How can we contribute to the crusade against COVID-19?

Wimbledon is inarguably the most coveted championship in the world of tennis. In 2020, for the first time since the Second World War, the organizers of this prestigious sporting event announced it wouldn't be held. The reason for the tournament’s cancellation -- the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, the Olympics, which were supposed to take place this year have been postponed. 

LATAM, South America’s largest airline, filed for bankruptcy in the United States in May. The company cited a devastating loss of revenue as a result of a massive slump in its business, due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, as the reason for its collapse. Many airlines are likely to face a similar fate, as the global aviation industry is facing its toughest challenge in nearly two decades.

Jim is a successful architect with more than 20 years of experience. In the last 4 months, his income dipped by over 80%, due to the plummeting demand in the real estate sector, as a result of the COVID-19 problem.

It is no exaggeration to say that COVID-19 has affected all walks of life -- people are suffering due to loss of employment and drastic fall in revenues, while companies are finding it very hard to survive severe disruptions to their business. Organizations, irrespective of their size and scale of operations, are facing the brunt of the pandemic, as increasing numbers of customers are shying away from making purchases.

In order to survive the crisis caused by the pandemic, many people are adopting frugal lifestyles. Likewise, several companies have initiated cost-cutting measures to withstand the mayhem caused by COVID-19. However, it should be remembered mere reduction of expenditures is not enough to defeat the pandemic; individuals and companies must play an active role and contribute to combat the COVID-19 menace.

How can individuals help fight against COVID-19?

Various steps can be initiated at a personal level to prevent the spread of the virus. Although most people are aware of these measures, it is worthwhile to list them once again. We need to: 

Wear masks to prevent the spread of infection 

Wearing masks is the first (and probably the only) line of defense against COVID-19. As an eminent scientist rightly pointed out, “Masks are the vaccine for COVID-19 until a vaccine is developed.”

Maintain a physical distance of at least 1 meter (3 feet)

As with wearing masks, maintaining a physical distance is the civic responsibility of all of us and goes a long way in battling the pandemic.

Ensure cleanliness and personal hygiene 

It is our duty to keep our surroundings clean and be hygienic, especially in the times of a pandemic. We should make sure we cover our mouths and noses, when we sneeze or cough. We should also clean our hands with alcohol-based sanitizers or soap regularly to remove the COVID-19 virus deposited on our hands.

Stay home and self-isolate even with minor symptoms

If we have symptoms of COVID-19 such as cold, cough and mild fever, we need to stay indoors in self-isolation till we are free of these symptoms.Unfortunately, many people tend to ignore the symptoms and come out into the public, putting the health of their fellow citizens in danger.  

Follow the directions of local health authorities

Following the advice of health authorities goes a long way in reducing the risk posed by COVID-19. The authorities have the latest information on the pandemic, and implementing the guidelines issued by them will help us fight the pandemic. 

  Let us proceed to examine how businesses and other organizations can help combat the pandemic. 

How can companies and other organized institutions help win the war against COVID-19?

Spread awareness among people

Creating awareness about COVID-19 goes a long way in defeating the pandemic; corporate institutions and rich sporting bodies can play a key role in spreading awareness about the virus. For instance, sporting bodies such as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can sponsor an advertisement involving the Indian cricket team calling on the people to follow safety measures.

Support start-ups developing innovative solutions to fight COVID-19

Several start-up businesses are coming up with novel ways to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19. For example, various emerging biotech firms have developed kits to rapidly diagnose the disease. Companies, especially the bigger ones, can help some of these innovative firms with funds to enable the latter to carry out further research and development.

Donate masks and other protective gear to hospitals and medical care institutions

By providing masks and other protective gear to healthcare organizations, companies can protect the lives of medical workers, who are at the frontline in the war against COVID-19 and working selflessly to help people affected by the menace. Many business organizations have already taken active steps in this regard and others need to follow suit.

Support local businesses hit by the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has profoundly affected many neighborhood stores, restaurants and other local businesses. The corporate world can extend a helping hand to these ailing organizations. For instance, American entrepreneur Mark Cuban has been reimbursing his employees who have coffee and lunch at local restaurants.

Help initiatives designed to facilitate online learning

One of the sectors badly affected by COVID-19 is the education sector; the activities of schools and other learning institutions have come to a grinding halt. Many providers of education have launched online classes to overcome the problems caused by COVID-19. Companies will be doing a great service to the society if they support the digital learning programs of educational institutions.

Help their employees infected by the COVID-19 virus

Companies need to help their employees who have contracted the disease, by providing monetary help. For instance, McDonald’s announced a plan to cover sick leave for personnelat company-owned outlets, who have been advised to remain under quarantine for 14 days.

Aid governmental and non-governmental agencies find a cure to COVID-19

Various governmental and non-governmental organizations are actively engaged in finding a remedy to COVID-19. Companies can use their expertise and provide financial assistance to aid the efforts of these organizations.

We will now look at how companies can work together to help the world combat the pandemic.

How can collaboration between companies play a key role in defeating COVID-19?  

We all need to remember the COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis; no one company, however big it may be, can help the society battle the virus all alone.Businesses must keep their rivalries aside and join hands with their competitors to help humanity fight the pandemic. A fine example of how collaboration can go a long way in combating COVID-19 is the partnership between technology giants Google and Apple; the two companies came together to developa Bluetooth-powered app to trace COVID-19patients, which works seamlessly on iPhones as well as Android-based mobile devices. 

Another good example of corporate collaboration to fight COVID-19 is the joint initiative of IBM, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and other technology bigwigsto establish the COVID-19 High-Performance Computing Consortium. The consortium was formed to provide high-quality computing resources to enablescientists across the globe to unravel the secrets of the COVID-19 virus and develop cures to eradicate the epidemic.

Various not-for-profit movements are also promoting collaboration between corporate houses. One of the largest of these movements is 1% Pledge, which is actively supported by Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff. The movement has helped several hundred companies across the United States to join hands and help communities tackle the COVID-19 crisis. The participants of 1% Pledge have committed 1% of their time or resources to serving the society and help it overcome the impact of COVID-19. 

I’m glad to tell you we are a proud member of this novel movement. Our employees and the management team will now join hands with the movement and spend 1% of their time to support underprivileged sections of the communities they live in.

COVID-19 is an unprecedented human problem and everyone - individuals and companies need to play their part in combating the pandemic. We should not (and cannot) keep our hands folded till a cure or a vaccine to the disease is found but contribute actively to defeat the menace. 

What do you think?