HOW TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT 2020?
Before 2020, everyone was excited about the new decade. Many were hopeful about the future. Some were starting to dream big about their lives. I was one of the many. I was hopeful of the new beginning, since I started training to be a Family Physician, at the same time managing my already existing business and starting a new restaurant. 2020 for me was a year of new beginnings. In fact, Me and my wife planned to wed abroad in that year. Everything was well prepared, until the inevitable happened. Indeed things don't work according to plan, because there is no perfect plan.
Like many, all hopes were immediately shattered, like a glass suddenly breaking into smaller pieces. No one was prepared, and no one knew how long it will take to be back to what was normal.
SARS COV 2 otherwise known as COVID 19 was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30th January 2020, and a pandemic on 11th March 2020 by the World Health Organization. this created a cascade of reactions all over the world, including travel restrictions, and lock downs. Literally, COVID stopped the world from moving. Whilst there was an increasing public health concern, governments failed to anticipate the economic impact of the pandemic. Everyone was afraid, anxious, and uncertain.
The race for a vaccine began, and truly an unparalleled human achievement in the history of vaccine development was made. in more or less 6-9 months, we have developed effective vaccines in their Phase 3 clinical trials with promising results. EUA or emergency use authority were immediately granted on these vaccines worldwide. In 2020 as early as November, we began vaccinating the health workers.
We began hoping again. lock downs were slowly lifted to salvage the economy. Travel was slowly restored, but then there was the 2nd wave... and the 3rd.... So many people died already, and so many are getting sick.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN 2020 AND HOW TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT IT?
Between March - June 2020, I would call this as the darkest time of the year. Many of our colleagues contracted COVID and even before knowing it, they succumb to the virus. Many lives were lost, and hope for a vaccine is still out of reached.
People were deprived of freedom, and most are locked down in their homes. This is the time were anxiety is at it's highest. There was fear of the unknown. I myself was not spared from being afraid because the enemy is invisible. I wore PPE 24 hours a day yet even with the security of the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), it can not protect us from the penetration of fear. Sometimes I wonder, is the enemy really the virus? or the anxiety within.?
The pandemic is an on-going chess game between the health worker and the virus. You have to anticipate every move and evaluate your response from time to time. The move changes into different variations depending on the point of attack. In this analogy, CORONA VIRUS is winning, yet as long as its not a stale or a mate, there is always hope for recovery. In the game of chess, he who thinks prospectively will have the vantage point. Let us attack the virus where it is weakest and the only way to win is to have a better defense from its very strong offense.
On the brighter side, people shifted their attention to social media and other hobbies. Albert Enistein once said, and I quote " In every crisis lies an opportunity", This was very evident during the lock down period. We have created the new normal to which until now, we are adapting.
There was an increased food delivery service utilization. Restaurants and other establishments have innovated their operations and marketing. Schools and education centers increased the utilization of virtual conferences and video conferencing. The entertainment industry shifted to virtual platforms. Many had tilted their interests in gardening and planting. And life moved on.
FAST FORWARD 2021-2022
As of this writing, we already vaccinated over 1 billion people in the world and over 1 Million people in the Philippines. A spark of hope for our quest to a COVID - free world. Yet in the light of this small progress, there are more contagious variant that are currently posing threat for another wave of unimaginable scale (positively hoping not).

The COVID crisis is a multifaceted enemy. The trigger is the virus. However we could not only blame the virus. There is human behavior, and human response towards it. On top of that, there are misinformation coming from non -experts who lam blasts scientific facts in social media and creates confusion making it harder for health workers to combat the pandemic. There are good regulations yet the implementation is wayward. In this game of chess, we are approaching a stale mate and it's just a matter of time that we will lose to the virus.
THE SOLUTION
There is no clear solution to the present threat but to survive. COVID will become a part of our lives whether we like it or not. Just like flu, influenza, SARS, Measles, Varicella, Tuberculosis, and many more. One day, COVID will just be like a common cold, if we successfully vaccinate the whole world, and prevent the super spreaders from infecting the vulnerable population.
Of course we know that already, but do you really want to know the real solution to this? It starts with personal discipline and vigilance. If you do not allow yourself to be infected by following the minimum health protocols and staying healthy, then you got yourself a chance to survive. the other one is collective participation in securing public health. Effective contact tracing, vaccination, and strict implementation of the regulations can put the impact of COVID to a minimum. The question is, are we ready to follow?
Of course not. We have seen how people impose their sense of entitlement because of too much freedom. We have seen how people show their stupidity more than responsibility. Perhaps the problem is not the virus itself, but our tainted human race.
Be a part of the solution. Life is short, don't make it shorter.
Supremo, MD
May 13, 2021
5:00 pm
(Disclaimer: All photos used are from the internet. No copyright infringement intended. CTTO.)