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Lessons we will learn from this pandemic

UNICEF Young Reporters shed light on the lessons they have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic

Eva Hadzipetrova, Maria Mitrikeska, Branislav Maksimovski, Andrijana Kamcheva

Eva Hadzipetrova

UNICEF

20 May 2020

There is no rainbow without rain

Eva Hadzipetrova (15), UNICEF Young Reporter

I’ve been thinking a lot - what is it that will come out of all this? Equality! This situation has shown us
that we are all the same regardless of our religion, culture, customs, whether we are poor or rich. The
virus simply does not choose. It connected us in a way, it showed us that we should all stick together.
During this chaos, while many of us in a panic, it showed us the weight of humanity. It reminded us who
we are. Maybe the world will finally change.

We humans are fragile by ourselves. Our strength lies in being part of a community.
We do not live without relationships and we should never forget that. We have a very caring and shared
connection between us and it’s amazing to see how we stick together at times. Sharing is caring.
Sometimes we need to remember how important kindness is. We need to remember that we have been
given a gift called life and that we should appreciate it.

Everything can end tomorrow. Focus on what is important to us. When all this is over, Earth will
continue to spin, and life will flow again. The question is whether by then we will have learned our
lesson. Let us be mindful of our Earth and it will be kind to us. There is no rainbow without rain.
Remember that.

Maria Mitrikeska

UNICEF

There is good in every evil

Maria Mitrikeska (15), UNICEF Young Reporter

There is an old saying ‘there is good in every evil’ that I will now use as a tiny consolation in this difficult,
unexpected time. As a young teenager, believe me it is hard dealing with this situation, and to everyone
who is reading this and feeling helpless, I just want to tell you that you are not alone, and it will be
better!

I am aware of everything that has been taken away from us due to this situation, of all the unrealized
plans, be it birthdays, travels, weddings ... and sadly, we cannot do anything about it. But we are not
powerless! On the contrary, it is all of us together that can make the world a better place. If each of us
respects the measures imposed by authorities, the situation will get better and it will pass much faster
than expected.

I can single out isolation - staying at home – as one of the most important measures. I know it sounds
difficult and believe me, at first this sounded impossible to me, just unfeasible. I found it hard and
boring, I wasn’t used to sitting in the same closed place for so long. But over time, I started to find
hobbies. I tried things I had never tried before. I spent a lot more time with my parents than before, and
even though I didn’t go out, I exercised at home. I found I had the time to watch the TV series and read
books I never had the time for! Also, I have to admit that for me, online learning is much easier, more
flexible and stress-free.
One of the most important things I’ve learned while we’re in isolation is to take care of myself and to
devote more time to myself.

Taking care of yourself is something so underestimated nowadays. Whether due to a lack of time or due
to too much stress in everyday life or for a whatever reason, people don’t devote enough time to
themselves. While in isolation, I’ve had a lot of time to think and realize that actually taking care of
myself is one of the things that makes me happy. I mean little things that I believe are available to
everyone. These little things are actually the ones that help me find myself.

Let’s go back to the sentence “There is good in every evil”. A simple short sentence, but still so powerful!
This is just one perspective of a young girl who is going through the same thing as many others. So don’t
forget, you’re never alone!

Branislav Maksimovski

UNICEF/North Macedonia

A pandemic that taught me to love

Branislav Maksimovski (15), UNICEF Young Reporter

It’ll take just a little patience and support for us to master this crisis, but together can we do it. We only
need to respect the recommendations and measures issued by the state, to protect ourselves, the
people closest to us, and others who live in our community. We all know that it is not easy to stay at
home but taking a break to stop and reflect has its own virtues.

If someone asks me how I’m dealing with the pandemic and how it influences me I would say:

I know that is not easy for us, I know it’s not easy for those lying in the hospitals, I know it’s not easy for
those who lost someone. Life takes us in different directions. That’s why it’s important to live the
moment, without thinking of the past or the future. I sit at home, do my school assignments, go out on
the balcony, have a tee or coffee, listen to good music. I can’t count all the activities I do to stay positive.
It matters to me that my brother, my parents and grandparents are safe and for them I do my best. I
write essays, I paint, I read. This situation has taught me many things.

It taught me to love, to listen, to care, to respect and to help.

Help - that’s the word I’m looking for. What does it mean “to help someone”? Help someone to teach
them something. Help someone by having a conversation with them. We should use this word in our
vocabulary more often, so we can see a smile on people’s faces more often. This situation taught me to
love. Not only to love a person, but also to love the little things in life.

Adrijana Kamcheva

UNICEF/North Macedonia

Life is a lesson, we learn and continue to learn every day

Andrijana Kamcheva (25), UNICEF Young Reporter

Humans are very complex beings; they spend their whole life learning. But why wait for something bad
to happen so that we learn how to appreciate the good? Why can’t we appreciate the little things that
actually make us happy?

I never had a chance to think about the things that have happened to me. I wasn’t appreciating many
things and I have given importance to so many things, which weren’t important at all. I didn’t know that
the rain makes me happy or that the coffee I have on the balcony is tastier than the coffee in a coffee
shop. I realize that reading books makes me happy. Playing cards and monopoly at home wasn’t that
bad at all and working out at home is better that at a gym. I realized that I’m a philanthropist and have a
great sense of empathy, which makes me very happy.

We learn how to live every day. We choose the path we will take.

Just think about everything you dream of? It is good that we dream and work towards achieving a goal.
Don’t be afraid to work miracles on yourself, don’t be afraid to live as you deserve. Its normal to come
across obstacles, that’s how we learn when we overcome challenges.
Life is a lesson; we learn every day and we will continue learning every day. Everything doesn’t have to
be perfect in life for us to be happy and to appreciate ourselves and everything around us. We just have
to be greatful.

Remember that the best life lesson is learned during hard times and when we make mistakes.

Enjoy your life and appreciate what you have. Just think about the fact that there are people in the
world with less. Be happy and positive for everything around you and you will become a stonger person.

Blogs written by UNICEF Young Reporters are part of a UNICEF volunteer initiative to give young people
the space to share their own views on topics important to them. The work of the Young Reporters
during COVID-19 pandemic is partly funded by USAID.

Related topics

COVID-19

Youth journalism

Voices of Youth

Adolescent and youth participation

North Macedonia

More to explore

Sisters receive educational materials,

Press release

UNICEF calls for averting a lost generation

COVID-19 threatens to cause irreversible harm to children’s education, nutrition and well-being
Visit the page

Antonije Pusic, better known as Rambo Amadeus

Article

Rambo Amadeus: chivalry means wearing a mask

UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador in Montenegro reminds us how important it is to protect each other
during coronavirus pandemic

Read the story

Children in masks

Press release

Schools should be the last to close and first to reopen

Statement by Patricia Di Giovanni, UNICEF Representative in North Macedonia

Visit the page

Healthbuddy app

Article

UNICEF ECARO and WHO/Europe launch HealthBuddy+ application

HealthBuddy+ is an interactive mobile application where you can ask your questions, report rumours,
and share your thoughts on COVID-19.

Read the story

SHARE

Footer

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Situation for children

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Ambassadors and Supporters

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Skip to main content

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Europe and Central Asia

TOGGLE NAVIGATION

Article

Lessons we will learn from this pandemic

UNICEF Young Reporters shed light on the lessons they have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic

Eva Hadzipetrova, Maria Mitrikeska, Branislav Maksimovski, Andrijana Kamcheva

Eva Hadzipetrova
UNICEF

20 May 2020

There is no rainbow without rain

Eva Hadzipetrova (15), UNICEF Young Reporter

I’ve been thinking a lot - what is it that will come out of all this? Equality! This situation has shown us
that we are all the same regardless of our religion, culture, customs, whether we are poor or rich. The
virus simply does not choose. It connected us in a way, it showed us that we should all stick together.
During this chaos, while many of us in a panic, it showed us the weight of humanity. It reminded us who
we are. Maybe the world will finally change.

