Don't Panic - BaanPorPeng EN

COVID-19: Turning the corner … crisis or opportunity

Published Date: 1 Apr 2020
Resource: Creative Thailand

Year 2020 opens with an urgent disaster throughout the first quarter. Beginning with the fierce Australian bushfires, the PM 2.5 has also been extending for years. More intense with unrest between the United States and the Middle East And which creates a shocking feeling for many Thai people Was the shooting at Korat which led to the copying behavior many times

But the word that most people on every continent of the world are afraid and afraid of is now inevitable, “Covid-19”

This epidemic, in addition to killing the lives and health of people in more than 160 countries, has also abused businesses, small businesses and the stock market. Humane deprivation And ravaging the mental health of our society without mercy

We have a hundred and ninety reasons to be afraid of Covid-19. Including the easy transmission The number of people infected and killed every day. Lack of vaccine Timely management Horrifying facts are still being condemned with fake news to intensify the tide … Kovid-19 It is a new phenomenon that we should not sit still. But how should we prepare ourselves?

We fall ill because of Covid … or ideas.
In physical terms, even though the World Health Organization announced that the covid-19 was a Pandemic caused by the corona virus for the first time. (The World Health Organization treats SARS and MERS as endemic, not an epidemic.) However, this new virus is not considered serious compared to other epidemics in the past. Only the seriousness of this outbreak was

Fast and wide spread rate
But why is Covid-19 So powerful and extremely devastating

COVID-19, which stands for Coronavirus Disease 2019, is a new type of coronary virus named 2019-nCoV. Many people already know that the corona virus is not a stranger. Corona viruses are found in more than 200 species of animals and humans, but in the past, humans were known to the 6 corona viruses, the original strains that cause endemic diseases like colds and respiratory diseases. There are 4 species. Emerging strains 2 species cause acute respiratory infections such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or MERS) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus). Respiratory Middle East) 2019-nCoV is the 7th member in the family

In 2002, 774 people died from SARS, out of a total of 8,096 people infected, with a mortality rate of 10%.
Later in 2012, a total of 2,494 homers were infected and 858 died or 34%

Compared to Covid-19 With nearly 9,000 deaths from a total of 220,000 people infected (as of March 19, 2020) since mid-December 2019, the mortality rate is only 3.4%.

And if going back nearly 700 years ago between 1347-1351, the Black Death was known as the Black Death. 75-150 million people died, causing the world population to drop from around 450 million. Remaining 300-375 million people, which is the largest epidemic damage in human history.

The second deadly epidemic is the Spanish flu. Rampant during the year 1918, about a third of the world’s population is infected and about 50 million people die

The main cause of rapid bodily contact is a changing lifestyle in the globalization era. Urban society comes with fast-moving dynamics. More and more people spend money on convenience and happiness. Popular eating, drinking, and living outside of the home. Less alone and more importantly, a restless lifestyle leads to more movement of the population Traveling across provinces is easier and more affordable than 10-20 years ago. A lot of people work in different countries and cities. Not many people enjoy visiting different cultures. Causing the virus to spread without borders Passengers traveling by airplane in 2019 totaled 4,500 million, up from 2,479 million in 2009 and 1,994 million in 2004.

When the situation becomes worse The government has upgraded the infection control measures. Announcement to reduce travel to foreign countries Suspend meetings and gatherings Many workplaces and entertainment places are closed. Including all educational institutions Consumers flock together to stock up on products and vendors to raise prices at the same time.

Fewer people leave the house Favorite activities like eating Check-in at cafes, manicures, exercise, and hilarious spirits, as well as traveling to other provinces and countries, have to be reduced by default. Loneliness from detention and keeping social distance leads to depressed populations. Because of longing for a familiar source of happiness

When consumption behavior and recreation activities begin to decrease Many businesses are slowing down. The unemployment problem Economic disruption Stock market sluggish All of this is a fuel to add chain top stress.

