FACING THE CRISIS - DIVIDED OR UNITED?
MARCH 26, 2020 — HANNAH RICHTER
OPINION: In a time where we should all be practicing social distancing, will the Coronavirus strengthen the wider community or create further divisions throughout the world?
It is the front page of every single newspaper around the world, the topic at the forefront of everyone’s minds. If the Coronavirus has not yet affected you in some way, it surely has affected your friends, neighbours or your family. But with everyone being told to practice social distancing in order to flatten the curve of this virus, one begins to wonder how the global community could ever unite as one, so as to get through this global crisis all together, when we are physically so far apart.
Cuban doctors arrive at Malpensa airport, Italy, 22 March 2020 (Source)
In Europe, Italy was the first country to be so affected by this virus. The World Health Organisation (WHO) ranked them as having the second-best healthcare system in the world, however they are in a critical situation with over 64,000 confirmed cases and over 6,000 deaths (at the time of writing*). A number of countries are rallying together to help Italy. China has sent medical supplies, Cuba has sent doctors, and Germany has begun flying Italian patients over to their hospitals.
Yet many other countries could be only a matter of days behind reaching the same level as Italy. So why, then, does it seem some leaders are taking so long to learn from what is happening in Italy and to take greater precautions to prevent the same happening to their own country? The U.K. took almost a week to close schools, bars and restaurants. The Netherlands reopened coffee shops less than 24 hours after they closed them (but kept the seating areas closed). And in the U.S., Trump stated that their economy would be open for business in just a few weeks.
Countries are clearly not listening to each other, and are not all working together. But are individuals?
With videos appearing of spring breakers in Miami and Brits in Spain taking no notice of social distancing warnings and continuing to party, it is difficult to see how the world can unite together in such a time, where it seems there are some incredibly selfish people all around. You only need to walk to your local supermarket and see the bare shelves to realise that some people really aren’t all in this together. But with paywalls on news websites and the continuous spread of fake news surrounding Coronavirus, how can we be expected to understand the extremity of this global pandemic?
Italians playing music to a balcony audience in the San Salvario neighborhood of Turin, Italy, 13 March 2020 (Source)
However, despite individuals hoarding and the many critiques of how world leaders are handling the situations in each individual country, this virus has shown how some people in society have united as a community and are combining their strengths and resources to get through this together. Italians singing on their balconies, a fitness class from the roof in Spain, and individuals leaving messages on public notice boards offering to collect shopping for those self-isolating. In Hong Kong, their citizens began practicing social distancing months ago, before government officials even advised it.
It is impossible to know which country’s approach is best, or how long this pandemic will last. With borders closing every day, it seems that the Coronavirus may be a catalyst for the end of globalisation as we know it. But despite world leaders perhaps becoming more nationalistic, their citizens are staying connected globally online, such as sharing the examples of united communities mentioned above. It is clear that we cannot do this alone. We cannot let this virus tear our communities, or our countries, apart. By working together, practicing social distancing, and following the advice of WHO, whilst learning from countries like Italy, we can overcome this, and be stronger for it once we do. So, for now, stay home (if you can), stay connected, and stay strong. We are all in this together.
*Keep up to date with the most recent figures here.
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