I am writing this post on Tuesday, March 17th, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m sure almost everybody is aware of the Coronavirus situation, with information being plastered everywhere. It feels as though you can’t turn on your television, read the newspaper, check your phone, or even have a conversation without the “big C” being mentioned.
I am writing this post to inform others, but also to help myself cope. Like many others, I am anxious and fearful of what is going to happen next. It is the unknown that I hate the most. And the constant changes, from schools shutting down, to now restaurants only open for take-out. I have become obsessed with checking the news for updates every morning and night. But am I obsessed or just cautious? I want to educate myself and others so we can help slow and eventually end the spread of the virus.
So, with that being said, and with so much misinformation on the Internet, I wanted to provide some useful tips and my opinions on the whole scenario. First, a new term is popping up everywhere, and it is known as “social distancing.” It means to distance yourself from other individuals, to slow the spread of the virus. The simple definition: avoid large crowds of people and don’t stand directly next to someone. I think this term is very important for people to understand and follow. In addition, I believe it is essential that those who can, should limit their social interactions and stay at home.
As a college student, I am most concerned about my fellow students. Sadly, the stereotype can be true; the young can be reckless. And I am most concerned that my peers will continue to go out in crowds and socialize, which puts themselves and their close family and friends at risk. I get it, I want to travel too, especially with flight and hotel prices being at an all-time low, but it is not worth the risk, we need to put our safety first. It will only help in the long run because we don’t want to get to the point where everyone has to be quarantined and on lock down. If we get to that point, then hospitals and doctors will become overwhelmed with too many cases.
If you still need a reason to stay inside, read this quote I found on Instagram:
“Our elders were called to war to save lives. We are being called to sit on the couch to save theirs. We can do this.”
I love this quote! It is simple, yet informative. People over 60 are most at risk of contracting the virus, and if we get sick, then we could spread it to them. Think of it in personal terms, what if you traveled somewhere, then went home but didn’t self-quarantine and visited your grandparents. Because symptoms take a while to show up, you don’t know if you could be putting your grandparent’s lives at risk.
Also, we are so lucky to live in a digital age. We have all kinds of media and entertainment at our fingertips. It is hard to be bored. I get there are extenuating circumstances for some people who need to work or go out into the real world, but for those who are able to stay home, then I urge you to do it. You may go a little stir crazy at first, but eventually, you will get use to it.
Another note, I don’t know if it is just the people I follow on social media, but I feel like a lot of people are being pessimistic and negative about the situation. Yes, I know it stinks that there are no sports, now school is online, and we can’t see our friends, but this is for our health and wellbeing. Maybe by doing this, the virus will stop spreading and end sooner. I am hopeful that we will all get back to our normal routines soon, and I think you should be optimistic too.
Don’t be like Monica:
I feel like I could write a novel on all things Coronavirus, but I don’t have that kind of time, well actually I might if places continue to shut down and if we are put on lockdown. Jokes aside, on a serious note, I know there are other problems I didn’t mention. For example, how businesses are being affected. Why are people clearing the shelves of toilet paper? But if you take away one lesson from this post, it would be too take care of yourself and others. Oh, and don’t forget to stay positive!
P.S. If you want to learn more about COVID-19 visit the CDC’s website:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html