It was March 16, 2020, a typical Monday, no different from the ones that had gone before it. Wake up. Get ready. Go. Scroll through Inshorts in the car. Being an entrepreneur, my business takes a lot of my mind space but the topic of Covid-19 had been at the back of my mind for some time. And that morning, as I scrolled through the news, Italy had recorded 27,980 cases and 2,158 deaths. The numbers were similar or rising in Spain, South Korea and the US. These figures and the rising curve were not just alarming references but a warning of what was waiting for other parts of the world as the pandemic continued its spread. These numbers nudged me to take a corrective course to stop the spread.
At around 11 a.m. in my office, my team and I were gathering in the conference room to share project timelines and the usual excitement of new branding assignments even as a few were grappling with the Monday blues. But through it all, the conversation of Covid-19 had been gnawing silently at all of us. It was at this moment that we decided as a team to switch to working remotely for a week until March 21. The high-end graphics workstations were sent to the residences of our design and studio teams. The way forward on how we would interact daily was discussed and we moved into full-fledged WFH mode.
By now, China had already been in lockdown since January 23 – almost 2 months – and learning from it, other countries were starting to follow suit. Taiwan had already set a gold standard in controlling the Covid-19, while South Korea had ramped up its testing exponentially.
Social Distancing
On March 19, at 7 p.m, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation for a one week Lockdown. As the number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases closed in on 500, PM Modi asked all citizens to observe ‘Janata Curfew’ (People’s Curfew) from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 22. At the end of the curfew, Modi said: “Janata Curfew is just the beginning of a long battle against COVID-19.” Following this, when he addressed the nation a second time on March 24, he announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown starting midnight the same day. According to the PM, the only solution to control the spread of coronavirus was to break the cycle of transmission by social isolation and distancing.
We were just about coming to terms with WFH for a week but now we were looking at a 21-day lockdown – for the better of all of us. The word ZOOM acquired a new meaning in our lives and we started ‘zooming’. All over the internet, the idea of social distancing was spreading, the 3 feet distance between people was a new norm – whether you are at a pharmacy or a vegetable vendor – the white circles became the Lakshman Rekha between us. Less cars on the road, less autos, less buses, less trucks, less people. Less. Less. Less.
Curves
Over the past 2 weeks, our eyes are locked onto the daily numbers count. Whether you are watching a news channel or browsing through social media, Covid-19 is everywhere and staring you in the face. It is, quite simply, unmissable. So let’s take a quick look at the various curves that inhabit our lives currently. Some of these are obvious, but some we don’t always look at. This is as good a time as any to evaluate all of them.
Covid-19 Curve – Rising
The cases continues to rise. Worldwide, we have more than 950,000 as I write this article. I pray that efforts of all countries and the people flatten this curve and eventually eradicate it.
Business Curve – Sliding
The Bombay Stock Exchange’s benchmark index, the Sensex, saw a dive of 3,000 points, reflecting the global trend, even as a global recession looms large. A number of business will be stretched financially. The Reserve Bank of India is taking steps to cushion the blow. Hopefully, the Indian – and global – economy will stay resilient and eventually get better.
Emotional Curve – Volatile
We fear what we don’t know and our anxiety and doubts are growing at the back of our mind, confined at home. But we are also accepting the unavoidable. We are learning new skills, learning to establish new routines, new ways of dealing with the world, and spending more time with our loved ones, a luxury that our earlier lives often lacked.
Climate Curve – Smiling
Amidst all this, the climate is smiling, thanks to a widespread industrial and vehicular lockdown.
Reboot.
Life has changed for all of us. The entire world is committed to one cause – eradicating this pandemic. Wherever we are, as humans we are all connected today. With our own steps of social distancing, being at home, following the protocols – the world today has one common cause – to get back to normalcy.
We all are grieving the loss of innocent lives. We are all anticipating the short-term economic turmoil. We are all praying. We are together in this fight. As all adversities come to an end, so will this.
And when this ends, more optimistically — what if the world comes out of this crisis better than it was before?
What if everything was rebooting?
Let’s start with the us:
There’s a saying that a human mind, once expanded, never goes back to its original size. Our brain is a reservoir of impressions. The word Covid-19 / Coronavirus has touched the brains of 6-year-olds, millennials, the elder millennials, boomers and senior citizens. How it came from a bat and what are the precautions to stop the spread is now understood by little kids. Sanitising hands or washing for 20 seconds, the basics are back in our lives.
