COVID-19 – A chance to change

A chance to change

- Ravi Perera

Although with a virus as tenacious it is far too soon to bless the day, relative to many other countries, we appear to have done well in containing and even preventing the spread of the dreaded COVID19 thus far.

In terms of numbers (of the afflicted), for a densely populated island, Sri Lanka’s figure of only one hundred plus two (as of 25 March), gives reason for optimism. Many Developed countries, possessed of much more resources and advanced medical facilities, are stricken badly, with daily mounting fatalities. COVID-19 is a great equaliser.

All the “Kng’s horses and all the King’s men” of the Developed countries in the form of nuclear submarines, fighter planes, and war tanks give no protection against the virus. Today, they find themselves in the same boat as the poor recipients of their development aid. Such is the enormity of the contagion that it is commonly said that some of these rich countries have given up on the afflicted elderly, concentrating on protecting the rest of the population.

This, however, may be more a misconception than the reality, arising out of the hour by hour responses of a medical establishment overwhelmed by an unprecedented crisis. Almost all developed countries have ageing populations, it should be noted.

Small is beautiful in more ways than one. Unlike continental countries, it is easier to lockdown a smallish island. As a country, we are also very well connected via the internet and mass media, particularly the TV and radio, invaluably useful for the purposes of informing and regulating.

Although we import a large percentage of the food we consume, including the staples, the country also produces a rich bounty of rice, yams, vegetables and fruits, a definite advantage in a global lockdown.