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COVID-19 is here and with all the posturing and arrogance presented by people who think that they’re the dogs’ balls and the bees’ knees, it has taught us that life doesn’t discriminate between rich and poor, Caucasian, Asian or anyone else.
Humans do.
It is also true that being under stress brings a person’s true personality to the fore.
For the most part, leaders are leading and taking advice from the experts. Medical personnel, careworkers, the police force, the army, and retailers of essentials (and their employees) are doing a fine job safeguarding us and our countries. Teachers (in Malta) are offering to give lessons online for free — schools here are closed until after the Easter holidays. Some landlords are slashing the rent as much as they can and for as long as they can.
Let’s not delve too deep here in the intricacies of the matter, because there’s enough yuckiness going around already, and in any case I am not qualified in epidemiology to give a medical opinion. It does, however, take very little to discern people’s qualities under stress, or their lack thereof; to realise who is going to hoard all the loo paper, which will be enough for their children’s grandchildren, and who is going to buy crisps and chocolate before the essentials (that’s me, I’m afraid. Chocolate, not toilet paper).
Speaking from a country within the EU, I can only say that there seems to be great solidarity from these countries towards one another. While keeping in mind that borders are being closed and people quarantined, it is a horrible reality needed in order to ensure that this virus attacks the least amount of people possible and try to snuff it out, or at least control it. Yet most countries are endeavoring to keep their economy stable and trying to make sure that there are the least loss of jobs possible, and it’s no easy job. There will always be of course, the odd idiot that goes out to say that all foreigners should be deported, saying ‘charity begins at home’, but you really can’t shut them up. More’s the pity.
It is safe to say that to date, Italy has been the worst hit so far, second only to China and contrary to what I have written above, the EU could not or would not help them at a time where every hour is essential to reduce contagion and mortality. ‘Hold my Baiji’ said Zhang Wei, and Chinese medic teams, now that the…