This event will never be forgotten. The lessons learned here will be ingrained in our memory and will be passed on. And further on. Into generations hence.
And with the world in lockdown, we have paused. Finally. The mad rush has come to a halt. We are breathing. We are listening. We are doing the IMPORTANT vs the URGENT. Families are coming closer. Some are quarrelling but that’s a process of a long gap being filled again to come together. We are reading. We are giving time to our body. We are going within, spiritually. We are connecting to each other differently with technology. Our domestic helps are getting a break. We are giving space to each other. We are learning to sit in one place.
The appreciation for smaller things will increase in our life. The love for the outdoors will be revived. This is our reboot. When we come out of this exile, we could be totally recharged.
This could be humanity’s reboot.
Policies and Nations – Reboot
“If anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, it’s likely to be a highly infectious virus rather than a war,” Bill Gates said during a Ted Talk in April 2015.
“Not missiles, but microbes,” he added.
This clearly pointed to the lack of focus on healthcare systems.
In its early stages, the Covid-19 crisis in Italy looked nothing like a crisis. The initial cases were taken casually by both the public and many in policy circles — even though there had been warning of the potential for a catastrophe for weeks from China and South Korea. In late February, some notable Italian politicians engaged in public handshaking in Milan to make the point that the economy should not panic and stop because of the virus. (A week later, one of these politicians was diagnosed with Covid-19.). Coronavirus doesn’t discriminate between higher power or lower strata. It can introduce itself to anyone. Some of the world leaders – most notably UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson – have been affected by Covid-19. And this has been a wake-up call that the health care systems are weak.
This episode will force the governments, following demands from the public, to change their approach. Soaking all available information not only from closed door resources but also from outside. Learning to act quickly and having a plan for a pandemic like this to treat an entire population is one of the biggest challenges world leaders will be forced to plan for and confront in time to come.
A lockdown is not a long term solution for any country as it has economic consequences.
This could be a thinking reboot for the World Leaders.
Climate – Reboot
Be it the deserted streets of Wuhan after authorities implemented a strict lockdown or Italy with the most extensive travel restrictions, or London with shuttered pubs, bars and theatres, or the Janata Curfew lockdown in Mumbai, the shutdown restrictions have had an unintended benefit – a substantial drop in pollution levels across the world.
It is all aimed at controlling the spread of Covid-19, and hopefully reducing the death toll. But all this change has also led to some unexpected consequences. As industries, transport networks and businesses have closed down, it has brought a sudden drop in carbon emissions. Compared with this time last year, levels of pollution in New York have reduced by nearly 50% because of measures to contain the virus.
The proportion of days with “good quality air” was up 11.4% compared with the same time last year in 337 cities across China, according to its Ministry of Ecology and Environment. In Europe, satellite images show nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions fading away over northern Italy. A similar story is playing out in Spain and the UK.
The life-threatening Air Quality Index (AQI) for Delhi, the most polluted city in the world, has been showing satisfactory air quality. Meanwhile Mumbai and Ahmedabad are both registering moderate AQI.
It is obvious that the daily commute across the world has come to a halt with citizens following government advisory and not venturing out, and this has resulted in low emissions and better AQI.
Simply put – the planet has got a chance to breathe clean air.
This is our planet small reboot.
Having given my optimistic perspective about Covid-19, Humanity, Leaders and our planet, a crisis like this that is claiming people’s lives certainly shouldn’t have been the driver of such change. But our behavior shift has always been driven at the edge of alarming situations. COVID-19 has nudged us to change the way we live. For better.
Amidst this lockdown, that continues to get extended, I got a chance to write. To express my view. This was me making the best use of my time. I pray for the lost lives to rest in peace, I pray for strength of those affected and the families, I pray that the economic turmoil ends soon and we get back to the normal.
I believe – this too shall pass.
Before i sign off, i wish to share an initiative from BigBrandTheory. Join us in this humble movement and celebrate the coming together of humanity. Be the voice, be that applause, share, tag any and every Frontliner you know, make them feel special, reach out, express your gratitude.And yes, don’t forget to stay home, stay safe.
Optimist. Believer. Entrepreneur.
Founder @BigBrandTheory, Certified Change & Innovation Expert, ISB Hyderabad.
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