We humans are fragile by ourselves. Our strength lies in being part of a community.

We do not live without relationships and we should never forget that. We have a very caring and shared
connection between us and it’s amazing to see how we stick together at times. Sharing is caring.
Sometimes we need to remember how important kindness is. We need to remember that we have been
given a gift called life and that we should appreciate it.

Everything can end tomorrow. Focus on what is important to us. When all this is over, Earth will
continue to spin, and life will flow again. The question is whether by then we will have learned our
lesson. Let us be mindful of our Earth and it will be kind to us. There is no rainbow without rain.
Remember that.

Maria Mitrikeska

UNICEF

There is good in every evil

Maria Mitrikeska (15), UNICEF Young Reporter

There is an old saying ‘there is good in every evil’ that I will now use as a tiny consolation in this difficult,
unexpected time. As a young teenager, believe me it is hard dealing with this situation, and to everyone
who is reading this and feeling helpless, I just want to tell you that you are not alone, and it will be
better!

I am aware of everything that has been taken away from us due to this situation, of all the unrealized
plans, be it birthdays, travels, weddings ... and sadly, we cannot do anything about it. But we are not
powerless! On the contrary, it is all of us together that can make the world a better place. If each of us
respects the measures imposed by authorities, the situation will get better and it will pass much faster
than expected.

I can single out isolation - staying at home – as one of the most important measures. I know it sounds
difficult and believe me, at first this sounded impossible to me, just unfeasible. I found it hard and
boring, I wasn’t used to sitting in the same closed place for so long. But over time, I started to find
hobbies. I tried things I had never tried before. I spent a lot more time with my parents than before, and
even though I didn’t go out, I exercised at home. I found I had the time to watch the TV series and read
books I never had the time for! Also, I have to admit that for me, online learning is much easier, more
flexible and stress-free.

One of the most important things I’ve learned while we’re in isolation is to take care of myself and to
devote more time to myself.

Taking care of yourself is something so underestimated nowadays. Whether due to a lack of time or due
to too much stress in everyday life or for a whatever reason, people don’t devote enough time to
themselves. While in isolation, I’ve had a lot of time to think and realize that actually taking care of
myself is one of the things that makes me happy. I mean little things that I believe are available to
everyone. These little things are actually the ones that help me find myself.

Let’s go back to the sentence “There is good in every evil”. A simple short sentence, but still so powerful!
This is just one perspective of a young girl who is going through the same thing as many others. So don’t
forget, you’re never alone!

Branislav Maksimovski

UNICEF/North Macedonia

A pandemic that taught me to love

Branislav Maksimovski (15), UNICEF Young Reporter

It’ll take just a little patience and support for us to master this crisis, but together can we do it. We only
need to respect the recommendations and measures issued by the state, to protect ourselves, the
people closest to us, and others who live in our community. We all know that it is not easy to stay at
home but taking a break to stop and reflect has its own virtues.

If someone asks me how I’m dealing with the pandemic and how it influences me I would say:

I know that is not easy for us, I know it’s not easy for those lying in the hospitals, I know it’s not easy for
those who lost someone. Life takes us in different directions. That’s why it’s important to live the
moment, without thinking of the past or the future. I sit at home, do my school assignments, go out on
the balcony, have a tee or coffee, listen to good music. I can’t count all the activities I do to stay positive.
It matters to me that my brother, my parents and grandparents are safe and for them I do my best. I
write essays, I paint, I read. This situation has taught me many things.

It taught me to love, to listen, to care, to respect and to help.

Help - that’s the word I’m looking for. What does it mean “to help someone”? Help someone to teach
them something. Help someone by having a conversation with them. We should use this word in our
vocabulary more often, so we can see a smile on people’s faces more often. This situation taught me to
love. Not only to love a person, but also to love the little things in life.

Adrijana Kamcheva

UNICEF/North Macedonia

Life is a lesson, we learn and continue to learn every day

Andrijana Kamcheva (25), UNICEF Young Reporter

Humans are very complex beings; they spend their whole life learning. But why wait for something bad
to happen so that we learn how to appreciate the good? Why can’t we appreciate the little things that
actually make us happy?
I never had a chance to think about the things that have happened to me. I wasn’t appreciating many
things and I have given importance to so many things, which weren’t important at all. I didn’t know that
the rain makes me happy or that the coffee I have on the balcony is tastier than the coffee in a coffee
shop. I realize that reading books makes me happy. Playing cards and monopoly at home wasn’t that
bad at all and working out at home is better that at a gym. I realized that I’m a philanthropist and have a
great sense of empathy, which makes me very happy.

We learn how to live every day. We choose the path we will take.

Just think about everything you dream of? It is good that we dream and work towards achieving a goal.
Don’t be afraid to work miracles on yourself, don’t be afraid to live as you deserve. Its normal to come
across obstacles, that’s how we learn when we overcome challenges.

Life is a lesson; we learn every day and we will continue learning every day. Everything doesn’t have to
be perfect in life for us to be happy and to appreciate ourselves and everything around us. We just have
to be greatful.

Remember that the best life lesson is learned during hard times and when we make mistakes.

Enjoy your life and appreciate what you have. Just think about the fact that there are people in the
world with less. Be happy and positive for everything around you and you will become a stonger person.

Blogs written by UNICEF Young Reporters are part of a UNICEF volunteer initiative to give young people
the space to share their own views on topics important to them. The work of the Young Reporters
during COVID-19 pandemic is partly funded by USAID.

Related topics
COVID-19

Youth journalism

Voices of Youth

Adolescent and youth participation

North Macedonia

More to explore

Sisters receive educational materials,

Press release

UNICEF calls for averting a lost generation

COVID-19 threatens to cause irreversible harm to children’s education, nutrition and well-being

Visit the page

Antonije Pusic, better known as Rambo Amadeus

Article

Rambo Amadeus: chivalry means wearing a mask

UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador in Montenegro reminds us how important it is to protect each other
during coronavirus pandemic

Read the story

Children in masks

Press release

Schools should be the last to close and first to reopen

Statement by Patricia Di Giovanni, UNICEF Representative in North Macedonia

Visit the page

Healthbuddy app
Article

UNICEF ECARO and WHO/Europe launch HealthBuddy+ application

HealthBuddy+ is an interactive mobile application where you can ask your questions, report rumours,
and share your thoughts on COVID-19.

