5 Vital Learnings From COVID-19 Pandemic
It’s been a year like no other. It wouldn’t be wrong to say, 'now I’ve seen it all', especially when the world has been turned upside down due to the ongoing pandemic. The concept of the ‘New Normal’, which at one time was relegated to intellectual discourse, in 2020 exploded in our faces and took the shape of reality, which no one was prepared for. The sheer brutality of the pandemic took all of us by surprise, taking away many lives, many liberties, and even our sense of normalcy. With 3.8 million dead across the globe, the magnitude of the crisis has proven to be second only to the Second World War in our recent history.
Coming face to face with our mortality and witnessing the healthcare and financial systems crumble around us has indeed humbled many. However, having said that, one needs to remember that every tragedy presents an opportunity, and this is where some of the most pertinent lessons or takeaways from the pandemic from the perspective of humanity and health infrastructure need to be highlighted.
Compassion and empathy are always supreme
One thing that this pandemic surely ingrained in people around the world is the undeniable importance of compassion and empathy in a society where the financial and societal disparities are at their peak and a saddening reality. Besides the avalanche of health emergencies, the pandemic did what many feared. It forced lay-offs in the private sector, shut down businesses, upending careers and creating havoc in the lives of millions.
However, the ordeal faced by so many has also shown us endless acts of compassion from strangers, celebrities, industrialists and so on.
The key takeaway from this pandemic on a societal level is simple - compassion has played a vital role in our fight against COVID-19. So let us all rise above ‘me, myself & mine’ and aspire to bring a sense of togetherness and compassion for the betterment of all.
Take the foot off the gas
Whether it be at work or home, our relentless run at making money and the pursuit for the finer things in life has consumed us all. But, what these one and a half years of health emergencies, social distancing, home isolation, and a torrent of disappointments have shown us is that ‘little things matter’.
That morning cup of tea with your parents, that indescribable joy of playing with your child, or that surreal moment of togetherness with your better half over the sunset. Compared to every luxury in the world, these moments are priceless. One key lesson we should all take from this pandemic is that what seemed mundane before the outbreak has now showcased its overwhelming importance, which is ‘life’.
At-home diagnostics is the future
While the overall diagnostics sector seems to have suffered a decline since the pandemic began, the area of at-home diagnostics has emerged as a promising silver lining in the new scheme of things. Fear of exposure to the coronavirus has forced people to take the tests at home, and positive experiences have triggered the mindset shift from lab visits to at-home checkups. This is especially critical in India, given the growing graph of lifestyle diseases. Whether it’s chronic conditions or preventive health checkups, the inflexion point in the diagnostics category has arrived with home diagnostics set for unprecedented growth.
Keeping an inventory buffer is critical
The pandemic has exposed the gaps in the Indian healthcare system in terms of conducting tests, for checking the number of people infected by the virus due to a shortage of material and kits. Therefore, to deal with an unexpected health crisis like this in the future, the diagnostic industry will need to be better prepared and maintain a buffer of critical raw materials needed to scale up testing. One of the key imperatives for large manufacturers of diagnostic kits and materials must be to strengthen their supply chain and make it flexible enough to cope with sudden spikes in demand in the future.
Collaboration is the key to ‘survival’
An unprecedented crisis like COVID-19 exposed many diagnostic players to the risk of extinction since there was a huge decline in patient footfalls. This inconsistency in the diagnostics ecosystem highlighted the need for close partnership between large and small players to play on the strengths of each other and deliver a better service experience to their customer base, thus reducing the risk of sub-optimal performance at an individual level.
While a pandemic of any kind is unfortunate, there have been many behavioural changes and events that point to a future where people are developing a better attitude towards health and getting access to better healthcare services. There is also a growing awareness among people towards preventive healthcare, which translates into avoiding chronic illnesses or managing them better.
Furthermore, the extensive use of technology and digital solutions during COVID is a harbinger of times when healthcare services, particularly diagnostic services, can easily reach a larger audience via digital means.
