Are you tired of all the negative stories from the Covid-19 pandemic? If so, we understand!
In 2020, Covid-19 brought the world to a screeching stop. Cities that never slept before were now bearing witness to deserted streets and parks! But amidst all the pandemic’s fear and confusion, some sparks of joy and humanity continued to burn bright.
Countless selfless individuals and organizations took the time to go out and help those stranded away from home or in need of food, shelter, masks, and hand sanitizers. These men and women, some of the truest heroes of our times, wore no capes. Instead, they came in all shapes, sizes, scrubs, t-shirts, and whatnot!
To them, we say thank you, coronavirus helpers! Once again, they have proven that humanity shall prevail.
And to honour the actions of such individuals and organizations, let us, for a few minutes, forget all about the negativity that this pandemic has brought. Instead, we’ll look at the positive outcomes of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now, if you’re all set, let’s begin!
Spreading Cheer And Joy Amidst A Pandemic (Thank You Coronavirus Helpers!)
The positive impacts of Covid-19 have been spread far and wide across the globe. We are forever grateful that the kindness of a few people has brought some sunshine into an otherwise dark time. So, without further ado, let’s have a look at all the good things this pandemic has brought us.
How The World Got A Little Brighter
For the last year, the lives of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other essential workers have been put at risk. But apart from the frontline workers, there have been countless other individuals who stepped up to ensure that people like them were able to surf through the lockdowns with ease.
So, here are some instances where people stepped up to do their part in helping their fellow beings.
1. Looking Out For Migrant Workers
When the Covid-19 pandemic left thousands of migrant workers stranded with no means of livelihood, Shipra Sharma Bhutani stepped up to help. Bhutani, the Founder of Capita Connect, used her online platform to connect and reskill migrant labourers severely affected by the pandemic.
She helped teach countless migrant workers how to make masks, PPE kits, and other industry’s immediate needs. Doing so helped many of them have some semblance of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal situation.
Moreover, due to the positive impacts of Covid-19 and its capeless heroes, they now had a better means of livelihood!
2. When Home Balconies Turned Into Concert Stages
One of the most positive impacts of Covid-19was probably how thousands of people, even while separated by physical distances, came together to uplift each other. When countries like Italy and Spain were severely affected by the pandemic and quickly thrown into extended lockdowns, it was hard for many people to cope.
But this did not stop musicians, and pretty much everyone else, from turning the situation around. Soon, social media pages were flooded with videos of people holding live concerts, straight from their balconies!
3. Let’s Not Forget The Memers!
In all seriousness, we must acknowledge the part played by the Covid-19 memers from around the globe.
When things got rough and staying home became the norm, these clever jesters took to social media and shared some brilliant memes and jokes.
From Zoom meetings to online schooling and exams, they left no stones unturned in their quest to make the world laugh and rejoice. And as working from home became unavoidable, more people took to the internet to create and share memes that reflected our new reality of socially distanced living.
4. Homemade Masks For All
As the numbers of Covid-19 positive cases rose, there was an immediate shortage of masks, especially frontline workers. But in true heroic fashion, many people from various parts of the world began donating homemade masks for daily use.
In India, the Shelter For Women With Disabilities in Chennai gathered some women to tailor and craft reusable cloth masks. These masks were distributed for free amongst government aid workers and other shelters.
In other parts of the world, businesses like JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores did their bit by donating free mask-making kits. Anyone who wanted to make and donate masks could now use these.
Once these cloth masks flooded the market, there was a lesser demand for N95 masks that doctors and medical staff had to use while tending to Covid-19 patients.
5. Taking Care Of Our Four-Legged Friends
Finally, some truly positive impacts of Covid-19came when many shelters around the world reported near-perfect adoption rates for pets. With people staying at home and spending all their time alone, many felt that a pet would be the ideal companion during a pandemic. This then led to a surge in pet adoption rates.
Similarly, when the lockdown left all streets devoid of humans, many stray dogs who depended on people for their food struggled. But kind souls like Sanjukta Lal took to the streets to feed as many homeless animals as they could find. Anticipating such heroes’ needs, the Animal Welfare Board of India declared such individuals as essential workers just before the country went into a lockdown.
Employee Well-being And Organisations
When individual coronavirus helpers were out there doing their part, some organizations and companies also rose to the occasion. Many of them turned inwards and did their best to accommodate the needs of their employees. In doing so, they also made a significant contribution to the positive impacts of Covid-19.
Below, we have addressed some of these impacts.
1. Work Or Family? We’ll Choose Both; Thank You!
Like many other professional folks out there, if you were once struggling to balance your home life and work, this pandemic brought in some good news. Companies around the globe let their employees work from home, some of them permanently.
This then led to policies that let individuals catch up on some much-needed family time. So, work-life balance took on a new meaning. Many companies were more than accommodating their employee’s personal needs.
Now, an employee could catch up on their favourite shows, sleep in, spend time with family, and work, all at the same time! How’s that for some Covid-19 positivity?
2. The Age Of Employee Wellness And Work-From-Home Aids
Although companies let their employees work from home, many did not stop caring about their well-being. With the employees being isolated at home, many companies took the time to help them set up a workstation, monitor their mental health, and stay connected with their colleagues and peers.
Are you wondering how they achieved this marvellous feat? Let’s have a look!