Read the story

SHARE

Footer

UNICEF Home

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Situation for children

Where we work

Data, Research and Reports

Publications

Partners

Ambassadors and Supporters

BECOME A DONOR

Social

Footer Secondary

Contact us Legal ShareThis Copy and PasteWe use cookies and other identifiers to help improve your
online experience. By using our website you agree to this. To learn more, including how to change your
settings, see our cookies policy. Skip to main content DONATE Search UNICEF Logo Europe and Central
Asia TOGGLE NAVIGATION Article Lessons we will learn from this pandemic UNICEF Young Reporters
shed light on the lessons they have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic Eva Hadzipetrova, Maria
Mitrikeska, Branislav Maksimovski, Andrijana Kamcheva UNICEF 20 May 2020 There is no rainbow
without rain Eva Hadzipetrova (15), UNICEF Young Reporter I’ve been thinking a lot - what is it that will
come out of all this? Equality! This situation has shown us that we are all the same regardless of our
religion, culture, customs, whether we are poor or rich. The virus simply does not choose. It connected
us in a way, it showed us that we should all stick together. During this chaos, while many of us in a panic,
it showed us the weight of humanity. It reminded us who we are. Maybe the world will finally change.
We humans are fragile by ourselves. Our strength lies in being part of a community. We do not live
without relationships and we should never forget that. We have a very caring and shared connection
between us and it’s amazing to see how we stick together at times. Sharing is caring. Sometimes we
need to remember how important kindness is. We need to remember that we have been given a gift
called life and that we should appreciate it. Everything can end tomorrow. Focus on what is important to
us. When all this is over, Earth will continue to spin, and life will flow again. The question is whether by
then we will have learned our lesson. Let us be mindful of our Earth and it will be kind to us. There is no
rainbow without rain. Remember that. UNICEF There is good in every evil Maria Mitrikeska (15), UNICEF
Young Reporter There is an old saying ‘there is good in every evil’ that I will now use as a tiny
consolation in this difficult, unexpected time. As a young teenager, believe me it is hard dealing with this
situation, and to everyone who is reading this and feeling helpless, I just want to tell you that you are
not alone, and it will be better! I am aware of everything that has been taken away from us due to this
situation, of all the unrealized plans, be it birthdays, travels, weddings ... and sadly, we cannot do
anything about it. But we are not powerless! On the contrary, it is all of us together that can make the
world a better place. If each of us respects the measures imposed by authorities, the situation will get
better and it will pass much faster than expected. I can single out isolation - staying at home – as one of
the most important measures. I know it sounds difficult and believe me, at first this sounded impossible
to me, just unfeasible. I found it hard and boring, I wasn’t used to sitting in the same closed place for so
long. But over time, I started to find hobbies. I tried things I had never tried before. I spent a lot more
time with my parents than before, and even though I didn’t go out, I exercised at home. I found I had
the time to watch the TV series and read books I never had the time for! Also, I have to admit that for
me, online learning is much easier, more flexible and stress-free. One of the most important things I’ve
learned while we’re in isolation is to take care of myself and to devote more time to myself. Taking care
of yourself is something so underestimated nowadays. Whether due to a lack of time or due to too
much stress in everyday life or for a whatever reason, people don’t devote enough time to themselves.
While in isolation, I’ve had a lot of time to think and realize that actually taking care of myself is one of
the things that makes me happy. I mean little things that I believe are available to everyone. These little
things are actually the ones that help me find myself. Let’s go back to the sentence “There is good in
every evil”. A simple short sentence, but still so powerful! This is just one perspective of a young girl who
is going through the same thing as many others. So don’t forget, you’re never alone! UNICEF/North
Macedonia A pandemic that taught me to love Branislav Maksimovski (15), UNICEF Young Reporter It’ll
take just a little patience and support for us to master this crisis, but together can we do it. We only
need to respect the recommendations and measures issued by the state, to protect ourselves, the
people closest to us, and others who live in our community. We all know that it is not easy to stay at
home but taking a break to stop and reflect has its own virtues. If someone asks me how I’m dealing
with the pandemic and how it influences me I would say: I know that is not easy for us, I know it’s not
easy for those lying in the hospitals, I know it’s not easy for those who lost someone. Life takes us in
different directions. That’s why it’s important to live the moment, without thinking of the past or the
future. I sit at home, do my school assignments, go out on the balcony, have a tee or coffee, listen to
good music. I can’t count all the activities I do to stay positive. It matters to me that my brother, my
parents and grandparents are safe and for them I do my best. I write essays, I paint, I read. This
situation has taught me many things. It taught me to love, to listen, to care, to respect and to help. Help
- that’s the word I’m looking for. What does it mean “to help someone”? Help someone to teach them
something. Help someone by having a conversation with them. We should use this word in our
vocabulary more often, so we can see a smile on people’s faces more often. This situation taught me to
love. Not only to love a person, but also to love the little things in life. UNICEF/North Macedonia Life is a
lesson, we learn and continue to learn every day Andrijana Kamcheva (25), UNICEF Young Reporter
Humans are very complex beings; they spend their whole life learning. But why wait for something bad
to happen so that we learn how to appreciate the good? Why can’t we appreciate the little things that
actually make us happy? I never had a chance to think about the things that have happened to me. I
wasn’t appreciating many things and I have given importance to so many things, which weren’t
important at all. I didn’t know that the rain makes me happy or that the coffee I have on the balcony is
tastier than the coffee in a coffee shop. I realize that reading books makes me happy. Playing cards and
monopoly at home wasn’t that bad at all and working out at home is better that at a gym. I realized that
I’m a philanthropist and have a great sense of empathy, which makes me very happy. We learn how to
live every day. We choose the path we will take. Just think about everything you dream of? It is good
that we dream and work towards achieving a goal. Don’t be afraid to work miracles on yourself, don’t be
afraid to live as you deserve. Its normal to come across obstacles, that’s how we learn when we
overcome challenges. Life is a lesson; we learn every day and we will continue learning every day.
Everything doesn’t have to be perfect in life for us to be happy and to appreciate ourselves and
everything around us. We just have to be greatful. Remember that the best life lesson is learned during
hard times and when we make mistakes. Enjoy your life and appreciate what you have. Just think about
the fact that there are people in the world with less. Be happy and positive for everything around you
and you will become a stonger person. Blogs written by UNICEF Young Reporters are part of a UNICEF
volunteer initiative to give young people the space to share their own views on topics important to
them. The work of the Young Reporters during COVID-19 pandemic is partly funded by USAID. Related
topics COVID-19 Youth journalism Voices of Youth Adolescent and youth participation North Macedonia
More to explore Press release UNICEF calls for averting a lost generation COVID-19 threatens to cause
irreversible harm to children’s education, nutrition and well-being Visit the page Article Rambo
Amadeus: chivalry means wearing a mask UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador in Montenegro reminds us
how important it is to protect each other during coronavirus pandemic Read the story Press release
Schools should be the last to close and first to reopen Statement by Patricia Di Giovanni, UNICEF
Representative in North Macedonia Visit the page Article UNICEF ECARO and WHO/Europe launch
HealthBuddy+ application HealthBuddy+ is an interactive mobile application where you can ask your
questions, report rumours, and share your thoughts on COVID-19. Read the story SHARE Footer UNICEF
Home What we do Situation for children Where we work Data, Research and Reports Publications
Partners Ambassadors and Supporters BECOME A DONOR Social Footer Secondary Contact us Legal We
use cookies and other identifiers to help improve your online experience. By using our website you
agree to this. To learn more, including how to change your settings, see our cookies policy. Skip to main
content DONATE Search UNICEF Logo Europe and Central Asia TOGGLE NAVIGATION Article Lessons we
will learn from this pandemic UNICEF Young Reporters shed light on the lessons they have learned
during the COVID-19 pandemic Eva Hadzipetrova, Maria Mitrikeska, Branislav Maksimovski, Andrijana
Kamcheva UNICEF 20 May 2020 There is no rainbow without rain Eva Hadzipetrova (15), UNICEF Young
Reporter I’ve been thinking a lot - what is it that will come out of all this? Equality! This situation has
shown us that we are all the same regardless of our religion, culture, customs, whether we are poor or
rich. The virus simply does not choose. It connected us in a way, it showed us that we should all stick
together. During this chaos, while many of us in a panic, it showed us the weight of humanity. It
reminded us who we are. Maybe the world will finally change. We humans are fragile by ourselves. Our
strength lies in being part of a community. We do not live without relationships and we should never
forget that. We have a very caring and shared connection between us and it’s amazing to see how we
stick together at times. Sharing is caring. Sometimes we need to remember how important kindness is.
We need to remember that we have been given a gift called life and that we should appreciate it.
Everything can end tomorrow. Focus on what is important to us. When all this is over, Earth will
continue to spin, and life will flow again. The question is whether by then we will have learned our
lesson. Let us be mindful of our Earth and it will be kind to us. There is no rainbow without rain.
Remember that. UNICEF There is good in every evil Maria Mitrikeska (15), UNICEF Young Reporter There
is an old saying ‘there is good in every evil’ that I will now use as a tiny consolation in this difficult,
unexpected time. As a young teenager, believe me it is hard dealing with this situation, and to everyone
who is reading this and feeling helpless, I just want to tell you that you are not alone, and it will be
better! I am aware of everything that has been taken away from us due to this situation, of all the
unrealized plans, be it birthdays, travels, weddings ... and sadly, we cannot do anything about it. But we
are not powerless! On the contrary, it is all of us together that can make the world a better place. If each
of us respects the measures imposed by authorities, the situation will get better and it will pass much
faster than expected. I can single out isolation - staying at home – as one of the most important
measures. I know it sounds difficult and believe me, at first this sounded impossible to me, just
unfeasible. I found it hard and boring, I wasn’t used to sitting in the same closed place for so long. But
over time, I started to find hobbies. I tried things I had never tried before. I spent a lot more time with
my parents than before, and even though I didn’t go out, I exercised at home. I found I had the time to
watch the TV series and read books I never had the time for! Also, I have to admit that for me, online
learning is much easier, more flexible and stress-free. One of the most important things I’ve learned
while we’re in isolation is to take care of myself and to devote more time to myself. Taking care of
yourself is something so underestimated nowadays. Whether due to a lack of time or due to too much
stress in everyday life or for a whatever reason, people don’t devote enough time to themselves. While
in isolation, I’ve had a lot of time to think and realize that actually taking care of myself is one of the
things that makes me happy. I mean little things that I believe are available to everyone. These little
things are actually the ones that help me find myself. Let’s go back to the sentence “There is good in
every evil”. A simple short sentence, but still so powerful! This is just one perspective of a young girl who
is going through the same thing as many others. So don’t forget, you’re never alone! UNICEF/North
Macedonia A pandemic that taught me to love Branislav Maksimovski (15), UNICEF Young Reporter It’ll
take just a little patience and support for us to master this crisis, but together can we do it. We only
need to respect the recommendations and measures issued by the state, to protect ourselves, the
people closest to us, and others who live in our community. We all know that it is not easy to stay at
home but taking a break to stop and reflect has its own virtues. If someone asks me how I’m dealing
with the pandemic and how it influences me I would say: I know that is not easy for us, I know it’s not
easy for those lying in the hospitals, I know it’s not easy for those who lost someone. Life takes us in
different directions. That’s why it’s important to live the moment, without thinking of the past or the
future. I sit at home, do my school assignments, go out on the balcony, have a tee or coffee, listen to
good music. I can’t count all the activities I do to stay positive. It matters to me that my brother, my
parents and grandparents are safe and for them I do my best. I write essays, I paint, I read. This
situation has taught me many things. It taught me to love, to listen, to care, to respect and to help. Help
- that’s the word I’m looking for. What does it mean “to help someone”? Help someone to teach them
something. Help someone by having a conversation with them. We should use this word in our
vocabulary more often, so we can see a smile on people’s faces more often. This situation taught me to
love. Not only to love a person, but also to love the little things in life. UNICEF/North Macedonia Life is a
lesson, we learn and continue to learn every day Andrijana Kamcheva (25), UNICEF Young Reporter
Humans are very complex beings; they spend their whole life learning. But why wait for something bad
to happen so that we learn how to appreciate the good? Why can’t we appreciate the little things that
actually make us happy? I never had a chance to think about the things that have happened to me. I
wasn’t appreciating many things and I have given importance to so many things, which weren’t
important at all. I didn’t know that the rain makes me happy or that the coffee I have on the balcony is
tastier than the coffee in a coffee shop. I realize that reading books makes me happy. Playing cards and
monopoly at home wasn’t that bad at all and working out at home is better that at a gym. I realized that
I’m a philanthropist and have a great sense of empathy, which makes me very happy. We learn how to
live every day. We choose the path we will take. Just think about everything you dream of? It is good
that we dream and work towards achieving a goal. Don’t be afraid to work miracles on yourself, don’t be
afraid to live as you deserve. Its normal to come across obstacles, that’s how we learn when we
overcome challenges. Life is a lesson; we learn every day and we will continue learning every day.
Everything doesn’t have to be perfect in life for us to be happy and to appreciate ourselves and
everything around us. We just have to be greatful. Remember that the best life lesson is learned during
hard times and when we make mistakes. Enjoy your life and appreciate what you have. Just think about
the fact that there are people in the world with less. Be happy and positive for everything around you
and you will become a stonger person. Blogs written by UNICEF Young Reporters are part of a UNICEF
volunteer initiative to give young people the space to share their own views on topics important to
them. The work of the Young Reporters during COVID-19 pandemic is partly funded by USAID. Related
topics COVID-19 Youth journalism Voices of Youth Adolescent and youth participation North Macedonia
More to explore Press release UNICEF calls for averting a lost generation COVID-19 threatens to cause
irreversible harm to children’s education, nutrition and well-being Visit the page Article Rambo
Amadeus: chivalry means wearing a mask UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador in Montenegro reminds us
how important it is to protect each other during coronavirus pandemic Read the story Press release
Schools should be the last to close and first to reopen Statement by Patricia Di Giovanni, UNICEF
Representative in North Macedonia Visit the page Article UNICEF ECARO and WHO/Europe launch
HealthBuddy+ application HealthBuddy+ is an interactive mobile application where you can ask your
questions, report rumours, and share your thoughts on COVID-19. Read the story SHARE Footer UNICEF
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Fundamental Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Dennis J. Snower

