Recently, I was chatting with a friend about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the situation imposed in the world due to the pandemic, and how it has turned the entire globe upside down as though a nuclear-like war has been launched against humanity.
During this relentless crisis, several terms have become common; the dominating ones among them include curfew, flattening coronavirus curve, social distancing and social immunity. It seems as if the world is on the palm of the devil.
This virus has caught many off guard. Both individuals and states are dazed by how off-balance the world has become, to the extent that countries have lost their bearings and others are playing the blame game. The media seem exhausted due to credibility meter which keeps on shifting erratically because of denial episodes that many experienced regarding the existence of coronavirus. Even the cats in Wuhan know that its environs and the entire country are infected, and epidemiological investigation won’t be of any use.
What’s happening? Are these countries in the world weak and afraid of this virus which cannot be seen with naked eyes?
What happened to the science and technology revolution? Where are the research centers and laboratories in the so-called superpowers? Have they become worthless in the face of this nightmare? Is the ambition of the governments solely to isolate their citizens in order to contain the spread of COVID-19?
In other words, are the scientific and technological accomplishments of humanity insufficient in this time of truth in terms of fighting this virus?
I can imagine the virus laughing at the world when some voices believe its existence is based on a conspiracy theory orchestrated by intelligence organizations, all that is happening is just a farce, and that the entire COVID-19 fiasco is just an invention of major countries.
There is a lot of talk and theories regarding this issue, but at the end of the day, this coronavirus crisis is like a game that players need to understand or else the chances of winning will remain slim. The crisis has exposed the principles, abilities and capabilities of countries. It has become clear without a shred of doubt that international agreements are just on paper and could easily be circumvented when each country focuses on its interests as far as this pandemic is concerned. That is why we heard medical shipments being seized midway before reaching their destination.
It is now time for the role of scholars and socio-political researchers in examining what happened from a scientific point of view, the extent of the impact of this crisis on the social infrastructure and its political and social relationship development, as well as to determine whether people are convinced by the information in hand or if the global panic is justified.
Certainly, the post-virus world will not be the same world it was before. During and after the coronavirus era, new cards and new ideas will be put forward. There are accusations that China does not deal accurately with the information, and I believe this. However, does only China deserve such an accusation?
Many political theories have collapsed due to this virus, which continues to laugh at the world.
Don’t ask me about realism or functionalism or even neo-functionalism. Don’t ask me about liberalism and neoliberalism. All these concepts have been replaced by COVID-19. The only dialogue that everyone has become familiar with is flattening coronavirus curve, social distancing and social immunity. All the discussions on the tables of the concerned and relevant authorities can be summed up in a single phrase - Stay at home.
I don’t know if we are at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the tunnel. Certainly, there are countries that are frustrated with the current state of the world in terms of the precautionary measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Countries like Austria, Germany, Switzerland and several others seem to have started implementing post-traumatic measures in a bid to usher new beginning of life after the coronavirus pandemic.
Such kind of measures is aimed at cautiously restoring life back to normalcy. Nonetheless, the questions to be asked are - Until when will life stop? What is the role of medical facilities in this effort to restore life back to normalcy? Time has taught us that confrontation is better than surrendering; in fact, this crisis can be defeated with social awareness and individual practices.
Few days ago, the media reported that a vaccine has been discovered which will help in treating this virus. Preliminary researches and tests have showed its effectiveness in battling coronavirus, and soon it will be sanctioned. Are we approaching the season finale of this deadly virus?
Twitter - @alzmi1969
By Yousef Awadh Al-Azmi
