The world over the past few months has been fighting one of the greatest pandemic in its history which a school of thought are of the view that this fight might probably be a Third World War even though weapons and ammunitions are nowhere near the fight. This time, countries have not risen against others and not even the United States, Russia, North Korea, China, South Korea, et al. can boast of their sophisticated weapons and ammunitions that can travel miles in the name of destructions.
Now, the entire world is fighting a common enemy, Coronavirus (COVID-19) but interestingly, virtually in isolation. The days when countries could cry and rely on partners from other parts of the world are virtually absent, confirming the popular adage, "each one for himself, God for us all".
According to John Hopkins University's recent tally on the global pandemic, Coronavirus has infected over 1.9 million people and killed at least 119,000 people worldwide with the United States of America having the highest recorded cases of over 580,000 and over 23,000 deaths as reported by Cables News Network (CNN) on April 14, 2020 at 2:30pm, local time.
Ghana, like many other countries in Africa have not been spared with the anger of this serious pandemic which for decades, had not occurred to the world. From the Ghana Health Service's statistics, Ghana has recorded 566 positive cases of COVID-19 with 17 recoveries while 8 persons are reported to have died, according to the Director-General of the Service, Dr Patrick Aboagye who disclosed this at the Information Ministry’s Press Briefing on Covid-19 on April 14, 2020.
The fear in figures of positive cases of COVID-19 and the disturbing reports of deaths across the globe has made countries either going into partial hiding or total hiding as figures notwithstanding which country is hiding or not keeping on galloping. Ghana for example has its two biggest regions; Greater Accra and some parts of Ashanti and Awutu Senya Municipality in Central Region, having restricted movements of their inhabitants with a week more to know their faith as to whether there will be a lift of lockdown or not.
Despite the fact that this pandemic has costed all nations by bringing most activities and events to a standstill ranging from education, sports, religion, business activities, economies of states, among others, there seems to be a lot of relevance and lessons either being learned or has been learned amid the head of the pandemic.
Among the relevance are as follows:
To begin with, this global pandemic has truly strengthened the acknowledgement of God's existence and his limitless power over all things. As the Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte will put it when Italy started recording higher numbers of COVID-19 cases in early March, “We have lost control, we have killed the epidemic physically and mentally. Can’t understand what more we can do, all solutions are exhausted on ground. Our only hope remains up in the Sky, God rescue your people.”
The above quotation obviously tells that the power of God cannot be left out in fighting every enemy. Ghana, like many other countries have invited the presence of God in the fight as a National Day of Fasting and Prayers involving all faiths has been observed with its citizens awaiting the mercy of God to befall them. Also, United States of America led by the much talked about President Donald Trump have followed suit in inviting the mercy and power of God in the fight against coronavirus. Recently, Americans observed a National Day of Fasting and Prayers when President Trump called on all citizens to seek the face of God. Humanity out of sobriety has indeed realised the need to invite God which going forward, a lesson would be learned and our thinking about the supremacy of God will highly be accorded with the needed reverence.
Another relevant factor that cannot be overlooked in this era of global pandemic is the sense of self discipline. Now, man has observed that if you spend abundantly today, an unforseen future will visit you when you will be in insufficiency and that the need to save for tomorrow. The driver's mate will not spend all his earning in a day on vanity, the Kayaye will save out of their daily earnings for tomorrow, the market woman will be observant in her daily spending. To paraphrase the late popular musician, Kofi B of blessed memory, "Bantama Kofi Boakye, if you get money, take your time". Who at all should be left out of this new lesson of self discipline? I believe we are all in the same thinking space.
To add to the above, the presence COVID-19 and its restrictions both partial and total has helped to strengthen families. Now, the wife or husband and children who for one reason or the other could not feel the presence of the other and its associate happiness that comes with it are all around to make silent merry though with a bit of fear. Complaints about "my husband does not stay home, my husband is seeing another woman", among other petty family disputes that could nearly break marriages are almost put to rest with everybody staying at home.
One cannot critically analyse the relevance of COVID-19 without its enforcement about the need to maintain personal hygiene. Basic personal hygiene like regular hand washing has now become a part of humanity. It is now a daily ritual for the 'poor village folks' to intermittently practice hand washing. This practice, will definitely become a requirement of humanity thereby maintaining good hygiene protocols.
Furthermore, talking about the relevance of COVID-19 to the world, it has helped to drum home lessons to leaders across the globe especially Africans to know about the need to give a priority to investing in the health care needs of their respective jurisdictions. The advent of COVID-19 has exposed the deficits in the health sectors of all nations. Currently, no country can boast of having it all in terms of infrastructure and required equipment in the health sector. If an European country like Spain and others can turn sports stadiums and hotel facilities into isolation centers for housing patients of COVID-19 as a result of their hospital facilities being outstretched, it is a distant lesson to the developing countries. This virus has thought and continues to teach leadership of nations great lessons on why they should channel a higher percentage of their nations' budget in improving infrastructure in the health sector.
Last but not least, COVID-19 has thought humanity that a particular time with its global challenges has it that irrespective of your status; rich or poor, young or old, leader or follower have equal chances in facing a threat on the globe hence no super human among humility.
With all the above cogent opinions woven together, it is now evident that even though COVID-19 continues to pose a threat to the world as the numbers of infections and deaths galloping daily, its relevance emanating from the fight cannot be overlooked.
Editor:Skontvgh
Oscar Anning
University of Education, Winneba.
College of Technology Education, Kumasi
Faculty of Education and Communication Sciences
Department of Languages Education.
B.A English Language Education, Level 400.
anninoscar@gmail.com
0502339821/0240041329
){kind=link}
0 Comments