Opening Address of the Global Solutions Summit 2020

This is a transcript of the Opening Address to the Digital Global Solutions Summit 2020. Watch the video
and browse through other contributions here.

We are currently in the midst of a worldwide trial that has changed our lives beyond recognition.

It is a challenge on the global level – for the G20, the WHO and other international bodies – since the
Coronavirus does not respect national boundaries. But it is just as much a challenge on the national
level, where many of the policy decisions in response to the pandemic are made, and at the local levels,
where people decide on whether to comply with government guidelines and whether to support one
another in times of need. Everyone one of us – from heads of state to ordinary citizens to refugees –
bears great responsibility for the health and wellbeing of others.

Billions of people are in lockdown, unable to visit one another, unable go to work, unable to attend
school, unable to meet one another in public places. People around the world are in desperate straights,
struggling at home, in care homes and intensive care units, dying of the same cause, separated from
their loved ones in their hours of need. At times of existential danger, we instinctively desire to be close
to our family and friends, hold their hands and embrace them – but now we are forbidden to do so, for
every act of physical contact – every expression of physical loving-kindness and compassion – could
bring illness and death.

We are confronted with the true uncertainty of human existence and the true vulnerability of human
life. How often have so many of us believed that we are supreme masters of the world around us.

How often have we as researchers ignored the uncertainty of our existence, mistaking it for probabilities
generated by our statistical models? How often have we ignored our vulnerability by pretending that we
are in control of our destinies? The Covid-19 pandemic shows us how wrong we were.
We are brought face to face with the most basic questions of life. What are we here for? What have we
done with our lives? What do we yet wish to do if given the opportunity? Who is truly important on our
lives? What is it that we truly cherish? The pandemic leads us to some painful insights: If we know who
is truly important to us and what we truly cherish, then why have we spent so little of our lives pursuing
these things?

The Coronavirus shows us how terrible it really is to waste our lives, embroiled in endless battles for
wealth and status and power. How terrible it really is not to recognize the value in the people around us
– not just our family and friends, not just colleagues and fellow citizens, but also complete strangers.
How terrible it is not to give our lives meaning – every hour of every day – by honoring the sacredness of
life and according all living things the respect, sensitivity and care that they deserve.

The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates to us the value of freedom – the freedom to move, to be with
those we love, to live in dignity and security – for ourselves and for those around us, from our loved
ones to the refugees and the downtrodden.

Above all, it shows us the importance of recognizing the true purpose of all our businesses and
economies, our political parties and governments, our local civic associations and our international
organizations, our conventions and ideologies, and all our other systems: namely, to serve human needs
and purposes.

The needs and purposes not just of individuals, but of societies and of the natural world, in pursuit of
not just our individual, self-interested payoffs, but in pursuit of all our overarching communitarian goals
that are articulated in our religious and cultural aspirations.

