Coronavirus: The Silver Lining In This Global Pandemic

By Virginia Mwangi / Published March 30, 2020 | 10:38 am

I see no evil and hear no evil, a 1989 American comedy, holds just the way to stay focused and not depressed through this coronavirus outbreak, see a positive in all this since the negative is already obvious.

Every cloud has a silver lining and beyond the coronavirus, the pandemic is exactly that, a silver lining that the majority will only notice when the panic and pain subsides.

Crowding And Scrambling

For one, Kenyans will most likely learn the discipline to stop crowding and scrambling, social distancing including in matatus.

The 14-seater matatu has already been converted to something similar to a tour van with only eight passengers in each.

When the late then Transport Minister Hon. John Michuki reduced the number of passengers in the matatus to 14, the industry cried foul now his son-in-law has turned our 14 seaters into tour vans with just 8 passengers and coronavirus have our mouths shut.

Hygiene

The habit to wash hands had initially been reduced to a wipe on our clothes, dirt was what could be seen now dirt is invisible and washing hands up to a minimum of three times a day is mandatory for our lives.

Whether it will be the new normal or is this just temporarily, only time will tell, for now, let us make good use of the flowing water and soap placed at our gates, at the mama mboga, the supermarkets and even in our homes.

Relationships
Build some relationship from this quarantine and curfew while others will be broken. School holidays were once an opportunity to ship children into some church events, school trips or to their grandparents, that not going to happen.

Parents will be forced by circumstances into the same space to know their children and sadly, most won’t like what they will see, it is probably an opportunity to salvage morality in future generations.

We will learn their dark side as one can only pretend for so long. No more late night in the bars or overnight keshas, the chamas are a thing of the history for in the next few months.

Most people will choose to go out and risk getting infected with coronavirus than co-exist with their spouses as they grew apart and are realizing they are strangers to each other.

Men who dressed up their side chics sponsored them and gave them flashy lifestyles with beautiful rented apartments will be in for a rude shock as they have to return to their forgotten neglected wives and homes.

The option of running every time there is a disagreement is now no longer available, it is either your troubles at home or coronavirus outside, you will exist in the same space till you can garner the courage to deal with your problems.

We will be stronger when the coronavirus pandemic is over, we will value and understand the sanctity of life in a way not even the government would have helped us.

The last time Kenya we had a curfew, I was yet to be born after the events of Friday evening
and looking at the age of victims of police discipline, it is safe to say that it was the only way to learn.

People are getting home early, businesses are closing early to allow people to head home, there is little money but we are now being forced by the coronavirus to have time for the priceless things that we seem to have forgotten in chase for the paper.

The luxury of elective Caesarean section (CS) is no longer there, the medical team is strained with cases of coronavirus and efforts are being pulled together to combat the virus.

Women will have to go for a vaginal birth with surgery only availed to protect lives where the vaginal birth is obstructed.

Home tutoring

Without knowing when the schools will reopen after the coronavirus pandemic is over and parents working from home, tutoring children will be necessary.

Time to catch up and know how smart or not your children are in academics, were their grades legit or were they faked to keep you paying school fees in that private school?

Do you have the patience to tutor your own child or have been cursing the teachers for a child cannot handle despite being the parent?

Thanks to this coronavirus, parents will learn to appreciate the job the teachers do as some will be had hit by reality, do not be surprised most children will prefer staying in the kitchen with the nannies.