When having to stay more at home Most of the free time is gone. Surfing the internet to closely monitor the situation. But the more news we eat Only increased panic

Unpredictability of the future and the end of events like this result in falsehood. The rumors are as reliable as the facts. Fear spread to our hearts more than the droplets of the infected. Tension gradually builds up, followed by chaos.

Our society probably won’t die with Covid-19. But will have mental health problems first

Fear fluctuates with ignorance.
In the midst of the ocean, newsday and the tsunami that blow the news. Exaggerate. Did you know that 80% of the infected people have few or no symptoms? 15% show signs and 5% fall into a crisis.

Did you know that Tom Hanks is hospitalized for only five days?
Did you know that asymptomatic patients have almost no chance of transmitting the infection?
Did you know that Phase 1 2 3 of the epidemic situation Not related to the severity of the disease
The truth is both bad news and the good news is that the situation will get worse. But after that it will improve

Professor Yongphu Worawan, MD, head of the Center for Clinical Virology Department of Pediatrics Faculty of Medicine Chulalongkorn University Explain the nature of the epidemic that Many outbreaks caused by viruses When more than half of the population were infected with or without symptoms Will create herd immunity and when a large population is immune The epidemic will reduce the violence. Become endemic Or seasonal epidemics instead, such as the Spanish flu that has lost quite a lot in the first year After that, he was endemic to the flu season for a long time later. The first stage of smallpox is very severe. When the vaccine was invented, it eventually caused smallpox to disappear.

In the meantime, there is still no vaccine to treat Covid-19. And no one can answer when the outbreak will occur. Regardless of how many people in Thailand are infected Or the spread at any level What we should do for ourselves and society is to maintain good health. Conduct themselves to be hygienic Be careful of spread and infection. And avoiding information that is not useful and not confident that it is true.

Covid wasn’t a crisis (final)
However, world health expert Alanna Shaikh spoke frankly on the TedTalk stage at TEDxSMU on March 11, 2020 on Corona is Our Future.

“This is not the last pandemic that we will face. From now on, more and more epidemics and epidemics will spread. This is not an estimation of ‘likely’, but it is definitely ‘born’. And it arises from the way humans interact with our world. “

Therefore, Covid-19 That we are all afraid of In fact, it was just a huge iceberg beneath the sea that we could not see, and unaware of, maybe just one of many other icebergs waiting in front. Which will bring changes or other crises in the future, instead of being frightened by despair and inviting people around to lose hope at the same time What can we do to prepare ourselves to prepare ourselves? And turning sickness into a good world.

Crisis opportunity
Consider the fragility of life
The moment that the disaster occurred in the world. Human raw instincts like fear Survival, greed, selfishness will emerge from hiding.

The period of Kovid-19 was the same. No one wants to be sick, wants to die, wants to be separated from their lover. Or want to pay for expensive treatment Therefore, each person is paranoid. The mental manipulation of love and fear of death does not lead to any good at all, but will cause displeasure to yourself. Which is the source of endless suffering

During this condition When we have feelings, manipulated and unwholesome, such as thinking, angry, “Little Ghost” or “Super Spreader” that does not comply with social agreements. Or condemning the people and related agencies that cannot handle it effectively Considered as a good opportunity to stay calm. Catch up with your thoughts To consider our manipulated mind And stop using emotions But retreated to this epidemic for a realistic reason that Everything is impermanent, born, hurt, die. It is normal for life.

What we and the world are facing today is not uncommon and not new. Suppose one day we were infected with this virus. Follow the medical procedures. Do not be alarmed, because panic does not help us to escape the infection. Also may cause us to fall ill with other diseases as well

While we are not dead Do not be afraid to die to the death alive

Moments like this We should thank Covid-19. Even reminding us to live on carelessness And nudged to remind how lucky we are to still breath Have time to refine the mind to see the change And accept natural laws

Even if one day the outbreak began to subside, don’t forget that there is no guarantee when we will live. Considering the death that may come today Tomorrow will help us to spend the rest of our life worthwhile, accumulating good, creating happiness for ourselves and our loved ones. And create good things for society

“The epidemic does not harm us. As much as fear of the plague Even during the epidemic Happiness still exists around us. Wishing everyone to see happiness in the midst of the disaster we are facing. “

Phra Phaisan Wisalo

Adjust offline life
This phenomenon that affects a wide range of lifestyles creates a new normal or a different way of life. Sometimes it is a turning point that exceeds expectations.

