In the beginning of this Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, many people were not familiar with it, and were simply comparing it to another version of the seasonal flu, unaware of its severity. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared it as a global pandemic on Wednesday, March 11th and since then, society has been adjusting to these unfortunate circumstances.
President Trump implemented social distancing regulations, which are meant to increase the physical space between people to avoid spreading illness (Hopkins Medicine). These rules limit gatherings of 10 or more people and require people to stay at least 6 feet apart. They also advise people to stay home as much as possible, only going out if absolutely necessary. Additionally, all non-essential businesses, schools, offices, etc. were temporarily shut down to keep people from spreading this highly contagious virus. These actions are being taken in an attempt to “flatten the curve,” which means trying to use protective actions to slow the rate of COVID-19 infections (Hopkins Medicine).
Although the government has enforced all these necessary precautions, actually getting everyone in the nation to follow these guidelines has not been easy. News reports show that some college students still continued spring break trips and overall, many people are still going out and seeing people often. Ultimately, the most efficient way to flatten the curve, and get our country back to normal is for people to actually listen to these precautions and take this seriously.
The sooner people act responsibly, the sooner everything will be back to normal. Even if someone thinks they won’t get infected, it is important to be socially distant to protect others such as the older adults/elderly, people with compromised immune systems, people who don’t have a safe place to call home, people who don’t have healthcare, etc. Yes, it can be boring staying at home, we all miss our friends and our normal work/school routines. However, we must look ahead and try to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If people take social distancing as seriously as it is, things can potentially be better by May/June.
That being said, take this time to stay at home and find some new hobbies. The media is full of messages saying to help others during this time, and that starts with the simplicity of staying home and practicing social distance. This situation is full of uncertainty, anxiety and sadness but it is a time for our nation to prove its strength by doing our best to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and come together.