- SurveySparrow
When the Covid-19 pandemic came rolling in, SurveySparrow did what everyone did and let their employees work from home. However, they then went a step ahead and helped all their employees set up a home workstation!
From network connections to working laptops, this company ensured that its employees would have everything they need to set up a dedicated home office. They even shifted their work policies to ensure better physical and mental well-being for their employees.
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- Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages
This beverages maker introduced the option of permanent work-from-home for its employees. While this is not possible for all employees, this company urged those who do not need to be physically present at the office to continue working from home.
With online surveys, employee wellness programs, and other such policies, they made great efforts to provide flexibility and care to their employees. Even delivering chairs and office furniture was not overlooked!
- Grammarly
The digital writing assistant company was another organization that took their employees’ well-being seriously. They offered various perks to their employees like extra days off, mental health days, online fitness and yoga videos for stress reduction, and so much more!
Designated weekly days like “Good Vibes Monday” and virtual counselling sessions for their employees also brought considerable relief.
Therefore, these companies have done their part with these careful and thoughtful steps in bringing about some positive impacts of Covid-19.
3. Google Doodles Did Not Disappoint Either!
If you are a netizen who loves how clever Google Doodles are, the tech giant did not disappoint during the pandemic!
When frontline workers were thrown into overdrive during the pandemic, Google did their best to highlight some of the positive impacts of Covid-19.
On April 25, 2020, Google released a Covid-19 Doodle series. This documented the selfless acts of every essential worker. From doctors to nurses, and delivery men and women, these Doodles acknowledged and celebrated their part in helping people.
These Doodles, titled “To all coronavirus helpers, thank you”, have since become a hit.
Some Additional Positive Impacts of Covid-19
When people and organizations worked hard to transition to a socially distanced life, a few other developments were also noticed. Let’s see what these were!
1. When We Stayed In, Nature Came Out Of Its Shell
Apart from your fellow residents’ newly masked faces, have you noticed anything different around your neighbourhood?
Social media users across the globe have been sharing their experiences of meeting new wildlife in their neighbourhoods! It would seem that with humanity taking a break from the world outside, we have allowed our fellow inhabitants to come out and explore.
2. A Unique Chance To Study The Impact of Human Interactions
Amongst the positive impacts of Covid-19, there were some reports on reduced air pollution levels across heavily quarantined cities. With bluer skies and cleaner waters, sightings of increased fish populations also became routine.
With such developments, scientists now have a unique chance to study how human interactions can impact our fellow inhabitants.
Isn’t that really cool? We think so!
To A Brighter Future
It’s been a whole year since Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic. Since then, we have released vaccines, begun our vaccination drives, and found ways to reduce the pandemic’s negative impacts.
And so, it is time for us to look towards the future. Since the world has changed a lot in such a short time, aren’t you curious to know how many of these transitions are likely to become permanent?
Well, we certainly are! So, we have compiled some thoughts on how our life could have forever changed due to the negative and positive impacts of Covid-19.
1. Is Work-From-Home Here To Stay?
Of all the positive impacts of Covid-19, the biggest is probably the shift to working from home. This has given people a lot more flexibility and ease in completing their tasks.
Not just that, it has also considerably reduced the day-to-day expenses because people can now avoid travelling for work. With many companies now pushing for permanent remote working options, it is more than likely that this trend will live a long and prosperous life.
2. Online Surveys That Monitor Your Health
If you have not thought about the impact of online and Covid-19 surveys before, think about it now! As doctors transitioned from face-to-face consultations to virtual ones, these surveys came to play a role in reducing the load on an already overloaded healthcare system.
Today, there are numerous kinds of online forms and surveys that aid in the Covid-19 relief drive.
- Volunteer Sign-Up Forms
Companies like SurveySparrow designed and released surveys and online forms that let volunteers sign-up and become part of the global pandemic relief drive. Through these forms, various organizations could locate interested aid workers to carry out the essential tasks.
- Diagnostic Tools And Online Surveys
To reduce the impact of an anxious crowd gathering at the hospital gates, some companies have released forms that let people know when they must consult a doctor. These forms and online surveys ask people a series of questions that let them know if they have been exposed to Covid-19 or not.
3. Medical Transformations And Technologies
With how crucial masks and hand sanitizing stations have become, can you imagine a world without them now? In reality, even after the threat of Covid-19 has passed, many may continue to practice these hygiene tips. Pandemic or not, we would definitely count that a win!
Also, with the mRNA technology that has led to the production of Covid-19 vaccines, we may be one step closer to curing diseases like cancer! If that isn’t one of the best positive impacts of Covid-19, then what is?
Final Thoughts
What a ride this past year has been, wouldn’t you agree? Many of us have lived entire lifetimes in this one year, starting with the lockdowns and ending with the current Covid-19 vaccination drives. Whole generations of students have had their worldly experiences shifted to online platforms and virtual classrooms.
In this time, countless stories of human selflessness and kindness have driven us closer as a species. It has even caused us to reevaluate how we look at the world. And as we have seen now, some of the positive impacts of Covid-19are likely to remain with us.
Everything said and done; one thing remains unchanged. Despite the many negative stories that flooded social media platforms, there have been far more positive ones that countered them. And so, we can rest assured that there are thousands of positive ones still out there for every negative impact of this pandemic.
