Hello Webroot Community, 

Below is an excerpt of a recent blog post from OpenText CEO and CTO, Mark Barrenechea, that I wanted to share with you. You can read the full post here. 

As we approach 100 days of quarantine or shelter in place, I wanted to take an inventory of what we know, what we need to know, and how to live and love in the time of Corona.

Humanity is at a critical juncture, and our individual decisions will decide between life or death, recession or depression, and potential social unrest or greater harmony. It is a time for empathy. It is a time to live and love, to give and grieve.

What do we know, and how should we live and love in the time of COVID-19, are the subjects I want to explore (a tip of the hat to Gabriel Garcia Marquez for his Love in the Time of Cholera).

Before I begin, let our hearts be with our friends and colleagues that are still trapped in the COVID-19 storm, including India, Philippines, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Russia and elsewhere. May you pass through the storm with speed, health and blessings.

We have known knowns, and unknown unknowns.

My industry is technology and the technology narrative has spanned from “digital by default” to embracing “new ways to work.” Cries of “flatten the curve” were splattered across social media, with the definition of success being not to overwhelm the medical system. We have demonstrated that we can flatten the curve, keep our healthcare systems operating, but only with the bravery of our healthcare professionals, nurses and doctors.

We are flattening the curve, one of the many milestones in defeating the virus, but it is a milestone with no celebration. Consider one of the symbols, the USNS Comfort arriving in New York City with water cannons and cheers, and quietly sailing away after servicing only 182 patients (and we are thankful—to the crew, for the preparedness and also for the lack of demand). It is a silent celebration as we flatten the curve. There has been very little time to live, love or grieve through the pandemic.

So how do we live and love between “flattening the curve” and “finding the cure” (either as a therapeutic or a vaccine)? Like any great journey or project, there should be milestones. A year is not a year; we break it into four quarters, milestones. So, let’s go back to the math and science and focus on the metrics that matter.

To read the rest of Mark’s article, please visit the OpenText blog.