Coronavirus: what lessons should we retain?

We stayed at home. We were forced to stop and pay attention to what was going on around us. Some of us chose to meditate, while others exercised. There were those who worked from home, there were those who were left without a job. Despite all the adversities, the coronavirus gave us an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. An unwanted, painful and difficult opportunity to overcome, but – nonetheless – an opportunity.

So let's start at the beginning:

1 – Pandemics don’t just happen to others.

In the case of the SARS epidemic of 2002 and 2003, or the MERS outbreak of 2012, the problem never came to knock on Europe's door. Instead, it invaded Asia and stayed there. It was easy to remain indifferent to a problem that never became ours. In the case of coronavirus, history repeated itself. Clearly, at the beginning, no one took the problem seriously enough. It was “live and let die”. There were no prevention measures, border controls or imposition of any restrictions, until the first infected cases began to appear. It is likely that we assumed that the new coronavirus would give rise to something similar to influenza A, resulting from the H1N1 virus. However, to date, the new coronavirus has recorded more than 6500000 cases of infection worldwide, with more than 300000 fatal cases.

Conclusion: if the attention given to the coronavirus had been greater and maybe – just maybe – these numbers would have been lower. But as there is no point in “crying over spilled milk”, it is up to the Government to learn from this experience and develop efficient action plans that can be useful to us in the future.

2 – Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!

At the origin of the largest pandemic ever recorded worldwide, the new coronavirus caused unprecedented changes to the way we live, interact and communicate in society. In addition to being infected, many were those who found themselves (and continue to find themselves) facing serious financial difficulties. Unemployed, with debts to pay and mouths to feed, there are many Portuguese men and women who face precarious situations. The truth is that no one expected this outcome. Nobody expected 2020 to be a year full of obstacles, where the economy would be forced to stagnate and production would stop. There were significant drops in revenue. Many companies were unable to support fixed costs such as salaries, tax obligations, rent, electricity, expenses with service providers, credits, etc. In these cases, insolvency was the only alternative found. This is a devastating scenario that leads us to reflect on the importance of guaranteeing liquidity, through a good working capital. That is, companies must look for ways to support all activity, even in a situation of economic crisis. If there is a lesson to be learned from the outbreak ofcoronavirus is the need to prepare companies for the worst-case scenario, regardless of the results of the projections or the objectives set. The most important thing is to safeguard the capital necessary to keep the company running, making adjustments to reduce expenses and charges, always in line with the recorded turnover.

3 – See the glass as half full.

There is no secret formula that tells us how to proceed when faced with the impact caused by the new coronavirus. However, in this unprecedented context, innovation has proven to be an effective way to reduce the negative effects of the pandemic on public health and the economy. More than ever, we are witnessing the proactive stance of many companies that, despite the difficulties, managed to see “the glass half full”. Companies that were and continue to be living examples of how the world is recovering from the pandemicCOVID-19, contributing to the construction of a healthier, more equitable and more prosperous future.

The reality is that, despite the immense challenges and trials, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in our country are managing to regain control of the situation. They were – and continue to be – able to make difficult decisions, guiding employees through an especially difficult time.

4 – It’s never too late to learn…

It took a while, but we learned! A simple and effective way to prevent illnesses, rubbing your hands will probably be a habit that will stay with us for the rest of my life and, contrary to what many people might think,hygiene It's not just a germaphobe thing. More than ever, we must recognize that washing our hands and keeping spaces clean and disinfected is the best way to reduce the risk of infection and prevent contagion.

5 – Superheroes are made of flesh and blood!

Well, in the piece of history we live in, the heroes were – and continue to be – made of flesh and blood. They are doctors, nurses, pharmacists, drivers, garbage men or supermarket employees. All those who, during the State of Emergency, risked their health and safety to ensure that we lacked nothing. People who didn't have the opportunity to stop, who weren't told to stay at home, those who didn't even have a choice. Men and women who never wavered and to whom we must give the value and recognition they deserve!

6 – Tomorrow, no one knows!

Irrefutably, in recent months, life as we know it has changed. We have been offered the power of stillness and imposed upon us a need to slow down. We had to look inside. Make adjustments. Change habits and review our list of priorities. If there was ever a time for personal transformation: this was it!

Because, after all, tomorrow is too volatile to take it for granted!