With the entire world buckling under the strain of the coronavirus domino effect on society, and people finding various ways to deal with the stress of it all, it seemed appropriate to drop a few observations into the pot.
There is no use being paralyzed with fear and anxiety over this. Like a hurricane or a wildfire, these things come and kill people, but they pass. And this too shall pass. We have to be careful, super hygienic and sensitive, keep calm and drink a lot of tea to feel better!
Many people are panicking as evidenced by their compulsive buying of toilet paper and other goods. With something like this, where you can actually do very little to avoid getting infected, people are grabbing things they CAN do so they at least feel like they’re doing SOMETHING. But in fact, the best thing they can do is minimize physical interaction with other people and stay in their homes or accommodations as much as possible.
Just to repeat at this point, the preventive actions you can take against the virus: Wash your hands with a virus-killing antibacterial soap after touching anything outside your home. Do not touch your face at all until you have washed your hands. Do not approach less than 2 meters from other people. (One meter is suggested, but I think this is a bit optimistic, and personally I’d be happier with 3 or more meters – you can still have a conversation at a distance of 3 meters.) Do not congregate in crowds. Use hand sanitizer if you can’t wash your hands, and then wash them with soap and water as soon as you can. Don’t shake hands with anyone, and of course, don’t kiss anyone outside of your own family or home. Eradicate physical contact with anyone outside your home until this is over.
Some people say that this is God’s punishment for the sins of the leaders of the nations, which may well be true. Others say that the Chinese released this virus on purpose to reduce overseas stocks so they could buy Western companies at a fraction of their price. This is also a possibility. Others say it was caused by the Chinese’s unhygienic eating habits of wild animals, causing the virus to jump between species, which is the most popular theory. I myself am still collecting all the information and filtering the fake news to try to make sense of the outbreak. What is fairly certain is that it was caused by a combination of greed and poverty.
What we really have to do is support those who have tested positive, send them messages of encouragement and hope. Also be super supportive of the nursing staff and doctors, and also any of those people who have to keep working to ensure you have food and supplies. Be nice to everyone right now, letting go of small irritations. Everyone is anxious to some degree, so give people a little wind-up and always be encouraging.
If you are in quarantine, enjoy the time with your family (if they are with you) and the same if your area is in lockdown. Make the most of the situation, so that this whole episode goes well.
May the coronavirus soon be just a memory, consigned to the history books.
