Everyone is talking about “the coronavirus”, or COVID-19. Some are panicking and stockpiling toilet paper and water (which I DO NOT understand). Others are acting like it is just a big joke. My take on it all is somewhere in between.
First of all, the virus is real. No amount of joking about it and denying it will alter that fact. It has infected close to 150,000 people and killed over 5500 (which is a 3.7% death rate worldwide). In the US, which is just beginning to feel the effects of the virus, we currently have 2500 cases and 55 deaths (a 2.2% death rate), and the numbers are rising every day. (These numbers are as of 3/14.) I’m sorry, but that doesn’t feel like something to joke about to me.
Are the numbers reason to panic? Of course not. But they should be taken seriously. The panic has emptied shelves of grocery stores and tanked the stock market. However, the safety measures that our government and medical authorities are implementing should be respected and followed. Hopefully, that will keep our death rate at a lower number than some other countries. Is it inconvenient? Yes. But a little inconvenience in order to save lives is worth it, don’t you think?
I’ve seen those who pooh-poohed the numbers, because the death rate is highest in those over 80 and with pre-existing health conditions. In our congregation, we have 4 people over 80 (6 if you count our shut-ins), 3 or 4 people with autoimmune disease, 2 or 3 with diabetes, 1 with cancer, and a couple more who deal with pulmonary issues. These are the ones who are considered “high risk” for developing a serious case of the disease (or dying). That adds up to about 1/3 of our total number. Are they irrelevant?
I don’t like the restrictions any more than anyone else. I’m not allowed to visit my Dad for the foreseeable future. That’s hard! But I understand why they have created those restrictions. Those 25 deaths in Washington nursing homes should make us all put the health of the elderly above our own desires and convenience.
Am I panicking? Absolutely not. I’m not scared of dying from the virus, although it could happen. (Just a regular cold usually leaves me with a bad case of bronchitis.) I am concerned about possibly contracting the virus and unwittingly infecting someone else who MIGHT develop a serious case of the virus. Just because I don’t “personally know” someone who has COVID-19 is irrelevant. It is just now making its way into our area. It will spread…rapidly. I’m especially concerned about the laissez-faire attitude of a lot of Americans, who will thumb their noses at recommendations and restrictions imposed by the authorities…thus insuring that the virus will spread even more. We don’t bolt (or weld) people who have the virus in their houses. We are “free to come and go as we please”. The blatant disregard for the overall health of everyone in our nation could cause our numbers to grow more than they would if people would cooperate with the enacted guidelines.
I normally don’t get involved in discussions like this on social media. I’ve held my piece when I’ve seen false information being posted and reposted. This will probably be the only time that I “chime in” on the subject. But I feel like it is important that we recognize the facts (not the fake news), and respond in a responsible manner for the safety of all of us…not just our own selves.
Php 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
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