“The virus is slowing us down. We were going too fast. The earth is resetting itself.”

With thousands dead and millions suffering, there is certainly no silver lining to this global pandemic. The UAE has crossed 1000+ cases and the deaths have increased to 10. The economy and financial status of the country are being deeply impacted, and people are shut in their houses practicing social distancing and self-isolation in a complete state of lockdown. The effect of this infectious virus that cannot be even seen with the naked eye has been disastrous and has affected the mental health of many. However, as absurd as it sounds, good things have happened since the coronavirus outbreak.

·        The ban on VoIP applications such as Microsoft’s Skype for business, Google hangouts and Zoom has been lifted in the UAE. It has made work, entertainment and education in the time of quarantine easier.

·        With families stranded under one roof, meals, decisions, and errands – everything is being done together. According to The National, Huda Kattan, a world-famous owner of the Huda brand, shared ‘positive content related to happiness and togetherness’ with millions of her followers. The Emirati singer Balqees Fathi has been encouraging UAE fans to stay home, stay happy and stay fit. She has been spending time working out.

·        Self-quarantine has given the opportunity to pick up new skills. A popular Dubai based blogger, Naturally Nida on Instagram shares her family's daily routine in which her children are not only homeschooling but learning something new every day from cooking, sports to even a new language. Individuals have gotten the time to acquire skills they’ve always wanted to but never had the time to.

·        As stated by Cosmopolitan, transport takes up around 30% of the world’s global carbon emissions and now with no planes in the sky, fewer cars on the road and hardly any public metro transport, there is much less pollution. The earth is said to be ‘healing’. The air quality has also drastically improved in the past month.

·        Due to empty beaches, there has been a significant increase in endangered turtles because of them freely being able to lay eggs. The beaches in Abu Dhabi have been reported to be cleaner.

·        As reported by ABC News, canals in different parts of the world, especially the Venice canals in Italy are cleaner and clearer than ever before, with wildlife swimming beneath the crystal clear water. Humans are suffering, but nature is returning us long-lost gifts.

·        Earlier, Gulf News shared a story of how the individuals are adapting to the new lifestyle changes. According to the storyteller, life has become more productive, and as challenging as working remotely sounded, it is actually enjoyable.

·        The world has been alarmed and scientists around the globe are not only busy in creating a vaccine for the coronavirus but are also implementing plans to prevent the occurrence of any other outbreaks in the upcoming future. The coronavirus might have acted as a catalyst in the field of science.

We do not know when and how the coronavirus will end and researchers say that the impact of the virus might last for several years even if a vaccine is discovered. This means that despite the horrid happenings, we have to be optimistic about the future and cannot give up. After all, the whole world is in this together.

Recommended read: Coronavirus Vaccine in the UAE: Benefits, Side-Effects & Latest Updates