From time immemorial Local people in the West African community have a custom of bathing and touching their bodies with their bare hands before burial. But when the Ebola outbreak in the years 2013-2016, exposure to the secretory bodies of victims of Ebola caused the virus to spread rapidly in 2014, the funeral of a famous pharmacist in Sears. Only one job was made in Leone, causing 28 people to be infected with Ebola. The government of Liberia and the United States announced the enforced burning of all the dead bodies of the Ebola virus. Resulting in many communities canceling touch and burial later

New Normal in the era of Covid-19 Began to appear Western countries began to change the tradition of greeting from holding hands, hugs and fragrances to touching elbows, waving hands, including paying respect to Thai people.

On the other hand, this behavioral change causes the opposite polarity of New Normal, which is to go back to Old Normal or the way we are used to in the past. Especially before we knew the internet The internet and smartphones shorten the whole world into our hands. We can work, run, and enjoy almost anything with ease and save time than ever before. But does it feel that we are living more haste? And have less free time

Keeping yourself in the house during this period slows down our lives. Give time to yourself and your family to the fullest. Eat homemade food Living life outdoors, exercising, and more importantly instead of being overwhelmed by news and stress. Should find activities to enhance happiness in leisure, such as reading, playing music, gardening

The second Old Normal may go back to the past but was never an old story in Thai society 108 years ago. (R. Pia Malakul) Chancellor, Ministry of Dharma Compose a book “The treasure of the gentry” in order to compile proper behavior, both physically and verbally. The first chapter on gentry is to maintain order. A good person would not pick, pull, pull, pick, lamb, scratch the body in the community. Would not sneeze with a loud voice without covering Would not be correct or hand over things that others would consume with their hands Would not take his own utensils, such as spoons and forks, to scoop out things that were consumed Naturally being careful not to speak in front of others to be very close All are teachings that we have heard from young to old. But we may forget some of the Western culture

Or these virtuous customs that help slow the rate of infection in Thailand than many countries around the world

Change online behavior
Online media is an endless source of information that can provide us with knowledge and entertainment. Can’t think of anything, do something wrong, or nowhere to create peace of mind as well as social media.

But in a period of disarray, everyone is full of questions and needs explanations. Social media has emerged as a public debating platform filled with sparks and opinions that no one listens to. The audience questioned each other. Scramble for cheer and abuses The speaker still did not finish. The listeners also became angry. Some of them lead to further expansion and then become aware again. Wherever you look, there are only angry, anxious, and psychopathic people who follow.

We have read and seen Hate Speech and this aggressive and aggressive atmosphere over and over again. Will make us not see the facts and cannot find the way out Finally, we will not rise up to fight for change anymore. Because all hope is gone It is a condition called Learned Helplessness or the hopelessness that results from life experiences.

In the hour when society needs to hold on Considering information, conserving negative emotions, showing positive emotions helps build a positive ecosystem on social media. In order to help create positive energy in the society

Knowing but not frightening
One percent chance to add to Covid
Chance nervous breakdown percentage

Social revolution

As a two-edged sword The online world has both benefits and harms.

