COVID-19 Pandemic: Young Leaders Around The World Share Their Experience And Advice

From the United States to the Philippines, the rapid spread of COVID-19 has globally changed the fabric of our lives. While the crisis we face is complex, governments, organizations, and individuals are stepping up to tackle this pandemic head-on to curb the spread. Faced with unprecedented social, economic, and health challenges, headlines across the globe provide a glimpse into how countries are implementing various strategies to mitigate its development.

Our global +SocialGood community has come together to highlight local efforts to combat this pandemic.

Want to support the global efforts to combat COVID-19? Donate to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund in support of the World Health Organization.

Swarnima Shrestha, Kathmandu, Nepal

Describe the COVID-19 situation in your country:

There has just been one identified case of COVID-19 in Nepal and the person has been cured and is living a normal life. No new cases have been reported as of yet, but we are a high-risk zone as we share borders with China and India. Life was pretty normal with schools and all businesses remaining open until March 17, 2020. Now, most people are staying indoors unless it’s absolutely necessary to go out.

What action has your government taken?

An address was made by the prime minister on March 20, 2020, with instructions to close down everything except for those considered emergency services in Nepal. All international flights have been canceled. Public transportation, restaurants, and most shops remain open as of now.

Share your best tips for adjusting to “working from home”:

• Setting aside a proper work corner rather than working from bed or couch helps increase productivity.
• Rather than just relying on emails and texts, connecting through phone and video calls with work colleagues and friends helps to avoid the feeling of isolation and helps in remaining better connected.

What is your advice for all young people around the world?

Young people can play a very crucial role in any emergency situation. Young people can help disseminate proper messages in their community and help people get the correct information. Young people can help the elderly to gain access to online services and resources.

Priyanka Jaisinghani, United States

Describe the COVID-19 situation in your country:

The situation in the United States is rapidly changing every day. As of today, there are 15,000 confirmed cases within the United States and by the time this article is published the numbers are expecting to rise. Within New York and New Jersey, schools have moved to remote learning and non-essential businesses (local businesses, bars, and movie theaters) have closed doors with restaurants only catering to take-out and delivery orders. Grocery store shelves are emptying at rapid speed, with lines revolving out the door. While many are working remotely, there are many industries that are being affected and are having to layoff staff due to the lack of revenue.

What action has your government taken?

As COVID-19 continues to spread, stricter regulations and recommendations are being implemented on a state and federal level that are changing on a daily basis. Some actions that state and federal government has taken include:

• The federal government has declared a national state of emergency, freeing up federal funds and other resources needed to supplement state and local efforts.
• The federal administration signed into law a coronavirus relief package that includes provisions for free testing for COVID-19 and paid emergency leave.
• On a local level, New York Governor has temporarily suspended state debt collection (student and medical) for at least 30 days. He has also announced temporary mortgage relief for New Yorkers.
• States are implementing their own restrictions in which some include limiting gatherings up to 50 individuals, mandatory closing of schools, temporarily closing non-essential businesses (malls, gyms, movie theatres, bars…etc) and more.
• There continues to be a lack of available testing kits, as states are struggling to get scale-wide testing.

Share your best tips for adjusting to “working from home”:

• Don’t forget to include wellness in your routine; it’s important to take care of our physical and mental health.
• Build a routine that mimics your office routine (from the time you would get up to what your established working hours were).
• Set boundaries: find a spot that’s your “new office” and communicate your working hours.

What is your advice for all young people around the world?

In these uncertain times, it is important for us to come together as a community to support one another (from a safe distance in a digital world). This is especially important as the lack of social contact can lead to an increase in loneliness and isolation affecting our physical and mental health.

Nashilongo Gervasius, Namibia

Describe the COVID-19 situation in your country

The situation in Namibia has gotten quite alarming perhaps because of the interventions called by the President and not at ministerial level. Two official cases have been confirmed in the country and consequently, the president has declared a state of emergency. All schools have been closed for 30 days countrywide, including universities. All travel in and out of the country has been banned except to South Africa to allow Namibians and foreign nationals to return home. To make matters worse the public is overwhelmed and battling misinformation in relation to the pandemic.

What action has your government taken?

On the 17th of March, Cabinet held a meeting in which it received briefings on the status of COVID-19 in Namibia and deliberated the state of readiness to respond effectively to this public health emergency. The Minister of Health updated the measures taken to detect, test, isolate and trace cases, to contain the further spread of COVID-19. The Ministers of International Relations & Cooperation, Finance, Environment & Tourism, and Industrialisation & Trade also provided updates on the anticipated humanitarian and economic impacts of COVID-19 on Namibia and proposed mitigating strategies.

The president has declared COVID-19 a public health crisis and declared a State of Emergency with immediate effect. The president has signed a proclamation and called upon the Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of International Relations to make a brief intervention, followed by the Ministers of Health, Finance, Industrialization, Trade & SME Development, and Environment & Tourism. President calls collaborative work in order to effectively minimize the spread of the virus and loss of life and to restore the health of those affected and called upon the Ministry of Health & Social Services and stakeholders to provide a comprehensive Public Education Campaign to empower our people with the necessary preventative measures. He also appealed to all International Cooperating Partners and stakeholders and the private sector to support the government’s response measures and mobilize resources to combat the further spread of this virus.

