Running out of conversation in a time of coronavirus...

So this time last year, my birthday was cancelled. I mean my birthday plans, not my actual birthday. I'm still a year older (or maybe more given the events of 2020), despite mounting a spirited argument that cancelling birthday plans means the birthday didn't count. And here we are - twelve months of history happening (a bit too much history, if we're honest). One year since talk of a pandemic got louder and more urgent and a scenario that seemed unfeasible actually happened. The world was locked down and we learnt to live with Covid-19.  

It is still astonishing to think that everyone in the world was united in having the same experience at the same time - we had to go home and stay there to try and reduce the spread. Everything was cancelled, except going to the supermarket and daily exercise. The lockdown has had mixed results in keeping numbers low. Australia benefited from a) being girt by sea and b) having a few sensible leaders. If not for McGowan, Andrews and Palaszczuk, Australia may not have fared so well. Remember initially the Federal government was all about flattening the curve? Suppressing infection rates, rather than elimination. Jacinda Adern went for elimination and so did the state premiers, whether the Feds like it or not. And life in Oz and NZ is almost back to normal. Governments that pushed for elimination have been rewarded at the ballot box. The world's best response was from Taiwan. They've had nine deaths in all. They were prepared for something like this, because they lived through the Bird Flu pandemic in the early 2000s. The world's worst response would have to be Bolsonaro in Brazil. 

A bit of politics - fair enough. I give the federal government limited credit but to be honest, this time last year, they were like a deer caught in headlights. I think they were so stunned by what was unfolding that they were happy to grab onto any suggestion or advice, even if it came from their enemies and even if it went against their fundamental political philosophy. It was the ACTU's Sally McManus who recommended wage subsidies. Australia's Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, said he got advice from the (pragmatic if nothing else) John Howard saying it wasn't time for ideology. That's how unemployment benefits were increased and the conservative side of politics learnt to live with a budget deficit. We dodged a bullet because they were either happy to leave the heavy lifting to the states, or sought permission to go against their ideology from their party's elder statesman. And smart people took advantage of the government's state of shock to get some sensible policies through. Mind you, they have regained their composure and, in a return to form started cutting back support as quickly as they can, lest things get a bit too socialist. Nevermind that most of the rest of the world is still some time from recovery. They can't have people experiencing adequate government support. What happens if they notice it improves society? What if they realise there's enough money in the world to temporarily support everyone if they are unable to work for a bit?

There were some governments around the world that had to stop and think when asked to save human lives by locking down. I think in the UK and the US it was tacitly decided to just let it rip until the vaccine was ready. There were many very vocal people who were aghast at the thought of having to stop the economy for the sake of a pandemic. Think about that: in the face of a lethal pandemic, when asked to save lives, some people's first response was to start bean-counting. What a sobering insight into the way some of our fellow humans think. There was an opinion piece by a right-wing commentator in which he argued young people shouldn't be asked to sacrifice a better future for the sake of saving the lives of people who had lived most of their lives already. He cited his own father as an example saying his father "had a good run" and wasn't overly worried about dying from Covid. From memory, his father was in his late 60s. I think his father should be sleeping with one eye open. So yeah, we've learnt there are people in our society who really, truly would prioritise money (and the making thereof) over people's lives. They are amongst us. We should all sleep with one eye open. 

I think there was this idea that after 2020: The Year the World Nearly Broke, 2021 would be a fresh start. The vaccines are here - everything is fine! Instead it has been a gradual realisation that these Covid times will be with us for a while and it will be some time before life returns to what we knew prior to March 2020. 

So a year of lockdowns, and face masks and handwashing. What have we learnt (apart from the fact there are way more sociopaths among us than we thought)? We have learnt that many people aren't good in a crisis and the person who said society is three meals from collapse wasn't far off the money. The whole panic buying of everything, but especially toilet paper was bewildering and exasperating to witness. I joked to someone that it would be a good subject for a psychology thesis. My guess is impaired decision-making caused by stress (forgivable) and arseholes behaving according to type (not forgivable).

When it comes to permanent changes, bosses will no longer be able to say you need to be at the office to do your work effectively so working from home will become standard. This is good because climate activists have been calling for that for ages. Not having to commute might also lead to people getting more sleep and having a little more time for recreation. People can have giant conferences by video so work travel might take a hit. I would like to think hand sanitiser in shops and other public spaces will last, too. Perhaps those good hand hygiene habits will mean the flu becomes rare as well. 

From New Yorker Magazine

I've heard people say that lockdown has forced them to stop and smell the roses. Nice but I think once people are vaccinated and we are able to start living "normally" again,  "simpler times" and the "little things" will be quickly forgotten. Plenty of people have been chafing against a homebody lifestyle since the beginning, even with the threat of outbreaks. They have contorted their opinions to try and justify a "life as usual" approach. And even those who understand the need for restrictions are champing at the bit to get out of the house when they are lifted. And the restrictions can be trying - now is not the time to be needing a new lipstick colour - testers are banned so it is all guesswork.  

I suppose with the vaccines being rolled out, the end of the pandemic is in sight (thanks scientists!) but we are finding ourselves feeling restless with not much to do. People are running out of conversation. We, as a species, really need distractions and entertainment. See how important theatres and concerts and the arts in general are, not to mention overseas holidays are (although Australia isn't really lacking in amazing destinations). The arts/entertainment and travel industries are the industries hit hardest but based on the sweet FA they've received from the government, you wouldn't know it (Yep, still more politics).

Is there an end of the world movie which accurately depicts the utter boredom of waiting for oblivion? It would have to be an arthouse film. Anyway, movies depict the end of the world as people running around trying to save the world in the knick of time. There's no one just sitting round (actually I have a memory of the TV mini-series "On the Beach" where people knew what was coming and either just waited for the radiation to kill them or committed suicide. That was bleak). 

It can be rough, and as I've said before, if the long term psychological effect of this had to be boiled down to one word, it would be "loss" - loved ones, potential, options and yes money. This would have changed the direction of many people's lives, even if this is only recognised in hindsight. 

But as much as this load is heavy and dragging, but there is something to look forward to - one day in the future, we will read or watch the news and there will be no mention of Covid. It will be history that happened.