COVID-19: Could It Bring Out The Best Of Humanity?

[indigohex2]

Firstly, I must acknowledge that COVID-19 is a very serious issue and is not to be taken lightly. At the current time, more than 10,000 people have died from COVID-19 with many more testing positive. In my home state of Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews declared a State of Emergency on the weekend. This is how serious the issue is. I urge you to check out official websites that has useful information such as Australian Government Department of Health for those here in Australia or the various Health Department websites in your State or Territory (http://www.health.vic.gov.au for those who live in Victoria) and not conspiracy websites which are spreading disinformation and have no idea what they are talking about (unlike official channels)

That being said, we have seen people "panic buying" or being greedy by bulk buying toilet paper, and a couple of weeks ago, I was in Caroline Springs and I saw a man with several boxes of bottles of Coca-Cola (each box had 8x2 Litre bottles). And there is no pasta or hand sanitizer. But I saw an article on The Conversation that was published today that I urge you to check out (I shared a link to it in the thread about COVID-19) and there has been cases of people protesting this greed that has been promoted by the media (and in particular commercial media) by giving away toilet paper, such as a resident of Richmond here in Victoria (which you can see in the accompanying article).

I believe that disasters brings out the best of humanity (such as the bushfires that occurred in Australia over the summer here) in which people helped out those who suffered (I donated money and some food) and I feel that COVID-19 will bring out the best of humanity, but this time on a global scale.

Do you think COVID-19 will bring out the best of humanity?

You can check out the article I have been speaking about at the following website: How a time of panic buying could yet bring us together

 

[Zachie]

As someone that works in a supermarket.. no. No it won't. People are insane, people are selfish. People are horrible.

 

[Aulos]

Right now I'm not seeing much good. I'm seeing a lot of two types of people at this point:

1. Hoarders who are panicking far too much and making getting necessary items hard for no reason.
2. Apathetic people who think that the whole thing is overblown.

In terms of the latter, I literally heard a coworker say earlier "No one will die" and then go down a somewhat conspiracy road. Like even if it doesn't turn out to be the worst, people are going to die. People have already died. There are people in the risk groups who have reason to feel worried. Not all of us are super healthy and young and can afford to be so carefree.

 

[ii kanji]

indigohex2 I think you are right that it will (eventually) bring out the best in humanity.

The UK this week has seen the tide turn on people's stupidity and selfishness. My best mate lives in Melbourne and from what he's saying you guys are 1-2 weeks behind us.

This time last week I was despairing af. Shops bled dry and many, many people behaving irresponsibly by flouting social distancing advice. However, this week shit's got real and suddenly communities are rallying. People are being considerate at supermarkets, setting up community groups to look out for elderly/at risk neighbours and signing up to volunteering schemes to help out the national health and care services.

Also, I must say I have felt so supported and valued as an emergency medicine doctor this week. Almost everyone has understood and stopped coming to hospital with minor/irrelevant complaints, many local businesses have donated food/phone chargers/hotel space for staff to stay, and every time I think about the Clap for Carers I feel myself welling up. I have no idea whether that experience has changed for retail/other essential workers in the same timescale, but can only hope it has/will.

(Of course bottom line is that the reaction is too late and there is likely to be a lot of suffering because of the irresponsibility/denial of the last few weeks but this outcome is better than uncontrolled pandemonium/riots/looting .etc so I am still keeping faith in humanity.)

 

[Couple's Consoling]

Very few things go one way. It's bringing out the best in some people and the worst in others. Some people are hoarding supplies, some people who own private hospitals are extorting governments, some people are being selfish and going about their daily lives. Some people are trying to stay in to help, some people are working jobs that aren't respected and yet are deeply essential, and some people are in the medical community risking their lives to try to keep other people well. I think the more interesting question is if this will spur good change when all is said and done. In the US, at least, this crisis has laid bare a lot of fundamental flaws in our country and culture. Most of the time, when crises pass, we tend not to do much to actually address the causes and problems they exposed, but catastrophes of this nature are some of the few things shown to repeatedly change social dynamics and inequality. So we'll see how this goes.