How has Covid – 19 impacted you?

Unless you are a Virologist, I am pretty sure you have no particular interest to find out about the coronavirus. This unique breed of ‘zombie’ was already there on the prowl even as early as November 2019. But as usual, the ‘it won’t touch us’ syndrome set in! Hmm, that sort of a thing only happens in movies, right? Like the one released in 2016, what was it called, yeah, ZOMBIES? Thankfully, it was a matinee to kill time. The reality is Covid-19 is a killer, and it is not going anywhere soon.  

The truth is the virus is already impacting us here in Malaysia. I have sleepless nights thinking about it, and I am not even a zombie fan! 

My dear readers, what about yourself? How are you faring out there? Remember to follow the SOPs: wash your hands, wear your face masks outside and keep your distance from others (as far as you can!), don’t hang out at malls and don’t go visiting. This is not the time for “open house” Malaysian-style. ☹

Just go out to get yourself vaccinated! 😊😊😊 

To know Covid-19 is to fight Covid-19. Or, as the wise men would say, “know the enemy and, you will know how to defeat him.”  

I am not a Virologist nor a traditional medicine man, so let’s ask the experts at WHO (World Health Organisation). I am sure you know quite a bit about the coronavirus from experts like Dr Anthony Fauci and Dr Sanjay Gupta on CNN or from the newspapers. Even the social media is abuzz with Covid-19 happenings. Some real, some fake, so learn to discern. 

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that causes respiratory diseases from the common cold to more severe diseases. It is a new strain – nCoV – meaning it has not been identified in humans or previously known to exist until now! 

“Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment.  Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.” 

How does it spread? “The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).”  

Now, this is why you and I must not get closer than 1 metre as stipulated by the Ministry of Health. In beloved Malaysia, our national pastime is to hang out in crowded malls and Mamak stalls 24/7. Being the close-knit people that we are, it’s hard to break away from some die-hard habits (unless you are happy to pay the fine!). But break it we must if we are ever to get back together, someday soon!  

Alarming as our pandemic figures are, we cannot afford to be complacent. Some countries are now paying a heavy price for not reading the tell-tale signs until it was too late. And to make matter worst, the world is facing new deadlier variants that make the battle harder to win. 

As Malaysians, we have to do our part. Seriously. Let’s join forces to fight Covid-19 with the authorities. Let’s do our part to protect our loved ones and our neighbours.  Let’s follow the SOPs at all costs. It is your patriotic duty to do so. The sooner we take out the ‘enemy’, the sooner we can get back on our feet. Remember, every battle has a destiny. Victory or Defeat. Let’s win the war against Covid-19. 

How has Covid-19 impacted your life? Take it as a wake-up call and reinvent yourself. Get that doctorate that you always wanted to polish your professionalism. Or enrol for the International Executive MBA and power your way up to the high-income mode. Or acquire cutting edge industry and business skills and leapfrog your career into the digital world that is fast transforming our lives.  

Don’t postpone your life, live it to the fullest, and now! 

As for me, I am far into the new normal of things to worry about tomorrow. Yes, I am saddened by the turn of events in the world, but I know the sun will be still shining tomorrow. So don’t worry, be happy! It is going to be a new and glorious post-pandemic era for all. 

Oh, did you get your jab? I am still waiting for mine. Thank God for the vaccines! 

Stay safe, my friends. 😊