If you are in COVID-19 (coronavirus) denial, it is time to wake up. If you are anxious and jittery, it is time to turn that energy into action. The key idea here is that we cannot go on as if nothing is happening and we cannot freak out.
I am not a medical professional. I have read the many statements from authoritative people posted on social media basically telling everyone to calm down. Instead of minimizing this issue, we must approach it thoughtfully and decisively.
Where do we need to go?
Here is my understanding put simply:
1. There are far more cases of this virus around us than we know about.
2. Each day, our odds of catching or spreading this disease increase significantly.
3. If lots of people get this disease at the same time, our health resources will be overwhelmed and people will not receive the treatment they need.
4. If we limit the number of people with whom we come in contact, we can slow down the spread of the disease.
5. If we slow down the spread of the disease, people may still get it, but since fewer will get it at the same time, our health systems are more likely to be able to deal with it.
The key is to slow down the spread of the disease so we have fewer cases each day and thus our hospitals, doctors, and health professionals are not flooded with people who need immediate attention.
This requires everyone! This is the difference between China and Italy. China locked down while Italy took much longer to do so. While this may not have changed the number of people affected, it meant that, instead of hundreds or thousands of people trying to get to doctors AT THE SAME TIME, the number of people seeking treatment was spread over a longer period of time and thus was more manageable.
So what I have read suggests that we need to do a few things RIGHT NOW:
1. Take care of yourself. Wash your hands, get enough sleep, and tend to your health.
2. Avoid contact with anyone who is sick at all.
3. Minimize leaving your home. Avoid gatherings.
4. Move as much of your contact with people to the phone or computer. If you must leave the house, no hugging, kissing, or handshaking. Be a “far talker” and keep as much distance between you and other people as you can.
5. Encourage everyone you know to do the same.
Don’t panic: be prudent and patient. We must all work together to stop this pandemic!
Finally, here are the articles I have found to be most illuminating and upon which this post is based:
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