[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/the-end-of-the-pandemic-isnt-as-near-as-we-think-it-is\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/the-end-of-the-pandemic-isnt-as-near-as-we-think-it-is\/","headline":"The End Of The Pandemic Isn\u2019t As Near As We Think It Is","name":"The End Of The Pandemic Isn\u2019t As Near As We Think It Is","description":"One year on, we\u2019ve grown used to a masked society, bottles of hand sanitiser at every corner, and regular check-ins at malls, offices, and well, everywhere really. While safety measures such as mandatory SafeEntry and TraceTogether check-ins are still very much in place, Phase 3 in Singapore has enabled us to breathe a little and […]","datePublished":"2021-02-18","dateModified":"2022-04-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Maisie%20Leong\/#Person","name":"Maisie Leong","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Maisie%20Leong\/","identifier":227,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f5c852853ba8ed19bedc5417be7db8166064cfcb8857f5ec40bb516fab94b2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4f5c852853ba8ed19bedc5417be7db8166064cfcb8857f5ec40bb516fab94b2d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1613499233912_End_Of_Pandemic_1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1613499233912_End_Of_Pandemic_1.jpg","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/the-end-of-the-pandemic-isnt-as-near-as-we-think-it-is\/","about":["Community","Local","Singapore"],"wordCount":823,"articleBody":"One year on, we\u2019ve grown used to a masked society, bottles of hand sanitiser at every corner, and regular check-ins at malls, offices, and well, everywhere really.While safety measures such as mandatory SafeEntry and TraceTogether check-ins are still very much in place, Phase 3 in Singapore has enabled us to breathe a little and reconnect with our loved ones \u2013 albeit in limited numbers. Households are now allowed to have up to eight visitors a day; more businesses across varying sectors have been allowed to operate.With these changes, it\u2019s little wonder that societal attitudes have relaxed too. The pandemic has changed how we operate and live, and we\u2019re navigating a new normal. But are we really close to an end of the pandemic? We may be drawing nearer to the finishing line, but we can\u2019t get complacent.Low risk doesn\u2019t mean no risk While case numbers have been decreasing, with the virus being more contained, it\u2019s good to remember that low risk doesn\u2019t mean no risk, and it\u2019s important not to take the lowered number of cases for granted.Returning to our pre-pandemic habits is tempting, but can we really afford to? Short answer: no.Fulfilling our desire to connect with others may bring temporary gratification, but doing so could lead to a higher risk of infection, and affect our ability to spend time with our loved ones in the long run.Being too complacentPerhaps our response to COVID-19 can be explained by the phenomenon of remote misses.The concept of remote misses is relatively novel \u2013 Canadian psychologist\u00a0 John T. MacCurdy measured the post-World War II London population\u2019s response to major traumatic events, dividing the population into three segments:Direct hits: those who bear the brunt of direct injury resulting in death and disability, who are unable to share their experiences or inculcate a sense of fear;Near misses: those who are privy to others\u2019 death, or who are physically impacted but not incapacitated; andRemote misses: those who witness the traumatic incident and its consequences, but do not experience physical or emotional injury.Research suggests that the shift in attitude towards the pandemic, from \u201cone of \u201cfear\u201d to one that has \u201cfaced its fears\u201d, has resulted in a deceptive sense of security and \u201cfeelings of invulnerability\u201d, which can in turn lead to carelessness and complacency \u2013 an approach that can be fatal for the pandemic.Why we should stay cautious Vaccines are being rolled out. Community cases have been decreasing. Yet we can\u2019t throw caution to the wind. Even if that means quieter celebrations, or e-versions of yu sheng greetings.The pandemic may be under control in Singapore but there\u2019s still plenty to overcome \u2013 from the fear of reinfection to newer and more infectious strains of COVID-19 \u2013 and we shouldn\u2019t take our current stability for granted.Our return to pre-pandemic times may be later than we think. US experts such as physician Dr Anthony Fauci have suggested 70 to 85 per cent of the population needs to be vaccinated for things to return to normal, and Bloomberg\u2019s development of a Vaccine Tracker, which monitors the largest number of COVID-19 vaccines administered globally, shows that it would take the world seven years to return to normal at the current rate of vaccination.To help overcome this, being socially conscious is key. We have a responsibility to stay cautious as our actions affect others, from those in developing countries who lack adequate medical resources, to countries struggling to contain the virus.Close to home, Malaysia has just extended its Movement Control Order (MCO) to 4 March for a number of states, including Johor, which is nearest to Singapore \u2013 a timely reminder of our very own lockdown last year, and the progress we\u2019ve worked hard to achieve since then.Hope for the futureHolding on to hope is natural \u2013 to want to be distracted from our workforce’s struggles, and the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic. Doing so feels easy, something we\u2019re entitled to, almost \u2013 we\u2019ve held our breath for so long that it feels right to be able to relax, now that the number of cases is easing. It\u2019s imperative, however, that we don\u2019t let this hope derail our year-long effort to curb the pandemic\u2019s spread.For all that we\u2019ve experienced with the pandemic, we\u2019ve also learnt the value of unity, with local initiatives such as Wares Mutual Aid reminding us of the power of community. Globally, more people are searching for ways to donate, rather than save. We\u2019ve risen to the challenges the pandemic\u2019s thrown at us and achieved rapid technological advancement \u2013 and used it to help others.Slowly but surely, we\u2019re working our way to recovery. Let\u2019s just hold on a little while longer.Join the conversations on THG’s\u00a0Facebook\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram, and get the latest updates via\u00a0Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The End Of The Pandemic Isn\u2019t As Near As We Think It Is","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/the-end-of-the-pandemic-isnt-as-near-as-we-think-it-is\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]