The New Norm

With the start of phase 2 circuit breaker, here are some questions that one should ponder over...

1. Is the virus really gone for good? Most of us would know the answer and keeping proper personal hygiene would still be the best way of staying safe. Since staying at home would prolong the damage to the economy without solving the issue permanently... Take dengue for example, it was reported by World Health Organisation that the number of dengue cases reported have increased over 15 fold over the last two decades, from 505,430 cases in 2000 to over 3 million cases along with deaths growing to more than 4032 in 2015. Are we going to isolate ourselves in enclosed spaces, wrapping ourselves up so that we would not risk getting bitten by mosquitoes? I would say it is more practical to live a healthy and happy lifestyle instead of worrying when you would get infected or potentially pass on since death is a certainty in life. Just a matter of time.

2. Is life back to how it was? No. Which wound does not leave a scar? With the stepped up measures of social distancing, safe entry recording and the need to wear a mask, efficiency of our daily lives would be affected. Although it is still unclear how long do we have to continue with this, I don't think one should be worried about it since it is known that humans are possibly the most adaptive species. However, one thing that has been bothering me would be, how are we going to prevent new clusters when nobody is wearing mask while dining or drinking? The questionable fact is... is this requirement to wear mask a way to prevent the virus or just another way of satisfying one’s thought that they are safe?

3. Digitalization? Although the past 3 months has proven that we are able to communicate and even work in front of a screen with zero face-to-face interaction, doing so actually takes a toll on both our physical and mental well-being (e.g. poor blood circulation, eye strains, depression). A study by Carnegie Mellon University suggested that spending time with family and friends can help manage stress, and this proves that humans are designed to enjoy social time with others. Another study has also found that emotional support provided by social ties enhances one's psychological well-being which gives them a greater sense of meaning in life and a stronger sense of purpose.

1 month has passed since the phase 2 of circuit breaker and the economy is opening up in stages... Moving towards election in a few days time? Isn’t it contradictory when it is advisable not to hang out in big groups? Or are we supposingly moving towards phase 3 without the vaccine but for the election?