A Tale of Two Cities

Like many, there is nothing that has occupied my thoughts and actions in the last 1 month but COVID19. But this post is not about me or my work. It is a reflection on the diverse responses I am seeing from people, agencies and cities around the world in their fight against COVID19. Yes, testing is important and having PPE is important and arranging enough ventilators is important. All these play a crucial role in the battle to #Flattenthecurve. However, my conversations are telling me that there are more things that matter. 

1.     It Takes One Person. I was in a conversation last week with an agency who wants to monitor the undocumented migrants in their city. Do not care about their legal status or their insurance but still wants to monitor them and give them the care they need. When I asked them their motivation it came down to the value of each life and also to the overall impact even 1 positive person can have on their surroundings and society. This medical battle is also about #Empathy and leaving no one behind. Unless we all operate from that North Star, this may be a never-ending story. 

2.     Technology as a Healthcare Hero. We would all agree that very few countries had hospital infrastructure adequate for the scale of this pandemic. While a few are responding by building makeshift hospitals and filling up stadiums, select few are opting to use technology and lockdowns to monitor people remotely. Yes, we need privacy and we need data security but there are smart ways to deliver care and monitor symptoms while people stay at home without burdening the staff working in the hospitals. We definitely need to prioritize the well-being of our healthcare staff first and the right #Technology tools can enable that. This is the best time to break some walls and truly deliver quality care to everyone.

3.     Sometimes Words Are Just Not Useful. (Credit: Caroll Shelby in Ford v Ferrari). This is the time when you need to determine your role and I am convinced everyone can play a role. Yes, you can wait for this to pass while you spend your time commenting on everything using your qualification of being an armchair epidemiologist. The people I am seeing make things move are by contrast, too busy to participate in debates or endless social media chats. I have had completely unknown people nudge me to join a call at 4 AM or 2 AM from across the world because they know that each day matters. I have seen so many friends start collection drives to support less privileged communities or even get together to create a message of love and music. Love them for their #Bias for Action! 

Empathy, Technology and Bias for Action. Some of the ingredients we all need as we pass through this pandemic and perhaps pass through life! Happy to hear your thoughts.