The Coronavirus outbreak has been preconized as the worst public health crisis of our era, and quite rightly so. The sheer amount of panic, uncertainty, and paranoia surrounding the pandemic is something none of us was prepared for, and yet, it has brought us together as a global community. Several countries, including France, Italy, and India, are resorting to extreme measures to avert the ‘Stage Three’ of the transmission; and as we quarantine ourselves today, we also are closer to each other than ever, thanks to the internet.
Though the past few weeks have been testing for all of us, the number of affected people is gradually on the decline, but there is still reason to be vigilant and exercise caution. Amidst the constant bombardment of news pouring in from all over the world, it is natural for us to feel extremely overwhelmed. However, there is also a silver lining to this global crisis, as it has made us re-evaluate our stances on many socio-economic and welfare avenues, and helped us gain a fresh perspective on the world we are currently living in. So here are a few positive takeaways on how the world is recovering from the outbreak.
Low Fatality & High-recovery: As per global estimates, over 99% of infected patients recover successfully from the COVID-19 virus. The majority of people affected experience no symptoms at all and continue to have normal lives. Additionally, the Coronavirus itself has a lesser rate of fatality than other diseases like MERS, SARS, and Ebola.
Children have a lower chance of infection & experience a milder disease: The CDC has claimed, much to the relief of parents, that the majority of infections caused by the disease are seen in adults and if children do get infected, they have milder disease. Moreover, common pets too cannot transfer the disease to humans.
The disease is being contained, and the number of fresh cases is falling: Amid the lockdowns in our country and across the world, social distancing and precautions being taken, the best news to have come is that the Wuhan province of China, the very first epicenter of the disease, has reported that there are no new local cases of the virus since the time the outbreak started. Even in Italy, the number of deaths has slowly started falling, which means the model of isolation is working well for us humans and our collective sacrifices and efforts are bearing fruit.
Our response to future pandemics will be much better: The world wasn’t prepared for the outbreak even a month back, but this unforeseen challenge has helped expose our shortcomings and rethink our priorities. The world has rightly come together to ‘break the chain’ of the epidemic, and as we learn from it, our healthcare systems, response, coordination, policies and the public messaging system would all be (hopefully) improved the next time we face a calamity of such a scale.
The environment is improving: The pandemic has also made us witness how nature has the power to heal itself and that we share this planet with other species too. Due to the lower number of humans out in the open and factories being closed, the pollution levels globally have come down. Also, animals, birds and even fishes are being seen returning to their natural habitats. Reduced human and industrial activity has also improved the air quality of several cities.
For humans, these are indeed trying times but we must remember that we have survived far worse epidemics in the past, and we can do so again with a positive attitude and each other’s help and support.
Like all industries, the overseas education industry in India too is facing a crisis due to the lockdown of several international borders, which has resulted in the delay of student admissions in hundreds of colleges. For students expecting to study abroad, this is indeed a testing time as they are unsure if they want to defer their plans for the next academic year or change their study destination altogether in the wake of this pandemic. Since the situation is unprecedented, many university fairs had to be canceled and countries too are taking a novel approach towards redressing such problems and assuring the student community.
Here is a list of some of the active measures taken by countries worldwide to curb the crisis:
Canada: Being one of the first responders to address the crisis, Canada closed its borders on March 16th. However, the country is still providing admits as usual to applicants and also allowing overseas students after they have quarantined themselves successfully for over 14 days. The universities are in touch with the applicants and regular updates are being shared.
The UK & USA: Similar quarantine guidelines have been in both of these countries and students are considering the possibility of pushing their sessions ahead of September. Many colleges like the University of Buffalo are moving towards online classes to ensure continuity. The University of Hertfordshire too is providing online classes to students till Easter 2020.
France, Germany & Ireland: Since the spread of COVID-19 has been greater in these European countries, most of them have opted for a virtual model of teaching until April 2020. However, students would still be able to apply to universities in their countries and would be receiving admits as usual.
Manya – The Princeton Review is facing challenges with a brave face, with its Pan-India team offering remote assistance to its clients for services related to admissions counselling, e-coaching and mentoring, ensuring that students in no way have to compromise on their future in these testing times. To ensure continuity, the organization has arranged online classes for test prep and its admissions team is working relentlessly to ensure the smooth sailing of the admission and visa process for Manya’s students.
Stay safe and healthy! Remember, this is just a temporary phase and shall pass!
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