing our hands, and how sicknesses work. People have been a lot more careful going outside and are more cautious of people with indications of sicknesses. These are lessons we can choose to forget or learn from. The last pandemic was influenza, in 1918. The number of people who died because of it reached 50 million. Even if it seems all doom and gloom, we should thank God that science has developed so far. Everything seems somewhat under control and a vaccine is soon to come. This is also a great experience. We now live in the information age where we can properly learn from the pandemic and prepare for the future.

Secondly, the environment has benefited from a reduction in carbon emissions. We’ve all heard about carbon dioxide and how it’s ruining the environment. The government has made multiple efforts to reduce carbon emissions throughout the years. Yet none of them has panned out as well as this year. 2020 has seen a decrease in carbon emissions by almost 8%. That might not sound like a lot but when the world has gigatonnes of carbon dioxide, it sounds like a very favorable number. There are changes around the world that scientists are finding. They have found that the ozone layer is healing. The ozone layer could recover in the next couple of years if people keep showing the same amount of progress. China’s cities have seen improvements in air quality. In most cities, it showed that air quality went up by 11%. Cities that produced large amounts of carbon dioxide each day had their skies clear up. Freshwater lakes in India have decreased by 15% in SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter), making the water much purer. Surprisingly, more animals have been spotted around the world. The decrease in noise pollution helps wildlife to stabilize. This is all very positive news. Yet, we can’t let the numbers fool us. If the Covid-19 vaccine is completed and countries return to work as before, the cycle of CO2 will continue. We need to build on this head start and steadily decrease carbon emissions. That is the only way we can make the Earth a better place to live.

Lastly, the enemy of my enemy is my ally. Covid-19 is undoubtedly the biggest headline in the news today. Almost every country has seen how terrifying and horrible the virus is. Family members and friends have passed away, and people have been bedridden. This has created a commonality between countries. OHSU, the Oregon Health & Science University, has raised over $11 million in charity. Countless celebrities have donated and raised from $660,000 to well over $35 million to help fight Covid-19. World leaders are ready to join. They are ready to donate about $8 billion in search of a vaccine. Then there are the little things. People praise doctors and thank them for their service. People in the UK and America stand in their doorways and balconies, clapping for health workers as they finish their daily shifts. The Eiffel Tower lights up “Merci” to thank the medical workers. Italians sing to each other on their balconies to keep up their spirits. It’s amazing how so many people agreed to self-isolate. Even if the world we live in now seems dreadful, it is important to live in hope of what is to come. The world has gathered to face one enemy. We can get through this.