Covid-19 is a tragedy. It cost thousands of lives and critically harmed the world’s economy. Thus, it can be rather inappropriate to present it in a positive light. But the world has had enough of anxiety and worry, and it probably makes sense to acknowledge the bright side of this catastrophe even if they’re just a handful.

The following are some of the insights that can make us feel a little better about this whole viral disarray.

1. The world’s healthcare system is bound to get better.
On average, Influenza-like pandemics happen once every 25-30 years. As more problematic pandemics like Covid-19 plague the world, countries and health organizations have no other choice but to find a way to protect the world better next time. Disasters like this may cause ugly consequences, but tough times mold stronger men. Better protocols will unfold after this adversity, and just like how much blood and sweat were sacrificed for us to have the medical conveniences and other forms of freedom and benefits we have right now, future generations may just enjoy better healthcare protocols when another crisis like this comes to life.

2. We are lucky we have social media now.
The true face of social media depends on how you view it. Some people find social media daunting with all the opinions of people thundering here and there. But despite its negative sides, it actually can be a very proactive and productive channel. First, information dissemination has never been this easy. Imagine the first huge pandemics of the world like the Black Death which killed 200 million people. It wiped out over 50% of Europe’s population. They barely had digital and medical technologies, and for sure, that great tragedy has urged many capable survivors of that time to develop better solutions to save the lives of the future generations.

Also, try to minimize hating people who spread hate and criticism in social media. Sure, they may sound like they’re not doing anything productive, but if you take a closer look, they could be. They help pinpoint the loopholes to make things better. It doesn’t mean all of the rants on social media deserve credit, but to make yourself feel better, just look at the possible good that could come out of all those outbursts. They are just people who are just as upset as you and want to use a channel to express their frustrations. Some don’t know what they’re talking about—but just let them vent. Sometimes, we all need to.

3. We now get to appreciate the normal.
If you’re under lockdown or quarantine, you get devoid of normal day-to-day living. Sometimes, we only get to appreciate things once they’re gone. If our freedom is restricted or taken away, we get to appreciate that privilege more. Sometimes, we get too busy making a living and consuming information here and there that we no longer see and savor our privileges. Covid-19 has made us miss and value the things we don’t usually miss and value. Hopefully, we live and appreciate life and all the normal things we have better after this calamity.

4. Mother Earth can take the break she has so longed for.
We have witnessed the observable effects of global climate change on the environment-- loss of sea ice, more intense heat waves, shrunk glaciers, breakage of ice on lakes and rivers, and more. Economic and technological progress has remained to be a priority, and the environment is paying the price. Humans’ pursuit of progress is unstoppable, and after such a long time, this unstoppable pandemic has been the only one to have successfully overpower man. We people find it tragic, but Mother Earth is healing although we aren’t really sure if it could still be saved at the end of the day.

5. Covid-19 is the great equalizer.
Both the poorest and the most influential sectors of the world have not escaped the strike of the virus. It somehow makes us realize how all men are, after all, just equal. There may be economic and lifestyle differences, but we are all mortal in the end. We are all susceptible and vulnerable, and everything we have and own won’t really become the most essential once we realize that life can indeed be shorter than we thought.

6. Home-based and remote work are possible.
On top of social media and information dissemination, options like remote and telecommuting arrangements are also now made possible. We are fortunate to have stumbled upon this crisis during the internet age. Things become a bit more manageable with online arrangements at hand. Though not all employers are welcoming it, the biggest companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon are adopting and encouraging it. Plus, there are other online opportunities like Wordmasters.io that one can grab. We have way more options than our past generations, and that’s one of the few things we can hang onto.

Difficult times call for more resilience, and a little bit of optimism definitely won’t be a bad idea. Do everything practical to protect yourself and follow what the government requires you to do. Being proactive and supportive of each other can definitely go a long way in these troubled times.