Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed praised healthcare workers last week during his virtual Ramadan Majlis and on Twitter, describing them as the embodiment of mercy and compassion.
"As we celebrate World Nurses Day, we salute our front line that faces the pandemic bravely. We pay tribute to them here in the UAE and the world.
“Their role is essential, and the sacrifice is great. They are truly the embodiment of mercy and compassion,” he said.
The English word compassion derives from the Latin compati, meaning to suffer with or suffer together. When we act compassionately we help ease the burdens of other beings.
Healthcare workers around the globe are alleviating the suffering of Covid-19 patients. As a consequence, they too, are suffering, embodying compassion in the original and truest sense of the word.
To understand the risks that healthcare workers and their families face, we only have to glance at the number of Covid-19 infections among them.
Oxford University’s Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine estimated healthcare workers may account for up to 30 per cent of all British infections. This is a group that makes up only six per cent of the UK workforce.
In one UK accident and emergency department, at Royal Gwent Hospital in Wales, almost half of employees tested positive for Covid-19. In Spain, as of March 25, there were 47,600 total cases of which 6,500 were in medical staff.
The psychological costs may be just as high and are likely to last long after the pandemic has passed
In short, 13.6 per cent of all cases were from a group that makes up only one per cent of the workforce. Last week, the International Council of Nurses proposed that at least 90,000 healthcare workers worldwide had been infected.
The ICN also suggested the actual figure might be twice as high, given that several nations have not yet reported the relevant data.
The high rate of infection among healthcare workers illustrates only the physical suffering that is being heroically endured.
The psychological costs may be equally high and are likely to last long after the pandemic has passed.
For evidence of this, we can look at the global outbreak in 2002-2004 of Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Many researchers have called Sars the first pandemic of the 21st century – some also described it as a “mental health catastrophe”.
Numerous studies point to elevated levels of depression, post-traumatic stress and substance abuse among healthcare workers who treated Sars patients.
The same, of course, was true for patients who survived Sars, even years after full recovery from the virus. Furthermore, a study published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry reported a link between elevated rates of suicide among Hong Kong's elderly and the Sars outbreak.
Consider that global Sars cases numbered 8,098 with 774 deaths. Covid-19 stands at about 4.7 million cases, with more than 315,000 deaths.
There is a clear and present need for psychological support for healthcare workers, for those directly affected by the Covid-19 and for the public at large.
The UAE pre-emptively responded to this need back in 2016, when it appointed a Minister of State for Happiness.
This appointment underscored the UAE’s commitment to psychological wellness. During the unfolding of the Covid-19 pandemic, the UAE’s National Programme for Happiness and Well-being has launched numerous supportive initiatives, including the national campaign for mental support.
This project mainly involves connecting the general public with mental health specialists and through the innovative use of social media. I am honoured to have been involved in this programme and to have helped in some small way.
There is, however, much more to do if we are to avert a post-pandemic mental health catastrophe.
If compassion makes things better, then cruelty and unkindness make things worse. Unfortunately, the example of our compassionate healthcare workers is not being emulated by all.
Earlier this month, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the coronavirus pandemic was unleashing “a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scaremongering”.
Referencing the rise in pandemic-related hate speech and hate crimes, the UN chief called for actions that “strengthen the immunity of our societies against the virus of hate”.
Last week Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, the Minister of Tolerance, addressed the Prayer for Humanity session. This global initiative was an online meeting of religious leaders coming together to show mutual respect during this global crisis.
If tolerance and compassion towards ourselves and each other will help us through this trying time, it is these same qualities that will help us minimise the psychological after-effects of this pandemic.
Justin Thomas is a professor of psychology at Zayed University
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
MATCH INFO
Leeds United 0
Brighton 1 (Maupay 17')
Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
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Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Read more about the coronavirus
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
