The COVID-19 pandemic has driven the world to a standstill. It has taken numerous lives in its stride, and the death toll continues to rise. It seems that there is no end to the misery of the common people. They have been stuck at home, forced to maintain social distancing.
The times are difficult, but the entire world is hoping that there is sunlight at the end of the tunnel. What is the right thing you can do when you are amidst a pandemic as the current one? Below is a list of five ethical basics when you are in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic. Know them to ease out this difficult period.
Remember It’s Not Only You Who is Facing This
One thing we all understand from this pandemic is that everyone has an ethical connection with others. Humans consider themselves the masters of their fate and can direct their lives in whichever direction they want. Since you are young and strong, you haven’t contemplated the fact that things can go wrong on such a large scale, and your health can go for a toss as well. You probably tend not considering yourself at fault if some other individual falls sick.
However, a pandemic proves your assumptions and calculations wrong, showing you the real picture. Since everyone has a connection with the other, you need to restrict yourself. And it is important to imbibe practices like maintaining social distancing, self-quarantine, and other precautions necessary. Abiding by all the necessary restrictions, you will ensure that you stay healthy without getting infected. Consequently, you won’t be harming others by infecting them with the virus. Even if you have no symptoms as such, you need to do this on humanitarian grounds.
Think Ethically
When you choose to keep a social distance from others, you might not be aware of the benefits that this decision would carry. It’s not about the recent changes. It’s not about here and now. Instead, it is about the future. If everyone is aware of what responsibilities they need to shoulder in such a tough time, the infection in your community would automatically come down, and you can see that for yourself on the charts too.
You will never know who has been benefited by your responsible act. But you should know that you are partly responsible for keeping the virus spread under control! This feeling is quite satisfying.
Fear Just The Right Things
Mankind is waging war against a silent and invisible enemy. Coronavirus takes refuge in respiratory droplets and can detect it with the help of a microscope. It comes out in the open as a deadly illness, a cure that hasn’t yet come to the forefront. Since it is completely intangible, you might wonder the point in maintaining social distance or staying in quarantine.
Aside from that, because you can’t touch, feel, or heart it, you constantly have a fear of getting infected with coronavirus from anyone or anything. Anxiety sets in, and you start losing your sleep. Calm down and listen to what public health experts have to say. They have been giving instructions on what to do and what one should avoid. The fear you have developed can force you to behave unethically. Fear is necessary so that you don’t take things lightly. Combine that with a bit of common sense and, of course, science to take your actions on the ethical track.
Ethics Might Change In a Pandemic
Irrespective of a pandemic, your responsibilities towards others must not change. You stick to taking care of others in difficult times and doing whatever you can to make a change or make things better. A pandemic can be harsh on things that you never expected would change.
Whatever assumptions or expectations you had might come to null, these are the times when health care systems start collapsing, and society experiences a complete breakdown. The first and foremost ethical principle in such a dreadful situation should be to stick to what’s best for the moment. It’s either ‘save maximum lives,’ ‘save those who are important for the society, or ‘save those who have the highest probability of recovering.’
Help people whom you don’t even know by following these ethical basics. Everyone out there needs to realize their responsibilities as mankind has to come together to beat the coronavirus pandemic at any cost.