In most of our endeavors, we are interdependent. One individual cannot succeed without the
cooperation of others. We cooperate at many different scales – local, regional and national. The Covid-
19 pandemic highlights the danger of ignoring our interdependence and the importance of global
cooperation. It shows us with crystal clarity that all of humanity is in the same boat. Since the virus can
be defeated somewhere only when it is defeated everywhere, it shows us the terrible folly of pretending
that we can achieve security in isolation, within the borders of our nation, culture, class or religion.

The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates to us that our economic, political and social systems can serve our
needs and purposes only when they induce us to cooperate at the appropriate scale.
And all of our systems were originally driven by this aspiration. The nation state enabled people to
cooperate at larger scales than principalities and city states allowed.

The entrepreneurial virtues that arose over 400 years ago promoted the hard work, honesty and trust
that was required for flourishing market economies. Left-wing ideologies were conceived to protect the
poor and disadvantaged from exploitation. Right-wing ideologies arose to highlight the importance of
freedom. The corporation arose to help business manage risk in order to serve the public interest.
National social insurance systems were developed to help cushion citizens from economic and health
shocks. International organizations, such as the World Health Organization, arose from the recognition
that the world faced global threats that called for global collaboration.

The religious insight that all people are created in the image of God called us to recognize that everyone
on earth is worthy of our respect and care.

Out of these inspirations, however, grew institutions, social hierarchies, ideologies and governance
principles that have often tended to become self-serving – exploited by the privileged few for their own
personal advantage, to the detriment of the broad human needs and purposes that they were originally
meant to serve.

Out of the successes of free market enterprise in generating material prosperity, empowering local
communities and promoting peace grew a blind reliance on the “Invisible Hand” as primary guide for the
allocation of resources. Out of the successes of entrepreneurship within the free market system grew
the blind support for the principle that “the business of business is business.” Out of the social and
environmental excesses of the free market system grew a blind attachment to central planning. Out of
the successes of the national state arose the blind “me-first nationalism” that undermines a globally
effective response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has always been thus. Humans are social creatures, who are suited primarily for cooperation in social
groups of limited size. When we need to cooperate at larger scales, we frequently form groups of groups
or “imagined communities” – such as the nation state – with whom we feel affiliated, though we are
unable to meet all their members. These imagined communities are supported by value-driven
narratives and institutions of multilevel governance. But every attempt to establish cooperation at a
larger scale is always vulnerable to being undermined by the selfish behavior of groups at the smaller
scale.

This is a fundamental problem that will never go away. All we can do is be aware of it, remain vigilant,
adjust our narratives to the magnitude of the challenges we face, and continually adapt our institutions
of multilevel governance accordingly.

Covid-19 highlights the need for vigilance, for new narratives and reformed governance institutions.

When nation states are successful in addressing national challenges, they create national identities and
institutions that are compatible with local identities and institutions. Within successful nation states,
citizens know when they should cede their individual sovereignty to groups of larger size.

The global pandemic restates this challenge forcefully at the global level. It implores us to construct new
narratives in which our national affiliations are supplemented by a global affiliation – the affiliation to
our common humanity that must overcome this pandemic together. It also implores us to keep
rebuilding our structures of multilevel governance, within which nations know when to cede sovereignty
to international institutions. While our international institutions are themselves vulnerable to being
undermined by the privileged few who seek their narrow advantage, the pandemic implores us not to
abandon these institutions, but reform them to serve human needs and purposes in response to global
challenges.

This realization forces us beyond our existing schools of economic and political thought. It affirms
neither unfettered free markets, nor central planning; neither pure individualism nor pure collectivism.
Instead, it encourages the mobilization of our efforts – individual and social – at the scale that our
challenges demand. It affirms neither left-wing nor right-wing politics. Instead, it seeks to empower each
and every one of us to contribute to the fulfillment of our fundamental ends, many of which are social. It
means giving us the freedom to create a prosperous, secure, inclusive and sustainable world.

Covid-19 forces to confront the most brutally honest and vitally important questions: If we know what
must be done to overcome this pandemic – along with other challenges that lie ahead, such as climate
change, cyberwar, financial crises and more – then why do we spend so little time and effort pursuing
these things? Why, at this time of global threat, do so many countries retreat into populist nationalism?
Why is the pandemic described as a “Chinese virus” (promoting nationalistic conflict) or “the plague of
the snobs” (promoting class war) or the “urban virus” (promoting conflict between town and country)?

While the socially responsible behavior of the many within a reasonably well-functioning social order is
always vulnerable to being undermined by the selfish few, why have the many not been more vigilant?
Why have the responsible many not been reaching for universal narratives highlighting our common
humanity? Why, at this time of global threat, have responsible politicians around the world not rallied
around our institutions of multilateral cooperation and ensured that national and multilateral goals
complement one another?

These are the burning questions that the Coronavirus sears into our conscience. Once this threat has
been overcome and we awaken in the post-Covid-19 world, these are the questions that the next
generation will level at us.

The Covid-19 pandemic lays our lives bare and forces us to appreciate our most essential needs and our
highest values. It forces us to appreciate the true value of many people whose roles in society tend to be
undervalued: the nurses, the hospital orderlies, the people sitting at the checkout counters in
supermarkets, the delivery personnel, the many nameless strangers who suddenly offer help to the old
and vulnerable.

The pandemic has revealed a vast sea of kindness and benevolence in our communities around the
world. It has led to countless acts of selfless heroism in hospitals and care homes. It has impelled many
of us to use our greatest strengths to serve our greatest purposes, suddenly giving our lives new,
inspiring meaning.

This is the lesson that we must take into the post-Covid-19 world: The time has come to mobilize this
goodness in our midst, rather than drive it to the sidelines through institutions and incentive systems
that reward selfishness and predatory competitiveness. The time has come to re-evaluate the
appropriate goal of business; the goal of our economic activities; the goal of our ideologies and social
conventions; and the goal of our local, national and international governance structures. The pandemic
shows us that the goals of all these domains must always the same: contributing to the fulfillment of
human needs and purposes. This requires us to cooperate locally when we face local challenges,
nationally when we face national challenges, and globally when we face global challenges.
The G20 has a towering responsibility to support a broad public discourse in which national bodies and
various engagement groups all contribute in accordance with their local conditions and needs,
participating in the rules that they co-create, monitoring each other’s behavior, being accountable to
one another, and thereby creating the groundwork for global cooperation in response to the pandemic
and setting the stage for global cooperation in response to other global threats.

May the G20 rise to this epic responsibility in this historically important time, and may we – in the
Global Solutions Summit and in the T20 – make fruitful contributions to this end.

The lessons we learn from Covid-19

By

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza

June 12, 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has taught humanity many lessons. After infecting over 7.1 million people with
over 406,000 deaths globally as of June 9, 2020, people now realize how helpless the world can be when
confronted with something we have not seen before. We are living in a new and extraordinary time—
one we were not prepared for or even equipped to adequately handle.

Before the pandemic emerged, global society was so engrossed with economics, trade, science and
technology that many people forgot what is essential—the health of the people. History is fraught with
important lessons that the world failed to heed. The 1918 flu pandemic, where about 500 million people
or one-third of the world’s population were infected, saw at least 50 million people killed worldwide.

The Covid-19 pandemic is mankind’s awakening. It showed us how fast life can change. One day,
everything seems normal. The next day, we have to live under a “new normal.” The pandemic could be
our biggest life reset—for we may never get back to the lifestyles we once knew. With social distancing,
community quarantines and lockdowns, it’s not only people being devastated; the whole economy has
suffered its worst setback.
If virtual meetings will become the norm, there will come a time when we will miss the boardroom
debates and face-to-face meetings. With the current situation, we have no choice but learn how to be
content staying at home. We have to trade some freedom for the greater good of the public.

