The human heart and not the brain led the biggest assault against the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The WHO (World Health Organization) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on 11 March 2020, barely two months after it was announced as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. This resulted in a global panic and subsequent economic meltdown, strategies were drawn up and measures were taken to curb the effect and spread of the disease, but the infection and death rate kept soaring. This triggered the struggle to maintain a balance between fighting back and keeping the safe … safe. Humanity came to the forefront of that struggle even before science or politics could wade in. Human nature united people —albeit from a good distance— across color, race, ethnicity, gender, and class to reach out and support others however they could. Such support and care inspired fighting spirits amongst patients long before scientists started having breakthroughs in general treatment and vaccine production.

A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020) stated, "Today [28 May] the number of people in the United States who have died from COVID-19 surpassed 100,000". By the end of May, fear and anxiety were rapidly growing and the US was not even the worst hit! Soon, it became clear that even more than the fight against a pandemic the mind itself was involved in several other fights, including but not limited to struggles that were financial, academic, mental, and social. However, as the threat of the pandemic grew so did the courage of the people to resist its conquest, medical workers started volunteering to attend to COVID-19 patients thereby sacrificing their comfort and safety. Also, other people of different skills and occupations offered assistance to the fight, from successful businesses donating financial and technical support, to religious leaders inspiring hope, to the scientists —tasked with finding the cure— who did excellently in encouraging optimism, there was a deliberate collective investment of efforts to comfort the troubled minds.

However, the reality of COVID-19 effects and the economic hardship it caused varies according to locality. For example, in Nigeria where I stay, the isolation and restriction orders issued by the federal government to curb the spread of the disease were first felt by the petty traders and daily wage earners. Even with the promise of severe punishments, hunger still drove many people out of the safety of their homes. Humanity saved the day, as some Nigerians started the mass production of face masks and hand sanitizers to offer their hustling neighbors some sort of protection. Some others started donating funds and food items to families in their locality that were the worst hit by the sit-at-home order; it was obvious that in this war of hope, humanity was taking no prisoners!

Please click the link below to finish and like this article, while at it please follow my account to read more interesting articles from me:
https://medium.com/@davidnnajiemere/humanity-the-first-immunity-against-covid-19-3cbadea634f9