Since social media is like our flesh and blood People tend to expect too much attention, acceptance, and praise from others. Also tend to be less sympathetic to others Because taking a selfie, posting a top photo, likes, and comments will lead to misuse and make the user feel overly confident. Felt as if all eyes were fixed, and the spotlight shone at himself

But when the Covid-19 crisis Increasingly intense social media users post fewer selfies or stories about themselves. But there has been a growing concern among people around the world, patients, medical personnel, nations, and world-wide friends. Thai people make video clips to encourage doctors and patients in Wuhan. Many hospitals announce donations and receive overwhelming support from the people. The government canceled the policy to distribute money to mitigate the effects of Covid-19. After people use social media as a voice to comment on the government to review the said measures.

This crisis We have seen tens of thousands of Canadians on Facebook join together to do good deeds by giving a small friendly heart to those in need such as shopping, cooking, housework, teaching exercise online. Or even talking to an old friend This group occurs as a mushroom. And expanding to many other countries within a few days They call this activity Caremongering (Awakening, attention) is a new term that is derived from the word Scaremongering (Release the news to incite people to be terrified) because many people are fed up with garbage and pollution online.

Many members join because they feel stressed from staying at home and staying alone. To come out and do good things for others to help the elderly who are lonely and refreshed. Make you feel that life has meaning

Another way to be happy from the online world is to #togetherathome. The concert that was performed live via Instagram for fans around the world who have to detain themselves at home is watching Chris Martin the first artist in this project. Followed by John Legend and many foreign musicians.

Transform the economy
Kovid-19 is not just a public health crisis. But also creeping across all divisions and humans of all classes The economy has been severely affected. And the industry that is directly affected is the tourism and service industry Which is considered an important driver of the economic sector

In 2019, Thailand welcomed 39.7 million foreign tourists, with 11 million Chinese tourists, the number of Chinese tourists drastically decreasing during the Covid-19 crisis. As a result, the hotel business, airlines, tour companies and tourist attractions in Thailand have fallen into crisis. Which Thailand has never faced as serious as this before Due to the SARS epidemic in 2003, there were only 600,000 Chinese tourists entering Thailand.

For businesses that are slowing down, this is the best opportunity to take a break from the fierce battlefield. Returning to adjust the army and practice the tactics that we are inexperienced To prepare to enter the field again after the crisis has passed The thing that can be done during this period to produce fruitful results in the long run is to install the system. Personnel development Solving company weaknesses Or open to new technology

Many businesses that shut down cause unemployment problems all along. Working independently as per your own aptitude and being your own master will be one of the more popular solutions. As for the creative economy that focuses on job creation Make money from creativity Intellectual property And art and culture are another interesting option for those who are not long enough.

Past lessons give us hope that once a crisis has passed, the lifestyle and consumer demand will also change. Bring problems, challenges and obstacles that need to be resolved Which means new opportunities for entrepreneurs as well When the economy starts to return to normal Consumers are ready to spend as before. But consumer demand has changed Entrepreneurs must be brave to adapt and pioneer the new economy. Airbnb and Uber are examples of startups that emerged after the 2008 subprime crisis, leading to changes in traditional business plans and Was the spearheading of many similar companies later.

Working long-distance to reduce the risk of infection and spread is one of the business opportunities that we should not overlook. Since the beginning of the year Video conferencing applications such as Zoom, Slack, Google Meets, Microsoft Teams have increased by 5 times. Many applications are free. Because it is confident that customers will be fascinated and buy services continuously in the long run When having good technology to support Companies do not have to worry about reduced efficiency and work efficiency. You can also reduce office costs such as water and electricity bills, while employees don’t waste time and travel expenses. Able to fully work While the road and the air are getting benefits from the sparse traffic. Regarded as an exciting experiment period that Flexible working styles that can benefit all parties And good for the environment like this, will replace the previous work patterns or not

Restore balance to the environment.
People and wildlife have been closely connected since the ancient stone age, 2.5 million years ago. Humans began to rely on nature by hunting and finding the roots in the forest. Later cultivated Raise animals for food and vehicles. Until one day, humans become overly grim and try to overcome nature, such as hunting wild animals until extinction. Clearing the forest more than fit Or relocating the animals into the city When nature loses its balance Humans began to suffer.

