Hola internet people, thanks for taking the time to read this. As we pay attention to the current events and things unfolding all around us we wanted to make a note of the things we’ve observed. We figured we owed it to ourselves to not forget this unique moment in history. What does it all mean? Why did it happen and what can we learn from it?
25 Lessons Learned From the Covid-19 Crisis
1. First, we need to take care of our healthcare workers because they take care of us. Instead, they have been left in dire situations. Some had to reuse masks while others had to make their PPE out of garbage bags. Without the supplies needed to safely take care of patients, they’re more at risk of getting sick themselves. Calling them heroes is nice, but making sure they have the supplies they need is better. Maybe the government should put more money into stockpiling medical supplies like masks and ventilators instead of weapons and military equipment?
2. Secondly, countries that have universal healthcare can respond better to pandemics according to the data and statistics. Look at the decisive and effective responses of South Korea, New Zealand, and Vietnam for example.
3. Truckers, first responders, grocery store workers, nurses, and farmworkers are always essential. They’re the ones that keep society going, and they deserve a living wage, paid sick leave, and healthcare.
4. Clearly, a society that values profits over everything is unsustainable. The cruelty of that has been laid bare. It’s also worth asking that if American capitalism is so great, why does it need to be bailed out by socialist policies every decade?
5. Corporations are nothing without their workers! Those workers are ultimately worth more to society than sports stars, billionaires, and Hollywood celebrities.
6. Covid-19 is not the “great equalizer”. If anything, the virus is further illustrating pre-existing problems with inequality in America as it is ravaging Navajo Nation, prison populations, and disproportionately killing blacks.
7. This is one big lesson in impermanence. Life is fleeting and things can change in an instant. That’s why it’s important to live with intention. Looking back, we’re really happy we spent the better part of the last five years traveling the world because the reality is you never know when it can all vanish or be taken away. We live in unpredictable times and there are no guarantees.
8. Mutual aid networks and collective care are the future. Heartwarming stories of communities coming together, nonprofits and individuals making masks, and acts of kindness repaid can restore your faith in humanity. When people step up for each other in solidarity anything is possible.
9. The United States is no longer exceptional or the leading country of the world, it’s a failed state.
10. We’re all interconnected. The entire planet. If we remember that, we’ll all be better off.
11. We need to live more sustainably and be more self-sufficient. Being at the mercy of vast and complicated supply chains to meet essential needs can be problematic. A return to gardening and sourcing foods locally when possible seems wise. Once this all settles down and things become available again, it’s smart to have some N95 masks, non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, and essentials on hand.
12. We should probably eat less meat or none at all. The meat industry was a vector for the virus amongst slaughterhouse workers. Pandemics arise not only from Asian wet markets but from corporate animal farms inside the US. H1N1 (swine flu) that appeared both in the US and Mexico in 2009 proved it. Modernizing meat production would help us avoid pandemics in the future.
13. There have been some positive effects on the environment and air quality worldwide. Subsequently, if we wanted to tackle the threat of global warming this has shown us that we may be capable of it. However, many of the viral stories about animals returning were overexaggerated according to National Geographic.
14. People who price gouge and directly profit from insider trading during catastrophes are the lowest of the low. It should all be illegal and these people deserve to be in prison.
15. Now we all know how animals in zoos feel.
16. Religion won’t save you from diseases. No priest or televangelist has saved anyone from the coronavirus. On the other hand, they have put people in harm’s way and some of the pastors have even died themselves.
17. The government doesn’t give a fuck about you! They knew of a pandemic threat but did little to mitigate the risks. After the arrival of Covid-19, they also failed to bailout the people. A measly $1200 stimulus check was like putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound. Instead of freezing rent, mortgages, and evictions, or offering an expansion of healthcare coverage, both political parties rubber-stamped the CARES Act mostly favoring banks, corporations, and the rich. Repeating many of the same mistakes from the 2008 financial crash. Now that over 250k citizens are dead it seems pretty obvious that they could care less whether you live or die.
18. Bad leaders don’t bring people together. Trump is still holding grudges against political rivals during a disaster at the expense of the people he is supposedly serving. It’s mind-boggling that the US has made Covid-19 into a partisan issue. It’s hard to imagine any other U.S. President handling it this way and it only results in more deaths.
19. We desperately need to learn from past mistakes. There are many parallels between the 1918 pandemic and the coronavirus. They’re worth investigating. Here’s one hint, scientists were ignored.
20. Prevention saves more lives than treatment.
21. Spending more time with your loved ones is both wonderful and stressful. It’s nice to slow down and enjoy the quality time that’s often missing in our fast-paced lives. The video calls with friends and family are fun! Maybe we can keep some of that energy after all of this? However, your significant other might start to annoy you after you spend every waking second together. We seriously can’t even imagine what it’s like to have kids through this! When nobody has anywhere to be it can be tough to find a balance between connecting and having your personal space.
22. Billionaires won’t save us. Elon Musk promised ventilators that never showed up, while others fled to bunkers or floated away on superyachts. Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon/Whole Foods), the richest man in the world, has actively fought against giving his workers paid sick leave. Bezos has also fired employees like Chris Smalls for blowing the whistle on a lack of worker protections and attempts to unionize during the pandemic.
23. Most work is non-essential. In anthropologist David Graeber’s book Bullshit Jobs, he contends that over half of societal work is pointless, and in a culture that conflates work with self-worth, it’s psychologically destructive to the population.
24. Being able to sit with yourself and stay present in the moment is a skill that requires practice and patience. Maintaining your mental health during stressful times is a process. Lockdown can be depressing, but its been a good time to examine what really matters to us outside of just keeping busy and earning money.
25. Last but not least, travel is a luxury and a privilege. This pandemic makes you realize that it’s easy to take those things for granted. The freedom of movement isn’t guaranteed, so try to enjoy it when you can.
Have any lessons learned from the Covid-19 crisis you’d like to share? Leave a comment below…