Share your best tips for adjusting to “working from home”:

I have been working remotely for most of 2019 with few contact classes at the University. Some tips:

• Have your to-do list and tick it off daily.
• Be disciplined.
• Be cognizant of time differences.
• Do as much as you can when you are “up for it.”
• Put in as many hours as you would in a physical workspace.
• Work on as many projects as you would in a physical workspace.
• Stay hydrated.
• Closely monitor your loved ones.

What is your advice for all young people around the world?

Let’s collaborate and be innovative in a time like this. Let’s not forget to find solutions to other challenging issues. Let’s keep our eyes on the goal and work together. Thankfully we are all connected. Let’s not forget those who are unconnected with ideas who are not able to bring them to fruition in a time like this.

Henriette Weber, Denmark

Describe the COVID-19 situation in your country:

We have around 900 infected. Everybody is more or less told to stay home, wash their hands and keep distant. Everything in the infrastructure is still running (buses, trains, etc.) but most other shops (apart from supermarkets) are closed.

What action has your government taken?

The government has been really great at handling this - taking swift action and communicating throughout to the public. Gatherings with more than 10 people are not allowed inside or outside. All shops are closed apart from supermarkets. Services such as hair salons and masseurs are also closed. Restaurants can stay open, but only for take-away. They scaled up quickly and, within two days, Denmark was different than ever before.

Share your best tips for adjusting to “working from home”:

Just do it. Create structure through Slack channels and hangouts.

What is your advice for all young people around the world?

This too shall pass - listen to what the health authorities are saying. Don’t compromise and we will be back to our every day (although slightly bruised) in no time.

Alejandra Acosta, Spain

Describe the COVID-19 situation in your country:

The crisis started in Spain in the middle of February, with the cancellation of the mobile world congress in Barcelona. At that moment, as a country, we did not believe that the problem was as serious as it is now. We kept our routines and daily lives until last week, when our public health system started to collapse due to more than 2,000 COVID-19 infections around Spain, but specifically in Madrid. One week later, we have more than 13,000 cases of COVID-19 and 500 deaths.

What action has your government taken?

The government has been inactive and has not taken adequate measures.. Because of this, we now have more than 13,000 cases of COVID-19 and the number is still rising. We are at an “alert state”, which means that everything is closed except supermarkets and pharmacies. From now on, it is forbidden to go outside if it is not strictly necessary. The government will provide 200,000 million euros to fight the virus, ensuring vulnerable people can pay their bills and have their basic needs covered.

Even though the measures implemented are not bad and will help fight the virus, if they had been implemented before, we wouldn’t have as many cases. It is important that other countries see us as a bad example, and practice social distancing as soon as possible to stop the infection and keep the system from collapsing.

Share your best tips for adjusting to “working from home”:

• Do not stay on your pajamas the whole day. At least for me, staying in my pajamas and not dressing up makes me feel more unproductive, with less energy to get my work done.
• Create routines. It is easy to feel unmotivated and distracted when we stay at home so much. Routines will help us to accomplish objectives, do not waste time and save energy to do things we usually do not have space and time for.
• FaceTime your loved ones. Isolation can be hard and can make us feel sad. Let’s try to stay positive by connecting with the ones we love and encouraging each other in this hard season.

What is your advice for all young people around the world?

Stay at home. Youth are less at risk if they get the COVID-19 infection, but if we do not stay home, we can potentially overwhelm the system and take resources (like hospital beds) away from those who are more vulnerable. Instead of minimizing the consequences of the virus, we should use our energy to serve people around us that may need us. Some examples of this include offering to buy groceries for them if they have a high risk of getting infected or sending notes to people at hospitals that may feel lonely.

Neeshad Shafi, Qatar

Describe the COVID-19 situation in your country:

The Qatar government, through the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), prepared efficiently to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. Even though the number of cases in Qatar now is not small, all of them happened among people under quarantine. It means they are under full control. All of the confirmed patients are now in the specially-prepared hospital.

Also, thanks to Qatar’s healthcare system (which is free for both nationals and residents), the diagnostic test capacity of Qatar is also considered world-class. Additionally, the Qatari government has set up Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Crisis Management and is taking necessary measures to protect the people in Qatar.

What action has your government taken?

The State of Qatar has taken precautionary measures to limit the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) by suspending travel from 15 countries. Other countries can enter the country provided that they stay in a quarantine facility for 14 days as per the local procedures.

Other measures taken by the State of Qatar include closing cinemas, theaters, children’s play areas, gyms, and hotels. These measures are effective Friday, March 13 until further notice. The Ministry of Public Health has called upon all citizens and residents to avoid crowded places and postpone holding social gatherings for the time being, for their own well being and that of the community. The Ministry has also advised that elderly people, and people with chronic health conditions, avoid going out unless absolutely necessary, as they are more susceptible to infections. The State of Qatar also canceled prayers at Mosques including Friday prayers in an extraordinary decision.

