In Need Of Some Good News, Or Some Peace Of Mind? Here Are Some Positive Outcomes Of The Coronavirus

It is no secret that this global crisis is something most of us have never experienced, at least to this level of severity. My heart goes out to everyone that has been diagnosed with the virus, and everyone that knows someone who has. It truly is a ruthless disease that no one saw coming—and it has completely transformed the way our world is functioning. Even if you have not been directly impacted by the disease or know someone who has been, these massive changes in day to day life is something everyone is going through. That being said, I think many of us could use a little hope, peace of mind, or good news. So, although we should most definitely not ignore the cruelty of the disease and continue taking precautions, here are a few upsides this virus has brought us.

1.) So many of us are finally understanding the true value of our health and taking care of ourselves.

It is safe to say that in today’s fast paced world, too many of us are so fixated on work, school, our families, our social lives, and simply just making it through the day. I know I can most definitely say for myself that work and taking care of my family so often extracts all of the energy I have by the end of the day. Now I know this is common, but ignoring the need to take care ourselves (mentally and physically) because we get too focused on other areas of life will ultimately produce damage. So, it brings me so much relief and happiness after seeing so many more people using these days in quarantine to not only keep themselves healthy and away from the virus, but to do those little things that make them happy, do some self care, and just take a much needed break from their busy lives.

2.) We are reaching out to others.

Whether it’s grandparents, friends, cousins, or our neighbors—it is so amazing to see so many people coming together, helping each other, and checking on each other. I have seen countless photos on social media of younger people buying groceries for their elderly neighbors or grandparents, people baking cookies and putting them on their friend’s or family member’s doorstep, or even just texting someone and asking how they are really doing. The virus is managing to bring so many people together, even if that means we can’t physically be together for a while.

3.) It will completely change how we view money, they way we manage it, and make us realize just how often we take it for granted.

After the millions of workers left unemployed due to the pandemic, we should all learn one thing (even if you are not unemployed): money is simply not something to underappreciate, overspend, or take for granted. You never know when your life could totally turn around. Even though the unemployed are getting checks and we have received the stimulus, for some it just is not enough. People have families. People have debt. People have mortgages. So, even if we cannot see the positive from this yet, I have full faith that this will teach everyone to save a little more in the future, to be prepared just in case.

4.) And finally, some of my favorite pro’s that have resulted from this: the clean air some places haven’t seen in years, the plummeting number of greenhouse gas emissions, and the ban of wildlife trade.

I think many of us can agree that the climate change crisis has not been addressed nearly as much as it should be from our leaders, and before this, we had most definitely not made significant progress in preserving our Earth. So, even though it didn’t happen in a way that will last forever or in the way I imagined it, the undeniable impact the virus is having on our environment is amazing.

It has been stated in The New York Post and Politico that China, for example, experienced 25% lower carbon emissions in February of this year compared to February of last year. Along with that, China and Vietnam also placed a ban of exotic animal trade due to the belief of some experts that the exotic trade could be the cause of the virus. The ban eliminates the sale and consumption of bats, dogs, cats, etc. Lastly, one of the most significant benefits of this in my opinion, is the rapid decrease in premature deaths due to the decrease in air pollution. It has been said that about 4.6 million premature deaths normally occur worldwide within a year. However, in just China alone, the drastic air quality improvement has been estimated to have saved 4,000 lives of children under 5, and 73,000 lives of adults over 70. This puts the number of lives saved about 20 times higher than the number of lives lost due to the virus.

So, although the obvious devastation the coronavirus has cultivated is definitely not something to ignore or take any less seriously, I know many of us could find a little peace of mind from these newfound positives, as well. Remember, there is always good in everything—you just might have to look a little deeper.

By Kim Holderness