Putting Things in Perspective
As the coronavirus (and the illness that it can result in: COVID-19) continues to spread, and worldwide deaths linked to the pandemic now top 8,000 and counting… global alarm is growing - and understandably so.
The media-fuelled concern has caused everything from consumer blitzes on hand sanitizer and toilet paper - to mass school closures across the globe.
Yet, while few of us would deny the outbreak's official status as an international health emergency and something we should all be taking very seriously... in the ranking of top causes of death - it actually pales into insignificance compared to heart disease, cancer, road accidents, or violence.
It's not even a blip on the radar. Yet.
And humankind has survived major pandemics before.
Take the Antonine Plague of 165 BC, a global pandemic with a mortality rate of between 2-3%, which began with flu-like symptoms until it escalated and became gruesome and painfully fatal. Millions were infected. Between 10 and 18 million people eventually died.
We should actually consider ourselves lucky that the coronavirus appears to be a drop in the bucket compared to the bubonic plague - which killed 25 million people in just a few months in the sixth century. Or smallpox which consistently killed some 400,000 people every single year of the eighteenth century, or when measles killed 200 million people in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, or when the Spanish Flu claimed 50 million souls in 1918.
Indeed, precisely what so worries scientists about COVID-19 is actually a blessing: The disease is particularly contagious because it doesn’t quickly debilitate and kill most of its victims. So with all the bad news going around, we thought that by sharing a little bit of of good news, we might offer you a little respite from the worry and the fear.
My friend Owen Reed recently shared a few facts about COVID-19 and the coronavirus on his Facebook page. Although we make no guarantees about the accuracy of these facts - we felt they were appropriate to share, if only to make us all feel a little better!
∙China has closed down its last makeshift coronavirus hospital. Not enough new cases to support them.
∙Doctors in India have been successful in treating COVID-19. Combination of drugs used: Lopinavir, Retonovir, Oseltamivir along with Chlorphenamine. They are going to suggest same medicine, globally.
∙A 103-year-old Chinese grandmother has made a full recovery from COVID-19 after being treated for 6 days in Wuhan, China.
∙Cleveland Clinic developed a COVID-19 test that gives results in hours, not days.
∙3 Maryland coronavirus patients fully recovered; able to return to everyday life.
∙A network of Canadian scientists are making excellent progress in Covid-19 research.
∙A San Diego biotech company is developing a Covid-19 vaccine in collaboration with Duke University and National University of Singapore.
∙Tulsa County's first positive COVID-19 case has recovered. This individual has had two negative tests, which is the indicator of recovery.
∙All 7 patients who were getting treated at Safdarjung hospital in New Delhi have recovered.
So let's all hold on to hope. We must maintain an unwavering faith in our ability to work together, and to stay true to our most sacred values.
Marcus Aurelius once said that disease, like the plague, “can only threaten your life..." but evil, selfishness, pride, hypocrisy, fear - these things “attack our humanity.”
Above all else, let us preserve our humanity. And despite the fact that COVID-19 is dominating headlines across the globe, there are still other things worth talking about, worth writing about, and worth reading.
Therefore we challenge you to consider something.
Imagine a young mother with her two children, under quarantine and isolation, trapped in the same house as an abusive spouse. Imagine that under all the stress and pressure, and the kids being home from school... the husband is driven to drinking, and when he drinks, he becomes violent towards the mother and the children.
When the coronavirus pandemic started... domestic violence didn't stop.
Last year, 50,000 women worldwide were killed by intimate partners or family members. In Canada alone, approximately every six days, a woman is killed by her intimate partner.
This past November, I was extremely proud to take part in a massive fundraising and awareness campaign in support of the Royal LePage Foundation - Canada’s largest public foundation dedicated exclusively to funding women’s shelters and violence prevention programs.
Together with a group of 120 real estate agents from across the country - I trekked over 100 KM through the Sahara Desert in Morocco. Collectively, we raised over $1.1 Million for the cause - which goes directly to helping the more than 50,000 women and children who are served each year by the shelters and support programs funded by the foundation.
It was one of the most challenging experiences of my lifetime. It was a grueling hike through harsh conditions - with temperatures ranging from 30C during the day... to near freezing temperatures at night. During the 3rd day of the trek I caught a bacterial infection in my gut and became violently ill - just as we were ascending one of the largest sand dunes in Morocco! I was forced to sit out one leg of the hike in order to allow my body to rehydrate and recover. Our Moroccan guides drove me by SUV to the next check point on the trek, where I was able to re-join my group and continue the hike until the finish line.
The support I had from my fellow trekkers was what kept me going. I wasn't the only one who struggled to finish the hike, others in my group also fell sick, or suffered injuries along the way. But we all rallied together to make sure that every single one of us made it to the finish line. We often reminded ourselves throughout the trek... as tough as it seemed for us – that it was nothing compared to what women and children have to deal with when faced with the threat of violence. That was all the motivation we needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
I was able to raise over $5,000 for the West Island Women's Shelter, and I will have the honour of presenting them with a cheque this week – unless quarantine measures prevent me from doing so.
Some of the money I raised towards this trek was as a result of a charity rap concert that I’ve hosted for the past 3 years. Before I got into real estate, I used to work in the music business as a recording artist and label manager. So I tapped into my old network and put the band back together for a live event. I also wrote an original song about domestic violence, which I performed at the concert. If you're curious to check it out, here is a link to the video recording of the song. (https://youtu.be/N9IEt0-uIuY)
I would also like to take this opportunity to personally thank all of you who supported my fundraising efforts.
To add to this story - just last week we attended the annual Royal LePage awards gala, where agents are recognized for their sales achievements for the previous year. Each year they also recognize one agent whose efforts in raising funds and awareness for their local Women’s Shelter and the Royal LePage Shelter foundation stand out from the rest.
Unbeknownst to me... I was presented with this surprise award!! When they called my name, I didn’t even realize what had happened. I was stunned more than anything.
I was being recognized for my contributions over the years towards the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. They played clips from my rap concert and the song I wrote about domestic violence. They showed images of me hiking through the Sahara Dessert in Morocco. I felt deeply humbled.
I feel this way every time I hear the stories from the survivors, the staff, and the volunteers who work at the shelters. There’s no greater feeling than knowing that we’ve helped someone, in whatever way we can, to escape from an unthinkable, life-threatening situation.
There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” Happiness is found in helping others.
On this note... we were very pleased to have read this article below about a new commitment that the Quebec Government is making towards this issue.
This is good news.
The provincial government has committed to spend an extra $1 billion over five years to help youth in difficulty and women suffering from domestic violence. It's a positive step in the right direction, and we're hoping it has a lasting impact on reducing domestic violence cases in Quebec.
So let’s all be extremely cautious in the coming weeks. Be safe. Be responsible. Help others where you can. Protect your families. But don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. We’re all in this together, and together we shall thrive.
Signing off…
Capn’ Mark
