The past year and a half have been the most difficult worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused health and economic crises all over the world. Lives were lost, and the economy has dropped. As a result, some businesses had to close down, and many people lost their jobs.
As science made the availability of the vaccine possible, many have got their lives back to normal. We can now enjoy the outdoors again. Businesses are back in operations. Sporting and live events are back, though in a limited capacity for some. But the truth is, the virus is still very much around. It still poses a deadly threat, especially to the people who haven’t been vaccinated yet.
Despite the havoc that the pandemic has wreaked, it also has positive effects. This is what most people call the “silver lining.” The term “silver lining” is typically used to emphasize the good side of a bad situation. It is a sign of hope. A positive aspect while negative things are happening.
This article aims to show the good things this pandemic has brought to many people worldwide.
1. Healthcare Needed to Step Up
The health industry has to work double-time to address the needs of people during the pandemic. Healthcare workers are known to be the frontliners. They are in the teeth of the COVID-19 warpath. They are expected to provide treatment, cure, and save people’s lives.
Some changes have become troubling to some doctors. There has been a significant drop in cases presenting themselves to emergency treatment. This leads to the conclusion that patients became too afraid of going to the hospitals. The main culprit is the COVID-19 virus, and people are afraid of contracting it.
This led doctors and public health officials to look for ways to address these concerns. They needed to find ways to connect to their patients. As the world tried to find solutions to the pandemic, the health industry needed to step up. To improve the quality of life, they integrated health informatics with technology.
Healthcare based on telecommunication technologies has been advanced. Patients can now use their phones and computers to meet with their doctors virtually. For patients who are going through dialysis, experts have also established on-site dialysis partnership programs. They have also developed remote monitoring tools and wearable medical technology. Even sequencing of genomes has improved healthcare at a faster pace. The convergence of technology and medicine has become effective during the pandemic.
2. Environmental Benefits
The abrupt shift in human behavior has caused major improvements in the environment. The sudden stay-at-home restriction has caused the earth to take a breather. The skies are bluer, and the air is cleaner with fewer cars running. Smoke emissions from vehicles and factories have dropped.
Air pollution directly affects bodies of water and soil. Its particles, such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, create acid rain. This happens when it is mixed with oxygen and water in the atmosphere. And when acid rain falls to the ground, it damages plants and kills crops and their offspring. It can also degrade the quality of water. It mostly affects rivers, streams, and lakes. Animals can also suffer effects from air pollution. This causes diseases, congenital disabilities, and lower reproductive rates.
Of course, humans take a beating from air pollution, too. Air pollution has short-term and long-term effects on our health. The short-term effects include nose, eyes, throat, and skin irritation. It also causes dizziness, headache, and nausea. Curable diseases such as pneumonia and bronchitis are part of the list, too. On the other hand, the long-term effects include heart disease, emphysema, respiratory disease, and even lung cancer. Our liver, kidney, nerves, and brain can also be badly affected by exposure to air pollution. Even babies can suffer from congenital disabilities because of it. It is estimated that about two million people die of air pollution worldwide every year.
But there is good news. The months of lockdown have caused major improvements in the environment. The quality of air has become better. Bodies of water have become cleaner. Even noise pollution has lessened. And the wildlife became calm and undisturbed. It turns out the earth’s cure is what we call our lockdown.
3. The Advancement of Information, Communication, and Digital Technology
This has brought people worlds apart closer to each other. Using phones, computers, and laptops, you can talk to people anytime, anywhere. And you can do this in real-time regardless of time zones. Therefore, information has become very accessible to everyone.
Now, experts are getting closer to the closure of this pandemic. What’s good is we all have something to look forward to. One day, the virus will not have its fatal effects anymore, and we can enjoy three things: a better and cleaner environment, good healthcare, and advanced technology. As a result, we will all live in a better world.