Some people say surviving the pandemic already makes you a winner. But the more than two-month
enhanced community quarantine we have to suffer sometimes makes us dwell on the memories of the
past, when we are free to go anywhere we wanted to go. Covid-19 changed everything in our lives, not
the least of which is the realization that we can live with less of the luxury we once took for granted.

The pandemic also made us realize that despite great advances in science and technology, mankind do
not know everything. However, Covid-19 has affirmed our virtues as human beings. That despite being
isolated from some of our loved ones, relatives and friends, we can use technology to help us feel closer
to them. Covid-19 gave us the opportunity to be with our families, and taught us to be more caring,
sympathetic, and more understanding by being more sensitive to the feelings and needs of others,
including our neighbors who need our help. In other words, the pandemic also gave us a chance to make
ourselves better.

Life, indeed, is a continuing journey and things can change anytime along the way. Let us therefore
cherish the memories of the past, even as we take all the lessons we can learn from these experiences.

American Tin Pan Alley composer and theatrical producer John Walter Bratton said: “May today be filled
with bright hopes for the future and happy memories of the past.” Surely, the pandemic, too, will pass.
While the current focus is on responding to Covid-19 and on coping with its adverse effects, the lessons
we will collectively learn from this crisis are important, as they will help us prepare for the next global
crisis.

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries and Fight Illicit Trade; a
broad-based, multisectoral movement intended to protect consumers, safeguard government revenues
and shield legitimate industries from the ill effects of smuggling.

Coronavirus: 10 life lessons we learned from the COVID-19 outbreak

You should be willing to trade some your freedom for the greater good of the public

11:48 March 22, 2020

Argentina virus

Image Credit: AP

Yousra Zaki Assistant Editor Features

Dubai: Over the last month, life has drastically changed around the world. The coronavirus outbreak is
not just an epidemic, it’s also a global pandemic. People everywhere are being asked to stay home and
stay away from others in order to reduce the risk of infection.

Corona has brought with it a wave of negative outcomes, terrible illness and death, but it also
highlighted some important life lessons.

1. You should be willing to trade some your freedom for the greater good of the public

There’s no doubt that is has been difficult staying home. Many people complaining about feeling bored
and aimless. Some might even feel that it’s a breach of their individual right, being made to stay home.
However, when it comes to the greater good, one should always be willing to sacrifice a little bit of that
freedom. A balance between individual rights and public safety is an ever changing thing. Trade a little
bit of your freedom for the greater good of the public.

2. You should wash your hands, whether there’s a virus or not

General hygiene is always important. Not just when there is a virus. You should know the drill by now.
Wet your hands. Lather them with soap. Scrub for 20 seconds. Rinse off. Dry with a clean towel. It really
is the best way to keep safe, because soap is a very effective way to kill viruses.

3. Working from home should be an option for many

During this time many people learned that their jobs were possible to do from home. Once the virus
outbreak ends, it might be worth having a chat with your boss about working from home possibilities
when necessary. Most jobs have certain amount of work that can be done remotely. Without the virus
in place, there should still be some system in place that will promote work-life balance.

4. Taking that sick day could save lives

If you are feeling sick, just stay home. Lots of people feel like their office environment doesn’t encourage
taking sick days. Many people want to appear like martyrs to their managers. “Look, I am sick, yet I still
came to work. Look at what a hard worker I am?” This mentality needs to stop. If you are sick, just stay
home.

5. The Internet should be a basic right

According to a study done by the University of Birmingham, the right to Internet access, also known as
the right to broadband, should be considered a human right. People unable to get online—particularly in
developing countries—lack meaningful ways to influence the global players shaping their everyday lives.
Additionally, during times like these, it is especially important to be able to contact family, friends and
work from home if necessary. Internet is the only way to do so.

6. Doctors and researchers need to be paid better

If this scary time has taught us anything, it’s that doctors and researchers will be the ones who get us
out of this mess. They are the ones working day and night to drive the recovery of the world. At the
moment, hundreds of scientists scramble to find a coronavirus treatment. We need to re-evaluate how
much money Hollywood actors, pro-athletes and politicians make and instead pay scientist and doctors
the salary they deserve.

7. Everyone should know how to cook

Staying home has forced many people to learn, re-learn or re-ignite their love for cooking. Learning how
to cook is one of the most important skills a person can have. You depend on yourself. It teaches you
self-sustainability and you save a lot of money. These days, hundreds of people sharing social media
posts of their delicious meals. They are re-discovering the wonders of eating in. Knowing exactly what is
in your food and feeling that sense of reward when you completely cook a meal on your own.

8. The importance of talking to friends every day

Now that we can’t go out and keep busy, the best way to combat loneliness is to be in regular contact
with friends and family, by chatting over the phone or video chatting (if your country laws allow it). This
is the time to have long talks and deep conversations. Don’t forget human connection during these
crucial times. Call your grandma!
9. Learn to appreciate nature

If you live near a spacious outdoor are, like the desert or an empty road lined with trees and you realise
it’s the only safe, surface-less space to take a walk in, then you begin to realise the beauty of nature. The
point is not to remain indoors, but to avoid being in close contact with others. When you do leave your
home, whether it is for a walk in the desert or a run on your street, make sure to wipe down any
surfaces you come into contact with, avoid touching your face and frequently wash your hands.

10. Learn how to be content alone

It’s so hard for some people to just be still and do nothing. Being alone, especially for extroverts can be
exhausting and lonely. Social distancing can be very difficult, but it can also teach you a lot about
yourself. You learn how to keep yourself busy. Eventually binge watching three seasons of a TV show
won’t be enough anymore, and will have to try doing something else. Your body and mind is your home
and you have to learn how to love it and live with it.

Coronavirus is changing us — but which of these lessons are we learning?

Published: July 9, 2020 at 8:05 a.m. ET

By Sanjana Vig

Resetting priorities, realigning finances, rethinking careers

A lot has changed in the last several weeks, and it likely won’t be going back to being completely normal
soon. This time at home has taught us a lot, though. I think for many, we are learning life lessons and
resetting our priorities.

We need to hang on to these essential life lessons even when we start moving forward and go back to
whatever new normal awaits us. Think about it — much of how we lived our lives before this point
included a ton of social media, a bunch of keeping up with the Jones’, and a sense of financial...

CORONAVIRUS News

We asked Canadians to share lessons learned from the pandemic, this is what you told us

Published May 19, 2020 6:37 p.m. ET

Updated May 21, 2020 9:29 a.m. ET

By Jennifer Ferreira

CTVNews.ca Writer

Share this story:

TORONTO -- For 62-year-old Mercy Totaro of Laval, Que., the COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting
impact on her life – one that can never be undone.

On April 14, Totaro lost her father to the novel coronavirus. Four days later, her mother succumbed to
COVID-19. What started as a few coughs turned into something lethal within a matter of days.

“My life as I knew it before the pandemic not only has been drastically altered but is in a state of endless
pain,” she told CTVNews.ca in an email on May 17. “I am now an orphan.”

Complete coverage at CTVNews.ca/Coronavirus

Coronavirus newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox

Totaro also contracted the virus herself while visiting her mother at the Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé,
she says. After almost three weeks of living with COVID-19, she has since recovered.

“I stayed with my mom in her COVID room so she wouldn't have to die alone,” wrote Totaro. “I knew the
risk and I would do it all over again.

“Knowing it’s her last breath, you forget about the virus,” Totaro told CTVNews.ca over the phone on
Tuesday.
Mercy Totaro and her mother - COVID lessons

While the virus has no doubt altered her life in a physical way, she also points to a shift in her
perspective on life. The experience of losing both her parents and contracting the virus herself, she says,
has helped her realize that life is shorter than she thought, and that it’s important to make the most of
the present moment.

“Tomorrow is promised to no one,” she wrote. “I was always one to enjoy life - attending family and
friends’ parties, spontaneous travelling and even going out for drinks late at night.

“I'm going to continue traveling and having fun…[and remembering] to enjoy whoever I’m with,” she
said.

