HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN

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Due to the extremely contagious nature of coronavirus, COVID-19, many countries are on lockdown, that is, confinement of people to their homes for safety purposes. Right now, at least one-third of the world population is on coronavirus lockdown. As at April 6, 2020, global statistics showed a total of 1,274,929 confirmed cases, 69,498 (21 percent) deaths, and 265,885 (79 percent) recoveries. So far, COVID-19 has already spread to over 200 countries.

The essence of the lockdown is to prevent contagion and contain COVID-19 spread. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, for instance, announced the world’s largest lockdown on 24 March, asking 1.3 billion Indians to stay home for 21 days. Other countries on lockdown include United States, France, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Nigeria, United Kingdom, Spain, to mention a few.

The lockdown appears to be taking a toll on mental health of the people as they are confined to their homes for weeks. No work in the offices, no movements, no visiting of friends, no church services, no school, no football matches, and all that. The things that kept people busy and gave them joy and fulfillment are suspended. It is an experience they’re not used to. People are struggling to cope with anxiety of not only the present unsettling times but also of the fears an uncertain future.

Truth is that this period really calls for adjustments, mentally, emotionally, and physically. It’s all in the perspective of the situation. Perspective is the way we see things and interpret situations. And if we keep a proper perspective of COVID-19, not as an unwinnable war, but as just an event that will soon pass away, then we can influence our reality.

Usually, most challenges have seeds of advantage. COVID-19 isn’t an exception. In fact, life’s challenges can be some of the best personal growth opportunities we have. You can turn the coronavirus lockdown into a great opportunity and come out far stronger and far better than you are at present.     

Often, people are hurt not necessarily by the things that happen, but by their perspectives about the things that happen. Interestingly, Chris Pine, an American actor, writes that “The only thing you sometimes have control over is your perspective. You don’t have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.” We all have control over our perspective of the coronavirus. What is yours?

Apart from the medical measures we have to adopt to prevent contracting COVID-19 or spreading it, such as social distancing, regularly washing our hand with soap under running water, covering our mouth and nose with tissue or bent elbow when coughing or sneezing and immediately throwing used tissue into dustbin, and so on, there are other things we can do to get the very best out of the lockdown.

How to Maximize the Advantages of the Lockdown:

(i) Know that lockdown is God’s instruction through governments: God in His wisdom knew that times like these would come and He advises us to abide by the lockdown instruction so that we can escape the pandemic. The instruction is in Isaiah 26:20, “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation (coronavirus) is past.” COVID-19 is an evil roaming the streets, looking for whom to devour. But by hiding ourselves and our families in our houses, we’ll escape the scourge.


(ii) Time to build closer ties with our families: Ordinarily, the hustle and bustle of life, business runs, and career pursuits don’t allow many heads of families to have enough and quality time with their families. The coronavirus lockdown is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to invest quality time with our families to build far deeper, richer, and very healthy relationships with our spouses and children. The Chelsea coach, Frank Lampard, advises that we should focus on this kind of advantage from the lockdown. This is how he puts it, “We have to look at the positives. With how busy my job is I don’t have enough time at home to be with my family. I’ve had a lot of time to run around and play and spent time so that has been a positive for me.”

(iii) Let’s employ this found time to greatly enhance our spiritual development: However we look at COVID-19, it is more than a medical event; it also has a deep spiritual dimension. Despite the great and committed efforts by governments and medical personnel, as well as groups everywhere, the way the coronavirus ravages the world clearly demonstrates that God is the ultimate option for solution.

It’s time for all people in all nations to seek God fervently. It’s time to study the Bible, sing psalms, and pray with our spouse and children. It’s time for spiritual enrichment and development. Indeed, it’s time to get closer to God. What a wonderful benefit to derive from the lockdown!

(iv) Use the lockdown to build a healthy immune system: In a recent study in which blood samples were tested at four different time points, carried out by Melbourne researchers, it was found out that the immune system can fight back COVID-19. As stated by Professor Katherine Kedzierska, a laboratory head at the Doherty Institute and a world-leading influenza immunology researcher, “We showed that even though COVID-19 is caused by a new virus, in an otherwise healthy person, a robust immune response across different cell types was associated with clinical recovery, similar to what we see in influenza. This is an incredible step forward in understanding what drives recovery of COVID-19.”


So, you can use the lockdown to boost your immune system against COVID-19 by sleeping well, say some six to eight hours daily. Rest your body and mind instead of lying on the bed to worry about the coronavirus. Samriddhi Khatri, a clinical psychologist, says that panic and worry can affect your immune system. A sleep-deprived immune system is weaker.

Another way you can also boost your immune system is by eating well. Some antioxidant-rich foods can be very helpful. The needed ingredients include vitamins A, C, and E. For Vitamin A – pumpkin, squash, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, mangoes, etc. ForVitamin C – citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus. And for Vitamin E – vegetable oil, almonds, whole grains, yams. So, eat well, and stay safe from COVID-19. See you next week!

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