Many times, large pandemics are caused by pathogens in animals that transmit to humans such as plague from bacteria in rats and fleas. Ebola is caused by an Ebola virus with fruit bats carrying Spanish fever, avian flu, and swine flu from the influenza virus. (Influenza) etc. The corona virus that we face today is assumed to be from two species of crown bats found in China, the horseshoe bat. And the Mong Bat rules the shortest small crest.

These plagues signal that we are doing natural malignancy. Changing ecosystems make it easier for new pathogens to approach humans. Combined with the changing topography and climate, viruses and bacteria grow well.

“The invasion of the virus to humans leading to the spread of infection to humans together will not happen at all

As long as humans do not invade and destroy the ecosystem of certain types of animals that are the source of various pathogens without invading the destruction of nature and the environment or consuming wildlife. All diseases cannot spread to people easily. Therefore, animals should not be cast as criminals. But the real culprit should be a human being who likes to call himself a noble animal. “

Phansak Aphakhajon

It’s time to restore balance to nature.
The Covid-19 period makes us necessary and unwilling to change our habits in life. Many self-defense measures, including wearing a mask or frequent washing of hands, inevitably have to encroach on nature, but other methods, such as detention and temporary office closures. No traveling or traveling abroad Or closing the city leads to delightful results

NASA satellite map images show that The amount of pollution in Wuhan Hubei Province in January and February 2020 decreased significantly compared to the same period in 2019 because China issued measures to prohibit travel and shut down industrial plants. Including the announcement not to let millions of people to travel out of the city

The amount of carbon dioxide emissions in Shandong province also decreased. Due to reduced production of coal and refined oil

The European Space Agency revealed satellite images of various tourist attractions in Italy that the amount of nitrogen dioxide has decreased since January 2020, especially in March when many cities were closed until the country closed on March 9, 2020.

The water in the Venice Canal is clean and clear as glass from natural recovery.

Reducing emissions and giving nature the opportunity to rest and heal ourselves is the best gift we have given to the world at this time.

Quiz of her, him or us, the whole country
In any test, more important than success or failure is learning from that lesson.

We have seen and learned many lessons from the success of China, Singapore, Taiwan, Macau, and Japan in dealing with the deadly virus of the year 2019, but the factors that led to such success did not occur within a few days. A few weeks

Those countries are fortunate to face various crises such as disasters, war or epidemics more often than Thailand.
Those countries are lucky that the people of the nation are united in the face of a crisis.
Those countries are fortunate to be stronger based on those experiences.

Thailand may be too lucky to not have to meet as many tests as him. And Thailand may be a bit unlucky for “weak practice” for a long time because we are in a state of being too comfortable. Rice, fish, abundant food The landscape is free from disasters. The comfort of Thai style makes us not to be stuck. When encountering a severe test such as Covid-19
In the eyes of the majority of people The Thai government failed in failing to protect its citizens. If we try to stop evaluating others for a moment, stop pointing, pointing, and criticizing the outside. And turned back to survey within that Have we passed the mental immunity mission?

The word Resilience is derived from the Latin word Resilire, which means “jump back”. Resilience Quotient means dealing with problems and challenges consciously. Can overcome the suffering And return to normal life again And stronger than before There is a helper called Growth Mindset, a set of ideas for people who know themselves to understand their weaknesses – their strengths. Dare to trial and error. Look at challenges and problems, not obstacles. If you fail, you will not blame others. But will accept faults And see it as a valuable lesson in self-development
As a Thai person We will let Covid-19 kill us or we will hold hands to learn and grow together.

Anything that can’t kill us, it will make us stronger.

Story by: Dolphon Ruchirawong
About the author:
Dolphon Ruchirawong is a freelance writer and translator. Most of the published works are translated books from Bookscape Publishing Company. Past like to write books to organize ideas. And crystallize more personal feelings But already wanting to write an article to invite other people to talk After talking to myself for a long time

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