Face masks, hand sanitizers, hand wash, gloves, social distancing, healthy diet, regular exercising, and all the other safety protocols have come to stay. In the era of COVID-19, it has become really imperative that everyone stays safe. It’s scary how a lot of loved ones are dying and many more are getting infected. Although there have been dozens of recoveries, we remain in very precarious times and need to stay safe in every endeavour.
However, life must go on and businesses must survive. In order to move forward, we need to take a retrospective look at the masked impact of this dangerous pandemic on Ghanaian life and businesses in general. Jumia Ghana looks at ways in which Ghanaian lives have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Better hygiene - All these safety equipment have been in existence since time immemorial. However, they existed for different reasons and uses. In the past, face masks and gloves were worn by health and sanitation workers or when there was an airborne pandemic. Washing of hands has always been important to prevent other diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea. Due to covid-19, all of these equipment have come to stay. This means that in an attempt to eradicate ot prevent covid-19 spread, we will all be solving other problems by practicing good hygiene and safety.
- More attention to health - Naturally,many Ghanaians are not keen on having regular check-ups or knowing the state of their health. A lot of people go about their daily life activities without knowing the underlying ailments they may have. Although a few people have been diagnosed with certain terminal illnesses, the majority of Ghanaians may carry one serious illness or the other without knowing. In the wake of covid-19, this is changing. Due to education that covid-19 becomes more fatal in people who have underlying ailments such as Diabetes, high/low blood pressure, hypertension, Asthma and the like, many Ghanaians are now paying attention to it. Seeking cure and treatment or going for regular check-ups has come to stay. This will create a healthier Ghanaian community and go a long way to reduce mortality rates post covid-19.
- Ease and convenience - Before this pandemic, life was stressful but everyone adapted to it without much choice. Waking up at dawn to catch a bus, staying in heavy traffic, queuing in banks to withdraw money and many more facets of our daily lives were just unbearable but we had to deal with it. Covid-19 has brought us to our knees literally and makes us appreciate the fact that we need our lives to be easy and convenient. Because of this pandemic, we were forced into lockdown and our lives have changed ever since then. Social distancing and staying home made us realize that we can infact go about many of our daily activities without physically being present. Withdrawing or sending money from the bank is now being done on apps and ATM’s, Shopping and buying food from favorite restaurants is also being done on websites and apps. Meetings and corporate events are being hosted on webinars and conference calls. Many are working or shopping from home to stay safe from this virus and it seems easier and more convenient.
- Profitability - Here comes the greatest advantage for businesses. The main headache for many SME’s has been how to derive profit from their small business in this era. As if to say this is God’s own way of blessing small online businesses, there has been a major boost in online sales. In an attempt to stay safe, almost everyone is now open to do business with online companies. From a wide range of products and services, customers are now relaxing at home or in their offices and shopping online. Getting the items delivered to them at a fee just helps to reduce the risk o =f going out to face the virus. SME’s are benefiting greatly as demand has increased and people who traditionally would have gone to markets to buy clothes, provisions, groceries etc will now go on websites and social media to order. The competition is also good to help these online shops give their best service and offer quality products.
- People Matter - Finally there is the great humanitarian benefit of ‘’ALL LIVES MATTER’’. In recent times, there have been global issues about racism and many people have taken varying stands on this topic. However, this pandemic has really opened the eyes of everyone to see that life itself is really short and we all need to make the best out of it. Love one another, support each other, live in unity, and enjoy what life has given all of us.
Spend more time with family and friends while not taking anyone for granted.
It’s everyone’s prayer that a vaccine or cure is found really soon so we can go back to our regular normal lives. The harsh reality is that even when this happens, our lives will never be the same again. Let’s stay safe, practice all the safety preventive measures, and enjoy our lives as best we can. You only live once but if you live it well, once is just enough.