Totaro’s story is just one of the many ways the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the lives of
Canadians. She says she hopes it will encourage others to share their own stories and give hope with
whatever positives they can take away from it.

CTVNews.ca asked Canadians to share lessons learned from all the changes taking place right now, as
well as new insights or changes to routine that may stay in place once the pandemic is over. Here are
some of the responses.

THE VALUE OF LIFE

Margaret Cook points to the death of her husband during the COVID-19 pandemic as having taught her
the importance of showing appreciation for those around you.

Cook’s husband passed away last month of a heart attack and subsequent stroke. Although his death
was not a result of COVID-19, physical distancing measures put in place as a result of the virus still had
an impact on plans for a burial.
“We were not able to have a proper funeral for him – he was only 65,” Cook wrote to CTVNews.ca.

Margaret with husband Garry - COVID lessons

With provincial borders closed to domestic flights, her husband’s siblings from Manitoba were not able
to attend the ceremony in Lethbridge, Alta., where she lives. Cook says the service had only 15 people in
attendance, each standing two metres apart in the rain, unable to hug or hold one another as the
minister conducted a short ceremony at the gravesite.

“I do not feel I have said goodbye properly,” wrote Cook.

The 66-year-old says this experience of losing her husband, coupled with the absence of intimacy with
loved ones, has taught her to be more grateful for those around her.

“What I put in my ‘thank you’ note in the newspaper is to hug someone today, because you don’t know
if you’ll have them tomorrow,” she told CTVNews.ca via telephone on Monday. “I wish I could hug my
husband today.”

Along with hosting a full memorial service for her husband, Cook says she hopes to hug people a little
tighter when it’s safe to do so again.

“You don’t know what the future is going to bring,” she said. “I hope everybody goes out and hugs a
stranger when this is over – that’s what we need.”

LESS FOCUS ON MATERIAL OBJECTS

Amanda Wright also says the pandemic has highlighted the importance of cherishing those around her,
especially family members.
“Something like this happens and you realize that your immediate family is the most important thing,”
Wright told CTVNews.ca over the phone on Tuesday. “In a situation like this and in life, you have to be
there to support each other and…to be each other’s soundboards to get through times that are tough.”

The mother of two from Sarnia, Ont. says that during the pandemic, she has been spending much more
time with her children doing things like baking and watching movies every night. Although physical
distancing measures prevent her from seeing her parents – both 70 years of age – she still speaks to
them on the phone every day.

Maintaining this strong connection with family members through the pandemic has also caused her to
reflect on all the spending she was doing, she says, and how excessive it was. This is something she does
not think she will return to once the pandemic is over.

“We’re going back to the basics of life, the building blocks that would have always been there…but that
we lost sight of,” said the 44-year-old. “I can’t get that [support] from going to a store and buying
something, but I can get it from spending time with my family and…being there for each other.”

As a result of this, Wright says she isn’t likely to return to those same spending habits once the
pandemic is over.

For Jeanette Wu from Ottawa, not only has the ongoing pandemic helped reinforce the importance of
family and friends, it has also led her to re-evaluate the attention she’d give to professional sports.

“It may sound petty and envious, but I have learned that I do not miss watching pro sports [anymore],”
she told CTVNews.ca in an email on May 14. “The lives of my dear ones are much more valuable than
watching an already-millionaire chase around a baseball, golf ball or hockey puck.”
The 57-year-old explains that spending time with her circle of loved ones is much more meaningful than
getting caught up in the world of pro sports. Some of the sporting events she previously enjoyed
following most included hockey and NFL playoffs, as well as the Tour de France.

While these competitions and many others have been cancelled for the time being as a result of the
pandemic, Wu says she does not intend to go back to supporting these leagues or athletes once things
settle down again, whether in the form of watching them on TV or purchasing tickets to a game.

“I think athletes and their supporting leagues are far too overpaid,” she told CTVNews.ca over the phone
on Tuesday. “There’s been too much importance put on the dollar for these people.”

Shauna Berrigan echoes this sentiment of focusing on family and friends and how that is more valuable
than material items or money.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned from having my life altered is that money is only important for what you
need and not for what you want,” the Dartmouth, N.S. resident told CTVNews.ca in an email on May 14.
“It’s nice to be able to keep up with the Joneses, but it’s not as important as feeling healthy, safe and
secure, and being surrounded by your family and friends.”

Instead of missing shopping, she describes longing for the things money cannot buy, including spending
time with family members she can’t see as often due to physical distancing measures. While Berrigan
describes herself as someone who has always been family-oriented, she says the pandemic has made
her realize that family is not only important, but the most important thing in life.

“It’s made me realize that life passes way too quickly and we need to embrace who we have, not what
we have,” she wrote.

MORE FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH

Berrigan also points to learning of the importance of staying mentally healthy, not only during a
pandemic, but in general.
At first, she says, she was looking forward to having a couple of weeks to herself while working from
home as an early childhood educator. She explains she was hoping it would provide her with a mental
break and allow her to focus on things she wouldn’t otherwise have as much time to plan, like summer
programs.

But after months of being at home, the isolation started getting not only to her, but to her husband and
retired mother, as they all live together. This, she says, took a toll on her mental health and led to
mounting frustrations.

“I had a meltdown and we all talked and worked out our frustrations,” she told CTVNews.ca in an email
on May 14. “We’ve been really good ever since.”

Berrigan emphasizes the importance of expressing feelings, and sharing them with others instead of
bottling them up inside.

“I think we all need to express ourselves,” she wrote. “Your feelings, whether positive or negative, are
OK – they’re your feelings and you’re allowed to have them.

Casey Johnston from Winnipeg shared her personal struggle in dealing with the impact of isolation.

“Being cooped up at home with nothing to do and nowhere to go, my depression has been at an all-time
low,” she told CTVNews.ca in an email on May 15. “Isolation has caused a major change in how I feel
and react towards life as a whole.”

Not being able to see the people she relies on for support to get through this tough time has been
difficult, says the 22-year-old. While she admits she’s able to stay in touch with friends, family members
and even her therapist through phone calls and video chats, it isn’t the same as being able to see them
in person, or give them hug and tell them she loves them.
Johnston says the easing of physical distancing restrictions in Manitoba has helped improve her mental
health, Being able to go outdoors for a walk or to do some shopping makes her feel less alone, she
explains.

Still, she realizes not everyone may be having such a easy time coping with the pandemic, which is why
it’s crucial to touch base with loved ones to see how they’re feeling.

“We as a community should be checking up on our neighbors, family and friends as mental health is a
real issue,” she wrote. “People with severe depression and other mental illnesses need help during this
time."

Johnston says she will definitely be making more of an effort to check up on those close to her during
the pandemic and once it’s over.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SLOWING DOWN

Hand in hand with prioritizing mental health comes the idea of the importance of not being so busy.
Megan Thomson from Ottawa says this is something she realized during the pandemic.

“I felt like I was running a 100-metre dash all day long every day and that I needed some clones to keep
up [with] the pace,” she told CTVNews.ca in an email on May 15.

Though she is still keeping busy by working from home, Thomson says not having to commute has given
her an extra two hours in her day. She says she has started using this time to walk her dog and keep up
with chores. Slowing things down in life, she says, has helped improve her quality of life immensely.

“My spouse and I are getting along better; we seem more in step and [are] looking after each other,”
Thomson wrote. “I cannot believe the difference in my overall ability to relax.”
Emily Hunter of Beamsville, Ont. also explains how slowing down and not being so busy has helped
improve her life.

As a mother of two – a toddler and six-month-old baby – Hunter says she has been struggling with
finding her rhythm as a stay-at-home mom and coping with the idea of not being so busy all the time.

“I remember, when my maternity leave first began, feeling like I had no idea what to do with myself – it
was like my life was put on pause,” she told CTVNews.ca in an email on May 14. “When the pandemic
started, I remember thinking, ‘I know how this feels, I’ve been through this before.’”

