A lot has changed in the past few months, mainly due to the disastrous effects of COVID-19 on our health and economies. It’s all happening so quickly; everything seems to be changing at a rapid pace. What’s more, there is an enormous cloud of uncertainty hovering over everyone. No one seems to have a clear idea of what tomorrow will look like.
The reality is that this virus has been spreading like wildfire. At the time of writing this article, the total number of worldwide confirmed cases stands at 1,712,655 with 103,639 confirmed deaths. Sadly, these numbers are still on the rise.
The reality is that this virus affects everyone. It knows no boundaries. It affects the rich, poor, blacks, whites, celebrities, politicians, medical doctors, nurses, paramedics, bus drivers, etc.
The reality is that the global economy has been hit severely hard. Stocks are plummeting, many businesses are closed, most countries are on lockdown, and millions of people have lost their job. The reality is that things will probably get worse before they get better.
However, despite all these sad realities and beyond all the recent headlines, is the rarest and probably the most needed of all commodities – hope.
Hold on to Hope
Whether we like it or not, we are always going to face difficult times; perhaps it’s losing your job, failing an exam, or losing a loved one. Life is full of challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic is just the most recent challenge we all must face. But, whatever the name of the challenge, hope can help you see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hope can help you face tough challenges with a mindset that will lead you to success.
Once you start looking at this crisis with a hopeful mentality, you will be able to notice the incredible things people are doing to help one another. You will be able to find something positive when looking at the bleak data on your daily news feed. Here are a few other realities that should give you hope during this uncertain time:
- Previous epidemics and pandemics
The fact that this is a novel virus might have us feeling like this is our first pandemic. The truth is that other diseases have ravaged humanity all through its existence. Although they have their own idiosyncrasies, epidemics and pandemics have been around for centuries.
There was the Black Death from 1346-1353 which reportedly killed more than half of Europe’s population. There was also the Spanish Flu of 1918; one of the deadliest pandemics in recent history which killed about 500 million people. Then there was the Asian Flu, MERS, and Ebola. We can find hope knowing that humanity survived all these diseases, and each of them helped us to be more prepared with life lessons learned from others.
- We are already winning
Although the total number of infected cases and deaths are still increasing, it is happening at a much slower rate in some places. Different countries have adopted different measures to deal with this pandemic. One of the most popular measures adopted by most nations is social distancing. And there’s now evidence to show that it is working.
Some countries are gradually returning to normalcy. China recently closed its last coronavirus hospital because there were not enough new cases to support it. Big companies such as Apple and Starbuck are also reopening their stores in China.
- Mobilizing together
Countries might be on lockdown, borders might be closed, and most people encouraged to stay at home; yet people and organizations are still coming together to help in their own ways. Facebook recently donated 720,000 masks and 1.5 million pairs of gloves. Companies such as Tesla are hoping to make ventilators soon.
This pandemic has brought communities together. People are organizing concerts on their balconies. Others are buying essential supplies and sharing with those in need.
We are all in this together! Everyone has a role to play in helping us get through this tough time. This pandemic has helped us realize that all we really have is each other and adopting life lessons learned from others can make all the difference.
31 Comments
Amara Kone · April 18, 2020 at 10:45 pm
Collectively, there is only so much we can do to help curb the effects of the coronavirus (i.e., social distancing, self-quarantining, wearing protective gear, etc.). If life is ever going to resume as it was, we need a vaccine. For me, this is where HOPE come in. Every day, I HOPE we get closer to discovering a vaccine.
duppydomTEAM · April 19, 2020 at 3:17 pm
Amara, thank you very much for your comments. Without a vaccine, there will still be a lot of uncertainty when it comes to resuming our lives. But we cannot discount the lives we are saving by social distancing, self-quarantining, wearing protective gear, etc. – this means there is a lot we can still do 😷
Adaego M. Azi · April 21, 2020 at 9:28 pm
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Adaego M. Azi · April 18, 2020 at 11:24 pm
duppydomTEAM—I am now at the point where I am getting tired of living with uncertainty. Every time I sit on the bus going to work, I am fearful. I do feel hopeful, but I am still in fear – I think both emotions can happen at the same time. Also, I didn’t realize there were so many pandemics in the past. I am hopeful that there will be a cure soon. Thank you for the article, duppydomTEAM.
duppydomTEAM · April 19, 2020 at 3:18 pm
Adaego, we appreciate your comments. We all feel frustrated and fearful 😨 – this is to be expected. But we can also be hopeful – to put it into your words, “hopeful that there will be a cure soon”, or some breakthrough. And there is some promise; currently, scientists are simultaneously working on, transfusions, coronavirus antibody blood tests, etc. 👩🔬🧪
Adaego M. Azi · April 21, 2020 at 9:29 pm
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S. Jakes · April 21, 2020 at 2:32 pm
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Lisa Steffler · April 19, 2020 at 2:44 am
duppydomTEAM – thank you very much for writing this article. Hope is something that everyone needs right now. Hope = prayers = belief in the Almighty. I am on my knees praying every day. Praise be to God for the many organizations that are mobilizing to help feed those in need, but many of these food banks are running out of food and money. My biggest hope is that the donation money keeps pouring in – lets keep mobilizing. Please find your local food bank: https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank
duppydomTEAM · April 19, 2020 at 3:17 pm
Thank you, Lisa, for your comments. These are the times when we see just how much inequity there is in the world – the haves and the have nots. These are the times when neighbor must extend a hand to help neighbor. It’s during these kinds of crises that we see how much love humanity has for humanity 👫💖🌎
Adaego M. Azi · April 21, 2020 at 9:32 pm
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Lisa Steffler · April 26, 2020 at 7:45 pm
You are so right.
