UAE is ready for coronavirus battle, so should you

The UAE is going all out to contain the spread of Covid-19. Test, test, test, is the advice from the World Health Organization (WHO) which the country is taking seriously. Some 220,000 people have been tested for coronavirus, among the highest rates in the world. The WHO had asked countries to be prepared for high rates of infection after it declared the disease a public health emergency in January and a pandemic recently. The UAE donned battle gear for this war against the disease that has wreaked havoc on economies and destroyed lives. The testing systems were fine-tuned; kits were procured; health systems were on the ready; and frontline health professionals were raring to fight the new virus. The state of preparedness is to be commended. This proactive approach has been swift and effective, akin to what South Korea did to contain the outbreak and prevent it from going to the third and more dangerous stage of community spread.

The South Korean model has come in for much praise and the country’s response was to launch a disinfection drive, which the UAE is now doing while maintaining social distancing. The UAE calls it “physical distancing” which is equally effective. It takes a lot of discipline but the leadership has set an example that has inspired people. Every resident had done their bit in this fight and must be applauded. They have stayed away from public areas and a majority are working from home. They are connecting with family and friends, virtually. A tactical retreat of sorts while frontline health professionals are on the offensive against a mysterious foe that spares no one. The drive-through testing facility that His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, inaugurated will now be extended to all emirates. There will be no let-up in this war on Covid-19. There will be no retreat, no surrender, but our best defence for the moment is to stay safe and indoors while our streets and localities are being disinfected.

The sterilisation campaign has been extended for our safety. Breaching the curfews at night puts our health and that of our loved ones at risk. Work is indoors, so is education, which remains a priority of the government. There is much to learn from this change in our lives. Solitude is one and the power of family is the other. This doesn’t mean we will remain recluse forever but it demands a change in attitude, in the way we look at ourselves and the world outside. It calls for a cleansing of the mind and body and renewing our spirit while reigniting our passions and latent talents that we may have left as we climbed the career charts. We will discover some home truths, while finding new meaning in what we do — the futility of some pursuits and the frailties of our own inflated selves. Our egos will be lashed as we hunker down and count the days and costs while this global war is fought by the medical fraternity. We will see life in a different light when this storm is over. We will rise above ourselves and be led by the kindly light.

We will learn new lessons through re-education with our children and will go back to being kids again. The present may be stark but we will discover a new world of humility when this is past. The poor will become the new rich and we will discover new hearts. We will become humble and seek knowledge. Yes, we will become meek again and will inherit a new earth.