Why We Are Winning The War Against Covid-19

I haven't felt much like blogging recently. The greyness of these Covid times, and worrying about my friends risking their lives on the front lines of the pandemic, has practically paralyzed me.

When the bug first struck I thought about keeping a Plague Journal, like Daniel Defoe did during the Black Death.

But that didn't last long. In the internet age the story is just too big. Self isolation drained the energy out of me. So soon all I wanted to do in my spare time was watch TV, and sleep. And eat, did I mention eat?

But now I am energized again...



For all that heroic effort seems to be paying off. Slowly but surely the curve is being flattened. 

Canadians have closed schools and shut down large parts of the economy to deal with the threat of the novel coronavirus. Encouragingly, public health experts say that a graph of positive tests shows that the sacrifice is working. 

And although we are nowhere near winning the war, and many more Canadians are going to die before it's over.

It's still good news.

“Overall, it’s a positive graph,” she says. “All the provinces are bending — you want them to be as flat as possible. They are all headed in the right direction, which is a positive sign.”

And since most of us are doing our part in the battle against Covid-16.

This is downtown Ottawa...

Drone footage shows deserted streets and landmarks in Ottawa amid COVID-19 social distancing measures. #ctvnews #Covid19 #Ottawa #drone #aerial #lockdown pic.twitter.com/CNNjlavPBi

— CTV News (@CTVNews) April 15, 2020

Where as you can see, its residents are doing what they were asked to do, like those in so many other cities and communities across Canada.

It's something we should be proud of, and if we can keep it up, when the day of victory finally arrives we can ALL celebrate together.

Celebrate too the amazing fact that social distancing, as Bruce Andersen points out, is actually bringing us closer together. 

It took social distancing to remind us how little divides us. Here in Canada, and it seems in some other parts of the world, the most worrying health and economic event in decades is helping us rediscover how much we depend on and need each other.

And not just making us appreciate each other, but also appreciate government. 

In recent decades, many started to wonder if government was truly useful, beyond building roads and operating schools and hospitals. Isn’t it too costly, too slow moving, too soft, too error prone, too aimless? 

But now we know that no matter how frustrating government can be, it is the safety net we and our loved ones need, the thing that can step in and make sure there is food to eat, a roof to sleep under, someone to help us if we fall ill. 

And learn again what makes us Canadians.

Our DNA as a culture is about kindness, courtesy and consideration. The American dream is about money and accumulation of stuff. The Canadian dream has more to do with a peaceful life and kindness to our neighbour.

Gosh. Who knew something good could come out of a pandemic?

So let's keep doing what we must do... 



And I'll keep on blogging and hoping you are all well.

Until the day of victory.

And we are free again...