Global Pandemic Demands Global Response

The past few months have been intense, but it has united the world. It’s simply about humanity and this resonates across the human race. In the face of a common enemy, artificial structures erected to differentiate us — race, color, culture — have become insignificant.

My mother is a nurse, she’s 65 and I’m afraid of her catching COVID-19. She goes to work so she can help others. Although I’m afraid my mother might get ill, I’m so proud of the work she is doing and how she worries about those in need. If we all do our parts, we’ll get through this.

In Vancouver at 7pm, some of the hospitals have a shift change. A huge movement has started where people have been standing on their balconies and banging pots and pans, cheering, clapping, holding signs, blowing horns, to cheer on these incredible personnel.

I take the opportunity to thank everyone who works for the benefit of the community — be it doctors, nurses, pharmacists, employees in food markets, drivers in the public transportation, employees in airports, and each and every one who puts the public interest as a priority.

My father in law, in his late 80s with poor mobility but a strong will to help which was created during his WWII childhood, asked us to lend him our sewing machine. In one night, he learned to use it and now produces dozens of facemasks for his neighbours, for free.

COVID-19 has set off a wave of environmental, social, clinical, and economic crisis. However, it has also pushed us to reconsider our behaviour and actions towards each other. It makes us realise that we are all in this together. It’s all of us, against this disease.