Outbreaks deeply impact our lives. Of course, our habits are also changing. Let's not ignore the psycho-social effects of the outbreak. In addition to the precautions taken against the epidemic, morale is also of tremendous help. We must both lift our spirits and that of those around us. Keeping a safe distance is very important for one-to-one contacts to limit the spread of the pandemic. However, “social distancing” does not mean zero communication with people.
Social distancing should not turn into an emotional one, it only refers to the limitation of physical contact, physical distance. It is very important to protect those who are most at risk like the elderly people and those with an underlying medical condition from the epidemic. Even without an epidemic, loneliness is a concern in itself. So let's not isolate each other. Let's not forget that the basic guiding principle in combating the epidemic is “protecting others as much as ourselves”.
One cannot stress the importance of social values such as social solidarity, love, trust, sacrifice, and social justice in the fight against the epidemic. It will be much more difficult to stop it without leaning into these values. Let's help each other and focus on the safety of our most vulnerable people against the epidemic. As we often emphasize, social distance is about physical distance and with the few exceptions possible, it will work best when everyone commits to it. All humanity is being targeted by this insidious epidemic. So we are fighting against a common enemy. Thus, the epidemic has reminded us once again that we’re all in this together.
It is clear that catching the virus is mostly due to physical contact. The virus spreads this way. Please be careful and don't let the virus win. Not a single person in South Korea refused the test and it took one person who went into crowded environments to help, infecting more than a thousand people. Let's take social distancing very seriously and avoid unnecessary risks that will put us in close contact with other groups of people. Viruses want to multiply by their nature. So let us multiply social trust and solidarity faster than viruses.
Unfortunately, "fake news" spread faster than viruses. Let's be extremely vigilant against news and comments that have not been confirmed by scientific authorities. As humanity, we’re fighting against the clock. Let's not forget, while we continue to resist the epidemic, scientists work day and night.
There are also serious indications that these works are already bearing fruit. We only need time and we should evaluate it very well and accurately under the guidance of our physicians.
Meanwhile, outbreaks provide us with enough time to think deeply about the meaning of life. Since we we place business ahead of human life, many things that are really valuable were slipping from our hands. Business that is devoid of virtues, like an illusion, distorts our truths.
Outbreaks are radically changing the world as we know it. This change will make itself felt in many fields from economy to politics, from production to consumption, from culture to art, from architecture to transportation, from diplomacy to defense.
Even in a country that boasts the biggest defense budget in the world like the U.S., we saw just how weak its public healthcare system really is. Now the U.S. is struggling under a very serious crisis. We witness the helplessness of an economic system that focuses on the well-being of the “one percent”. This epidemic proved how vital it is to societies to have a “welfare state”. It is obvious that building stronger social institutions is essential. Therefore, the public healthcare crisis we are witnessing on a global scale should not be overlooked. There is a lot to talk about when we overcome this pandemic.
