Has Coronavirus become Less Scary?

Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, May 20

The coronavirus epidemic has put most governments around the world to a harsh test, forcing leaders to shut their economies and issue shelter-in-place orders for their populations. But is it possible that today, after several months of enduring this pandemic, we are finally equipped to return to our normal, pre-pandemic lives? It’s clear today that extensive damage has been done by freezing up our economies and forcing people to stay at home. In the past three months, an extensive scientific breakthrough was reached after millions of researchers, doctors, scientists, journalists and policymakers came together from every corner of the world to share their findings on the virus, its behavior and ways to curb its spread. Just a few months ago, we did not know anything about the virus. Even virology experts were dumbfounded by the discovery of the new strain. But today, even without developing a vaccine, we are already better poised to tackle it. Many countries around the world have gradually begun to open up their economies and allow the free flow of people. Each country still maintains its own degree of safety based on its own incidence of active cases, the estimated amount of medical care it can provide and the demographic makeup of its society. This is why a country like Saudi Arabia has been able to free up a large portion of its population and begin conducting door-to-door testing in specific neighborhoods. The Saudi Ministry of Health recently announced that 96% of intensive care units beds were vacant and that most confirmed cases did not require hospitalization at all. With mortality rates as low as half a percent, drastic precautionary measures resulting in an economic standstill are simply no longer necessary. Clearly, the difficult experiences of countries in the past few months have shifted our priorities. What matters today is that we gradually ensure the return to normal life coupled with the continuation of social distancing. This strategy relies not on government dictates, but on the vigilance and awareness of our families, friends and colleagues. Yes, this doesn’t mean we are just going to let everyone out on the streets and hope for herd immunity. However, we are today in a far different place from where we were in January. Today we know far more, have more awareness and are better equipped to deal with the coronavirus challenge. – Amal Abdul Aziz Al-Hazani (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)