She describes this reality of a fast-paced lifestyle as a kind of security blanket used to cover up some of
the fears she has.

“What if I don’t know how [to] spend my days with two little ones at home all the time? What if I can’t
go to my parents for help? What if I don’t measure up to be the mom I want to [be] and can’t run
around and be busy to cover up my real fears?” wrote the 31-year-old.

Having so much more time on her hands, she says, has helped not only removed much of this fear, but
has also helped her realize the importance of making room for downtime with her family.

“We’ve established some beautiful routines in our home,” she wrote. “We play, we read, we sing, we
imagine, we talk and we eat together.

“For the first time in my life as a mom, I’m not rushing through any of those precious moments and I’m
not insecure about how I’m doing.”

These activities are all things she plans to continue once the new normal begins to settle in.
DOING THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY

Not only is it important to do what we can to stay healthy and at ease, but also to make sure we’re
doing things that make us happy, says Karen Norton, especially during a time of so much sadness.

In an email to CTVNews.ca, the 73-year-old says that while being in isolation for about two months, she
has acquired a number of new skills, including making bread, recording CDs for children, making crystal
earrings to send as gifts and more.

“[These are] all new skills for me to learn [with] the time to do them safely, and in the end, a product to
share,” she wrote on May 14.

Despite being a retired school principal, the pandemic has led Norton to spend even more time at home.
All this time on her hands has motivated her to spend it doing something productive, she says.

“At my age, [government and health officials] are saying, ‘you’re a senior, you better stay home,’” she
said to CTVNews.ca on Tuesday over the phone. “We really do have to find interesting things to learn
and to do while we’re at home so that we’re not getting depressed and we’re not feeling sorry for
ourselves.”

Making an effort to spend her time doing things that are productive and that give back to others has
brought her satisfaction, Norton says, and helped her realize the importance of doing things that make
her feel happy.

“That’s the main things I get out of it – is such joy in the product, such joy in the doing, such joy in just
thinking that, ‘wow, I didn’t even know I could do all this stuff!’”
She says she plans to continue these activities in her home near Red Deer, Alta. once the pandemic is
over.

“I wish I started this 40 years ago,” said Norton. “It took this time for me to start – hey, maybe I’ll do it
for the next 40 years.”

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PUBLIC HEALTH | OPINION

Nine Important Things We’ve Learned about the Coronavirus Pandemic So Far

Some early public health messages about COVID-19 have been overturned

By Laura Helmuth on September 5, 2020

Nine Important Things We've Learned about the Coronavirus Pandemic So Far

Credit: Noam Galai Getty Images

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Editor’s Note (9/4/20): Six months after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, this story is being
republished as a reminder of the many things scientists have learned about the disease and how it
spreads.
We’re in a terrifying and confusing pandemic, with new and sometimes conflicting information about
COVID-19 emerging all the time. In the early days, a lot of public health advice was based on what we
knew about previous disease outbreaks. But this new coronavirus behaves in unexpected ways, and it’s
hard to keep up. What’s more, people tend to remember the first things they learn about a new subject,
a phenomenon called "anchoring bias," and it’s psychologically challenging to replace old information
with new knowledge. Here are nine of the most important things we’ve learned about SARS-CoV-2 in
the past seven months and why we didn’t fully understand or appreciate them at first.

Outbreaks of COVID-19 can happen anywhere. There was a lot of wishful thinking and othering (as in:
it’s those other people’s problem) in the first months of the pandemic: Chinese people got it because of
where they buy their groceries. Italian people got it because they greet each other with kisses on the
cheeks. People on cruise ships got it because of the buffets. People in nursing homes got it because they
are frail. People in New York got it because the city is crowded. Now we know that outbreaks can
happen in urban areas, rural areas, suburbs and any culture around the world.

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COVID-19 can sicken and kill anyone. The first victims of the pandemic were disproportionately older or
had existing health conditions. Age and frailty are still risk factors for serious disease and death, but we
now know the disease can kill young and healthy people. It can kill young adults. It can kill teenagers. It
can kill children.

Contaminated surfaces are not the main danger. Early on, public health experts advised people to wash
their hands frequently (while singing “Happy Birthday” twice), disinfect surfaces and avoid touching
their face. This was based on studies of how other diseases spread, such as norovirus and viruses that
cause the common cold. It’s still a good idea to wash your hands regularly (and avoid handshakes), but
now we know that surfaces aren’t the main vector for SARS-CoV-2.

It is in the air. At first, experts thought the virus was spread primarily through globs of mucus and saliva
expelled when people cough or sneeze. They thought these droplets were heavy enough to drop out of
the air fairly quickly. Based on early cases of hospital spread, the virus seemed to be aerosolized—that
is, lofted into the air in particles small enough to float—only by certain medical procedures such as
placing someone on a ventilator. But we now know that the virus is expelled in a range of droplet sizes,
with some particles small enough to persist in the air, especially in indoor, poorly ventilated spaces.

Many people are infectious without being sick. Other respiratory diseases make people cough and
sneeze. The original SARS outbreak made people so sick, so quickly, that most of them went to the
hospital. Temperature checks and telling sick people to stay home can stop symptomatic diseases from
spreading, and in the first months of the pandemic, many countries started screening people at their
borders to detect these cases. But the biggest challenge for stopping SARS-CoV-2 is that many
apparently healthy people spread the disease without symptoms or before symptoms start, simply
through talking and breathing.

Warm summer weather will not stop the virus. Influenza is a seasonal respiratory disease that peaks in
the winter, and some experts hoped the spread of COVID-19 would show a similar pattern and slow in
the Northern Hemisphere during the spring and summer. Now we know that people’s behavior,
regardless of season, is the strongest predictor of whether the disease will spread.

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Masks work. When the pandemic began, experts worried that mass mask-buying could exacerbate
shortages of personal protective equipment for health care workers and others who needed them. They
also warned that masks might make people complacent about social distancing and that cloth or paper
masks (unlike N95 surgical masks) can’t stop the smallest aerosolized viral particles. Now we know that
masks can greatly reduce the amount of virus that people expel into the air while speaking, and that
masks protect people who are wearing them—not perfectly, but enough to reduce transmission of the
disease.

Racism, not race, is a risk factor. The pandemic should put an end to the common misconception that
race, a social construct, is a biological explanation for health disparities. COVID-19 has
disproportionately killed people of color in the United States. This is not because of genetic differences
but because of systemic racism that has isolated and impoverished many Native American people and
made Black and Latinx people more likely to have “essential” jobs that expose them to infection, a
greater burden of stress and less access to high-quality health care.
Misinformation kills. The president of the United States, other politicians, anti-vaccine activists, and
members of the right-wing media, to their everlasting shame, have used the pandemic to stoke racism,
spread misinformation and amplify conspiracy theories. Their followers have threatened health officials,
including Tony Fauci and his family; refused to wear masks; refused to cooperate with contact tracers;
and rejected proven basic public health advice about social distancing. Representative Louie Gohmert,
who refused to wear a mask in the Capitol and reportedly discouraged his staff and interns from wearing
masks, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and is being treated with hydroxychloroquine, a drug that Trump
has endorsed but that has failed in clinical trials. Trump supporter Herman Cain died of COVID-19 on July
30, weeks after attending a rally in Tulsa without a mask. Calls to poison-control centers spiked after
Trump speculated that injecting or ingesting disinfectants could protect against the coronavirus. Early
evidence suggests people who watched Fox News were more likely to downplay the pandemic,
worsening the spread. The most important public health measure during a pandemic of a disease with
no cure or vaccine—as many countries around the world that have controlled the virus have shown—is
to help experts share clear, trustworthy, accurate, actionable information based on the best evidence.
Spreading lies has spread this disease.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

author-avatar Laura Helmuth

Laura Helmuth is editor in chief of Scientific American.

Credit: Nick Higgins

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