Share your best tips for adjusting to “working from home”:

• Sit in your best location at your home, with good ventilation.
• Try to stay safe and maintain social distance even if you are living with friends and family.
• Try to have hand sanitizer close to you always.
• Stay calm and monitor information from verified news agencies; avoid panic news on social media.
• Please keep working out and avoid junk food!

What is your advice for all young people around the world?

Keep calm, this shall pass too!

Abraham Ologundudu, Nigeria

Describe the COVID-19 situation in your country:

As of Thursday, March 19, 2020, according to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), there have been 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria. What we have seen is that most of these confirmed cases have travel history from the United States and the UK. A total of 91 people have been screened for COVID-19 from 13 states in Nigeria, with 72 from Lagos and the FCT. There has been only one confirmed death so far — a male American visiting from Richmond, Virginia, USA.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria comes at a time when we are still battling an outbreak of Lassa fever, which has caused 132 deaths since the beginning of the year. However, some Nigerian health experts have said that we are prepared to contain the new virus, based on the successful response to Ebola more than five years ago.

There’s been an uprise of fake news and misinformation about the novel Coronavirus amongst the public, especially through social media. Which, in my opinion, has been a major source of panic and distress amongst citizens.

What action has your government taken?

The Federal Ministry of Health, through the NCDC, activated a National Emergency Operations Center to lead the national response. The National Rapid Response Team has been deployed to support affected State Governments with response activities.

In terms of diagnosis, currently, there are five laboratories in NCDC’s molecular laboratory network with the capacity to test for COVID-19 in Nigeria. According to the NCDC, these laboratories are located in the FCT, Lagos, Edo and Osun States, and are sufficiently equipped with reagents and supplies for testing. It is actually little compared to the large population, but it’s a step in the right direction. Citizens who meet the national case definition of COVID-19 will be tested at no cost, which I believe is an impressive move.

In addition, the federal government recently issued a travel ban, restricting entry into the country for travelers from countries with over 1,000 cases domestically. This includes China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany, Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Switzerland. This also means that there would be a temporary suspension of all visas issued to nationals from these countries. Nigerians arriving from these countries will be subjected to supervised isolation for 14 days. So far, contact tracing of inbound travelers has been a strategy of the Nigerian government in identifying possible carriers of the virus.

The Nigerian government has also advised all Nigerians to avoid travel to these countries. The restriction will come into effect from Friday, 20 March 2020 for 4 weeks subject to review.

We are also seeing more specific actions being taken at the state level. Based on the increase in the number of people testing positive to COVID-19 in Nigeria, the Lagos State government has placed a restriction on all religious gatherings with more than 50 persons. In addition, all public and private schools in the metropolitan area would be closed from Monday, 23rd March 2020.

In terms of information sharing, an intensive communications campaign is in place to provide regular updates and accurate information to Nigerians on protecting themselves. This can be found on www.covid19.ncdc.gov.ng.

Share your best tips for adjusting to “working from home”:

• Focus on identifying how you best work and create a plan around that.
• Track and monitor your progress, and tweak your plan where necessary.
• Also, I believe it’s important to remain calm and ensure you have a support system, where you all constantly check up on each other.
• Ultimately, try to monitor your thought patterns and emotions during this epidemic. Look out for ways to create positive energy around you.

What is your advice for all young people around the world?

It’s time for us to really tap into our humanity and show empathy to everyone around us. Let us create awareness and share accurate information about the virus and not spread panic.

To young people who reside in Africa, avoid seeing the epidemic as a “Chinese or European problem,” because it’s now a world epidemic. It’s not the time to share anti-Chinese remarks or any form of racist comments in general.

Be the voice that speaks out against destructive behaviors and statements on social media about other groups or countries. Let love be shared among us.

Emmanuel Nyame, Ghana

Describe the COVID-19 situation in your country:

As of March 19, 2020, only 16 cases have been recorded in Ghana. So far the confirmed cases are from Turkey, Norway, Germany, France, the United States of America, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

With regards to contact tracing, a total of 399 contacts have been identified and are being followed up. Nineteen of the contacts developed some forms of symptoms and samples were taken for laboratory testing.

The Ghana Health Service has received laboratory results for 15 of them which are all negative for COVID-19 and is awaiting results for the four others. Contact identification and tracking for the newly confirmed cases has just started.

What action has your government taken?

As part of the government’s measures to deal with the coronavirus situation, all schools, both public and private, have been closed down. Social gatherings including conferences, religious activities, political rallies, sporting events, and funerals have all been suspended. On the other hand, hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, and nightclubs have been asked to operate under intense hygiene.

Share your best tips for adjusting to “working from home”:

Prepare a schedule and stick to it. It is best to ensure you are achieving daily goals, then spending time relaxing or feeling bored. Work-life still continues even at home.

What is your advice for all young people around the world?

Follow all precautions from the World Health Organization and stay informed at all times.