Bruce Peters · April 19, 2020 at 7:09 pm
Thank you for the link, Lisa – good idea.
Nadine Wu · April 19, 2020 at 11:25 pm
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Adaego M. Azi · April 21, 2020 at 9:31 pm
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S. Jakes · April 19, 2020 at 3:52 am
duppydomTEAM: thank you for writing this article – again, very timely. How scary are these realities? I just compared the worldwide confirmed cases and confirmed deaths from when this article was written (?) with today’s – it really doesn’t take much time for the numbers to climb. I agree, we are winning, our efforts are making a difference – we can have hope that things will change – maybe not right away, but it gives hope. Thank you duppydomTEAM 👏
duppydomTEAM · April 19, 2020 at 3:16 pm
S. Jakes – thank you. You are correct, the worldwide confirmed cases of coronavirus and associated deaths continue to climb each day. One statistic that is not often reported, but probably gives the most hope is how many people worldwide are tested coronavirus positive but recovered from the virus. For example, as at April 19, 2020: 2,347,875 (confirmed), 161,402 (deaths), and 604,311 (recovered). The recovered cases show that “most people who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment” 🤒 – this is awesome news!
Bruce Peters · April 19, 2020 at 7:24 pm
Good point about the COVID-19 recovered statistics.
S. Jakes · April 21, 2020 at 2:30 pm
Thank you 👏
Adaego M. Azi · April 21, 2020 at 9:35 pm
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Adaego M. Azi · April 21, 2020 at 9:34 pm
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Bruce Peters · April 19, 2020 at 7:36 pm
I am riveted to CNN every day, and I am sad to say that I can’t help but focus on the coronavirus death totals. I agree with S. Jakes that the “recovered” totals show a sign of hope. I do hold on to hope. We have no other choice, really. Something else I keep telling people is that it’s okay to not feel okay. This is something none of us have ever experienced, and right now HOPE can be encouraging, until we have something more concrete to hold onto.
duppydomTEAM · April 20, 2020 at 7:51 pm
Bruce, thank you for sharing your comments. You have made a great point – it’s okay to not feel okay. We shouldn’t feel guilty for not knowing how to cope – we should just do our best. Additionally, while we are adhering to social distancing, we should not become emotionally distance. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between being alone and being lonely. There is no need to feel lonely – keep connected to family, friends, neighbors, and your community – use the internet, social media 📱💻, or just walk outside to your backyard and talk to your neighbor through the fence.
Adaego M. Azi · April 21, 2020 at 9:36 pm
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Nadine Wu · April 19, 2020 at 11:21 pm
The idea that life is full of challenges and COVID-19 is just another challenge, made me think for a minute. At first, I thought it made sense, but after some thought – not really. At least in my lifetime, I have not experienced anything that has affected my entire life like this – I sort of remember SARS and Ebola, but not really. I swear, every time I leave the house, I see more that terrifies me. “Despite all these sad realities and beyond all the recent headlines, is the rarest and probably the most needed of all commodities – hope” – I couldn’t have said this better myself.
duppydomTEAM · April 20, 2020 at 7:51 pm
Nadine – we welcome your insightful comments. Here is something you might appreciate: Sophie Avouris is 102 years old. Last month, while recovering from hip surgery in her nursing home, she contracted the Coronavirus. Last week, she recovered! The most amazing thing about Sophie is that she is the only person who has survived the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic and the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic – no wonder her nickname is “Highlander – the Immortal“. Right now, she is the quintessential example of HOPE for all of us! 🌞
Adaego M. Azi · April 21, 2020 at 9:44 pm
Wow, what a boss lady!! 💪
S. Jakes · April 21, 2020 at 2:33 pm
👏
Adaego M. Azi · April 21, 2020 at 9:38 pm
“Despite all these sad realities and beyond all the recent headlines, is the rarest and probably the most needed of all commodities – hope” 🙏🤗💖
Amie Warwick · April 20, 2020 at 3:38 am
duppydom – you are right. The realities of the coronavirus are depressing and frightful. My husband and I have never washed our hands so many times in a day as we do now. Every time I bring groceries home and hand-wash everything (even cans of food), I think of our new realities. I like the word mobilizing – that’s really what all of us are doing to help ourselves and other people stay safe. I am hoping that one day a reality will be a cure for the virus.
duppydomTEAM · April 20, 2020 at 7:49 pm
Amie – thank you for your comments. We also like the word “mobilizing” – that is what the entire planet is doing – mobilizing our efforts and forces to help fight this disease. Scientists across the world have one agenda in mind – a COVID-19 vaccine 👩🔬💊. And we are finally hearing some good news on that front. This will be a reality within the next year!
Adaego M. Azi · April 21, 2020 at 9:46 pm
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