No vaccine yet for Covid-19 but let's fight the despair with kindness

Among the devastation the virus brings are fear and loneliness, against which humanity is our biggest weapon

People applaud the NHS from their balconies in London. EPA

In our bleakest moments, human beings can be truly extraordinary. With the coronavirus and its consequences dominating headlines across the world and with over 42,000 people dead, it feels like the hardest, loneliest and most anxious of times. There seems to be no end in sight upon which to peg our hopes. But in the backdrop of this darkness, humanity has shown up.

Across the UK last week at 8pm, people stepped into their balconies or opened their windows to cheer for workers of the National Health Service and to those offering lifesaving medical treatment at risk to their own lives.

Video clips showed whooping, clapping and saucepans being banged with wooden spoons. Even Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined in. Similar outpourings have taken place in the UAE, Spain, Italy, France, Denmark, the US, India and Argentina. There have been no dearth of volunteers and of people wanting to show solidarity and do something positive.

Community-oriented apps like NextDoor are being used to check on neighbours and offer help. WhatsApp groups are mushrooming so people can stay connected and support each other. When the UK government launched an urgent appeal for 250,000 volunteers to help the NHS in the face of the coronavirus crisis, it was reported five people per second signed up. Sign ups are currently closed because the number of applicants reached 750,000.
In Abu Dhabi, Dr Farida Al Hosani of the Abu Dhabi Centre for Public Health, said more than 500 volunteers offered help to essential workers across the country.

In Dubai, a Facebook group set up by the Harries family called Stop and Help posts requests for assistance, which people can then fulfil. The aim is to lift 'community spirits'. The group has delivered to more than 60 homes so far.

At a mosque in Palestine, the imam ceded the pulpit to a doctor to share knowledge about coronavirus to the public saying, "The pulpit is not limited to men of religion, it is for people who have knowledge."

Global brands too are also stepping up. The French luxury giant LMVH announced it would produce hand sanitiser and distributed it for free.

In the UK Hertz has been offering car rentals to key workers such as medical staff and teachers for just £1 (Dh4.5) per day so they can drive to work safely rather than have to use public transport and risk infection.

KFC is sending 1 million pieces of chicken to its more than 4,000 US restaurants to help them with donations and food giveaways such as feeding first responders. Restaurant operators have already been distributing food and making deliveries to essential personnel.

Some might be cynical about these efforts and dismiss them as marketing ploys. But they still contribute to the social cause and add a much-needed positive spirit. I speak from direct experience too.

Following UK government guidelines, I am writing this piece from self-isolation, locked in the spare bedroom. Yesterday our neighbours did our food shopping, and in a feat of ingenuity, to maintain social distancing, they nailed the packaging of the loaf of bread to the fence. Today, a friend messaged to tell me to look outside the front door – she had just dropped off food for lunch. In both cases, it was not just food I found, it was love and kindness.

Of course the shadow of illness and death along with loss of income, safety and security are all very real and cannot be downplayed. The consequences of Covid-19 are sobering.

But among the different kinds of devastation the virus brings are fear and loneliness. Humanity showing up is our biggest weapon against these less lethal ailments.

We do not have a vaccine yet for Covid-19, but we can fight the fear and isolation through acts of solidarity, optimism and everyday kindness.

Shelina Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf and Generation M: Young Muslims Changing the World