Ghassan Charbel
Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper
TT

The Price of Being Stuck in the Hurricane

At first glance, many thought that the black cloud would soon be gone. They felt they were in a plane suddenly facing some turbulence and they should only listen to the clear instructions of the captain: “Please fasten your seatbelts”, which is practically translated into: home confinement, frequent washing of hands, sterilization and social distancing.

They thought that getting out of the storm depended on the quality of the plane and the pilot’s skills. Many people did not feel that the lockdown would last long. Successive scientific achievements and technological breakthroughs over the past two decades have lessened the fear of the unknown.

The truth is that humans have successfully developed what deserves to be described as a solid cushion against the unknown that terrorized their ancestors. The world has uncovered mysteries and secrets about nature, diseases and terrifying surprises. Earthquakes no longer cause the same terror as before. Humans defied the wrath of nature and were able to design buildings equipped to face this kind of surprise. The word “plague” was no longer petrifying. Cancer has almost lost its ability to spread panic and misconceptions.

Humans have rebelled against a world of fear. Research has flourished in scientific centers and laboratories and has produced quite a few shields that protect people from deadly diseases and epidemics.

Science’s confusion over the coronavirus pandemic should not shake man’s confidence in his accomplishments. I don’t mean to underestimate the harshness of the current crisis in terms of human losses or economic damages that will be even clearer when the coronavirus retreats. But the severity of these losses should not undermine our confidence in science and researchers. The bleak scenes and reports should not lead us again into the cave of delusions, myths and clairvoyants.

We must have high confidence, while fastening the seatbelts, that the fate of the war is known and determined, and that the soldiers of the battle for safety and progress will not allow a mysterious virus to defeat humankind.

If we swiftly leaf through the pages of history, we would find that the coronavirus’ death toll has not yet exceeded the number of those killed by a tyrant in a country or another. We would find that the number of victims is very modest compared to that caused by the cholera, the Spanish flu and other major killers.

Perhaps the difference lies in the fact that the present world is giving more value to preserving human life. Moreover, this unexpected visitor came during an era of globalization, where all the inhabitants of the planet can directly follow its crimes and funerals.

I know that the story is not simple. People have suddenly found themselves locked down. They have accepted this prison because the alternative may be fatal to them or others they come in contact with. Refusing to stay at home means potentially turning into a mobile bomb that threatens everyone in the surroundings.

In the early days, this story seemed as normal as a plane passing through turbulence. Then the captive discovered that there was much more to this story. He lost his lifestyle and daily routine, destabilizing his personal balance. He lost the pleasure of shaking hands, hugging, holding direct discussions and even the desire to argue and sometimes to engage in disputes. The detainee discovered that the others were not unwanted visitors, but rather an integral part of his life, which is now poorer without them.

He can delude himself into thinking that he can live without others and form a world that revolves around him. He finds himself scrolling on his phone, looking for news, pictures, reports and rumors. Even in the time of the coronavirus, fans of sensationalism do not stop exaggerating, despite the lines of coffins and the rivers of tears.

The most dangerous thing that can happen is that the prisoner believes all or most of what he reads or hears. Is it wrong for an ordinary citizen to get involved in pursuing vaccine and drug research and talks about “patient zero”, who purportedly got infected in a laboratory and transmitted the infection to the Wuhan wet market? Is it wrong for an ordinary man to be drawn into inquiries on whether the virus started with a bat or another animal, or was the result of a conspiracy theory?

In the early days, my friend believed that the solution existed: Working remotely for a few hours with the company to prevent being deprived of his salary and then follow the news of the virus, and listening to the opinion of doctors and analysts, who say that the post-coronavirus world will not be the same as before.

Obviously, Donald Trump will escalate his rhetoric against the Chinese authorities, accusing them of covering up and hiding information. The “Chinese virus” will be strongly present in the upcoming US elections. But it is still too early to hand out honors and count losses. It will be a long time before the features of the post-coronavirus world become clear.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus awakened isolation tendencies, but the complete victory over it depends on the broadest international cooperation. This applies to Europe and the whole world.

I know that you have a persistent question that is still unanswered. You want to know when the world will return to a normal or a semi-normal life. Neither governments, nor scientists, are able to accurately predict that.

Meanwhile, the hurricane continues to rage, with a warning gust towards Africa. The hurricane is not tired yet, but that does not mean it will not recede.

As for you, you must be armed with hope, and always remember the captain’s instructions. The ordinary citizen’s contribution begins with fastening the seatbelt, deepening human solidarity and refusing to slide into the misery of myths and delusions, in order to be able to bear the cost of being stuck in the hurricane. Humans will pay the price of this confinement. The “global village” will also settle the heavy bill that took the lives of its residents, smashed its economies and shook the stability of its states.