Never in my life did I dream of seeing such a mess. A destructive, almost otherworldly force ripping through sanctuary, both invisible and injurious. I am of course talking about the conduct of humans. It will not be the virus that kills us but a fear of it and how we react to what others are doing. I am no expert on the issues we face but as a person living with OCD, a veteran if you will, I feel I am better equipped than most to see flickerings of weakness in hygiene practices.
As I said, I am no expert, but years of living with OCD forced me into untold research, paranoia and vigilence against germs, infection and even the use of inorganic cleaning materials via plagued intrusive thoughts on a daily and minute to minute basis regarding hygiene.
If any lessons are to be learnt from this COVID-19 outbreak in what has now been classed as a global pandemic, it is that we will probably learn nothing when considering the 2003 SARS and 2009 H1N1 flu epidemics.
Wet markets supported by the Chinese government as part of an industrial push to expand the size of its economy were encouraged for large workforces rapidly increasing in size. The virus found in wild pangolins and bats is readily distributed here and quickly spread as did the SARS virus. It’s as if Covid-19 is an earthly antibody in response to damaging unethical, polluting practices and we are its virus. After years of encroaching wild land snatching everything in our path, looking for sources of revenue from anything we can gather, Earth sought vengeance and emerged with a formidable response.
The H1N1 flu epidemic began in North America with more than 75,000 deaths recorded. Shifting blame to China for Coronavirus is clearly not the correct thing to do when taking into consideration two pandemics started there as a consequence of low-waged labour seeking low-cost food. This means the virus started as a consequence of the world wanting more than they can handle. A new phone every one/two years, new buildings, new clothes, toys, games inspired by trends that brainwash us all into wanting things we don’t need. So if anyone is to blame, we needn’t look further than a selfie on the phone that caused it. Excess must abscess at some point and we are living it now. Maybe panic buying started a long-time ago.
Oil prices are begining to plummet – a good thing. Though suited traders of the stock markets have decided to don marauder gear in tandem with financial mercenaries who use this as an opportunity to encourage investment in this most damaging of natural resources through panic and reckless sales talk.
The cause of its spread – travel, lax hygiene methods and sterility myths have in no doubt increased the range of infection. In amongst the chaos, despots of industry have sought to tighten their grip as confusion permeates media feeds and chitter-chatter alike, browning readied sentiments of the afraid. Panic buying erupted and no supermarket or MP has sought to curb disorder except for a two per customer rule (which many shoppers are starting to find loopholes in) on sundries and essentials, nor have any allotted timings for customer entry been suggested.
Although in theory social distancing should work it probably won’t since a sneeze can travel as much as 26 feet and beyond dependent on environmental conditions. A nationwide lockdown with allotted timing for shopping and essential travel may not be such a bad idea alongside a ban for in-and-outbound international flights.
If a silver lining is to come from any of this, it is that systems not in place prior to the epidemic may see stronger support. Sabotaged national health services like the NHS will see bigger backing over privatised endeavours and my biggest hope – better treatment of animals, our priorities and a reset to the way we view life and each other.
Stanisland Magazine 