It’s not going away. Not anytime soon. Eights month on and we’re now in a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) in Kuala Lumpur. Various movement restrictions from MCO, CMCO, Recovery MCO, and Enhanced and Semi-Enhanced MCO’s have been enforced in various areas, districts and states in Malaysia, at various times, to control the number of Covid-19 cases. We are in our third wave, and the numbers are rising.

I never envisaged this protracted situation when the MCO was first introduced last March. I flippantly thought it was like a SARS or MERS. Both serious diseases that somewhat impacted Malaysia but seemed distant. A faraway problem. Not this Covid-19. Invisible. Pervasive. Deadly. This pandemic has taken centre stage. It is and will be the on-going theme for many, many months to come.

The only way out is a viable vaccine. There are currently several on-going clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccines. How soon will one be available? Recent reports say by end 2020 or early 2021. In the spirit of nationalism, some richer nations have funded and staked claims on potential vaccine candidates for their citizens. Hooray for them. But, how effective will this initiative be? We live in a globalised world. We are connected. Would a vaccinated country keep its borders closed – live, work, travel and conduct business – within its own borders? Open its doors only to countries that have immunised its citizens – bubbles of safe countries ? Maybe.

Even after all the peoples of the world have been vaccinated, however long that takes, can we let our guard down? Will the prescribed dosses of the victorious vaccines provide enough immunity to prevent further transmissions and a resurgence? Could communities, who somehow missed out on the vaccine or people who refuse to be vaccinated still infect the immunised? Will the immunised have herd immunity? Will there be another virulent virus as we come out of this one? Can we go back to some semblance of the life we lived pre-pandemic? Maybe. Maybe not for the many who have lost loved ones, jobs and businesses.

Locally, we have a double whammy to contend with. The roller-coaster political environment. I am not being dramatic or morbid. These questions and many more are being raised and debated frequently. Honestly, I have no answers. I don’t know the outcome of this evolving global pandemic. I don’t know the state of play of the politics in the country. What I do know is there are actually a few things that I can do to keep safe and sane.

To keep safe, follow the 3W’s. One – wash hands with soap and water and/or sanitiser. My dry hands are testimony of the frequent hand washing. Two – wear a mask over the nose and mouth in public places. It gets stiflingly uncomfortable in a hot country like Malaysia. Three – heed the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) warnings. No shaking hands. Practice good coughing and sneezing etiquette ( some still need schooling on this). Stay at home. Seek treatment if symptomatic. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces. Doable.

Avoid the 3’Cs. One – crowded places. Like supermarkets. Make a list and try to buy everything in one shopping trip. Be patient and wait my turn in the aisles. Two – confined spaces like lifts. Stand where ‘X’ marks the spot, and wear a mask. Three – close conversations. Observe physical distancing. Avoid speaking loudly and spraying saliva all over the place. Covid-19 is an air-borne disease. Also, doable.

The 3W’s and 3’C’s are not big asks considering how infectious and fatal this virus is. The numbers of people afflicted with the virus, and alarming numbers of deaths are enough to convince me to heed the warnings by the MOH. This virus affects us all. It’s not like a migraine that I know only too well. With a migraine, I have the option to try to avoid, treat or suffer it.  My options and actions don’t affect anyone but me. Not so with Covid-19. All it takes is one irresponsible person. His or her negligent or careless disregard of the 3W’s, 3C’s and SOPs, may cause serious illness or worse death or deaths of innocent loved ones, friends and the general populace.

To keep sane, I write, experiment with new recipes and spend time with my mum, who is quite entertaining sometimes. My husband rides his road bikes on weekends. To maintain a level of normality, we go for walks in the evening, have dinner only at SOP-abiding restaurants (we’ve struck off a few more in KLCC where staff cough nonchalantly without wearing a mask and touch food with their bare hands), watch Netflix way too much, and plan holidays for when the CMCO is lifted, and in 2021. And, of course, be grateful and try to stay happy.