Covid, Our Society and New Norm

Covid, Our Society and New Norm

Since starts from this decade from 2020 there are new words come into our  day today practice that we never thought of. Covid, social Distancing, Quarantine some of the words that become more familiar since starts from the decade. This Covid pandemic had change people in to new norm and new practices  that we never thought of. This is a small effort look into the societies and figure out what had been adopted by the societies with this new outbreak.

Emphasis on cleaning

As you know hand washing is not something new to us. But the amount of emphasis and importance of hand washing wasn't important or highlighted as much as nowadays. In the same time products related to the hand sanitation including hand washing, scrubs, hand gel become one of the most valuable and important commodities in day today activities. Also, facilities for the hand hygiene become more familiar and easily accessible. Even we saw in hospitals where hand hygiene should be norm taking drastically measurements to improve their facilities. Hope this will going to be new norm in the society and people will keep up this for rest of their life. Also demand for other sanitary products like toilet rolls, wet wipes sky rocket in the rest of world as people believe this may help  at least to take the control of their own health and can stay away from the virus.

Social distancing

As a nation we are very friendly, loving and socially bound society. Most of the activities that we do have in the society including cultural, social or religious attract large no of people into these events. Example including Funeral house, Dana , Pirith, Weddings, new year ceremonies, Dansal , Poya etc and many more can add to the list. But since the introduction of virus and as a counter mechanism for the virus- social distancing had done major blow to these cultural , social and religious events. This year new year end up without having single fire cracker or without having single new year festival. Funeral houses only restrict to small numbers and religious events no longer consider as safe events. It applicable to all the religions and it is a global norm. This may be the first time in history that majority religions in the world come into single command and adopt the conditions which wasn't norm for them in the past. So suddenly socially more integrated societies starts to distance from the societies and people. Now the terminology called social isolation, stay at home or quarantine at home for 10-14 days become new social norm. People will now think twice before go into a people's gathering and this will remain in the society for some time and may be till we will find a vaccine.

Social Obedience

Controlling the society with more draconian methods and lock down measurements is very difficult. People are losing their livelihoods, income, wealth and governments are losing their economic powers. But as you can see most part of the world people respects to these drastic measurements and respect with social obedience. No one is challenging the so called two meters rule and people are happily waiting in the supermarket ques maintaining the appropriate distance. Suddenly more stubborn societies and people happy to accept the social obedience. Initially who refuse for quarantine now voluntarily ask for quarantine and likewise society is adopting and evolving against the virus.

Virus and personal impact

As you know with the start of virus there was so much anger, discrimination and fear against the Chinese expats as well as tourists. Later this shift into people who came from Korea and Italy and people starts to look at them as disease carriers. In past who welcome these people later start to show their unhappiness. Also, later the point shift into anyone who come from abroad and  suspect them as possible carrier. Gradually this shift into certain minority groups and people starts to look into each other with suspect. People are more and more worrying of contracting the virus as they already educate enough to know that there is no cure for the disease. So, people do have fear for their lives and try to adopt all possible measurements to  keep away from the disease. Also, any other deviation from typical and visual norm of the people may be interpret as evidence of infection including elderly, obese, individuals who disfigured or disable etc. In foreign countries and western world including America discrimination against Asians, Black Americans and other ethnic minority groups are increasing. Even though this virus doesn't care any borders or any differences among the society or people they already start to make their own judgements and this could be lasts in societies many months to come.

Behavioral changes with the virus

The fear behind the human to human transmission from asymptomatic people has done massive blow to the societies and their usual practices. Kissing, hugging or shaking is not going to be respectful or culturally accepted methods anymore. Online teaching, Video conferencing, online shopping and even group chatting become more and more accepted by the societies and people. These technologies were not new to the people but adopting this kind of mass scale by the people is obviously new to the societies. More people seem to be healthier as they try to prevent going into hospitals or private practices and it is questionable as whether this is a good or bad situation. People who were telling that they have no time for other works now sit-down with their families and children and enjoying together. During this lockdown period and pandemic time people have changed their behaviors with very short notice.

All those things were driven merely by the fear of death which attach along with the virus. Number of high-ranking people who caught up with the virus and damage to the western world by the virus makes people more fearful and more cautious about what they are doing. This has brought the societies into new level of normal and uncertainty of the virus will help to keep these in the societies longer. No cure for the infection, no vaccine, fear of second wave and lot of uncertainty along with the pandemic had help societies to adopt these measurements so rapidly. The mentality of western super power had already been challenged by the virus and people may have to find what will be the future place and role of these so called western super powers.

Finally, every single person in this world starts to realize that your health, your people's health, your neighbor’s health, rest of the people's health in the world is the most important. Health has again proved as noble profession. Let's not let the virus to decide any more norms in our lives. Stay safe, stay at home.

Janaka Jayasinghe