Coronavirus. COVID-19. It may not seem that bad right now but it is expected to get worse in the next few weeks.
To prevent the spread of coronavirus and protect the most vulnerable among us — the immuno-compromised and the elderly — the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have advised strict social distancing and self-quarantines. My family and I haven’t left the house in the past week and will continue to stay isolated until it’s declared safe to do so. I had already pulled my kids out of school before Governor Larry Hogan made the decision to shut down all Maryland schools.
Allowing people to work from home and shutting down schools isn’t stopping people from going out though. Warmly inviting people to practice voluntary social distancing isn’t working. It’s time to take more drastic measures. SHUT IT ALL DOWN. STAY HOME. The only things that should remain open are grocery stores, banks, gas stations, pharmacies and hospitals.
China has confirmed that the coronavirus is airborne and yet European and American people continue to eat out at restaurants, go to the gym, get their nails done, attend happy hours, go on vacations, travel, and go to bars and nightclubs. Reasonable people will agree that this behavior is horrible. We are in a legitimate global crisis. This selfish behavior on top of corporate greed and the extreme lack of government support for those most vulnerable is devastating.
Yes, this is really inconvenient for a lot of people. But realize that:
Even if you are not at risk, there are a ton of people who are.
While the virus may not kill everyone, the treatment and medical bills could bankrupt many people because of the profit-driven healthcare system we live in.
You are a selfish asshole. You’re also being individualistic and stubborn by not listening when medical experts recommend social distancing for the good of the larger community (in this case, the entire world).
China has been the leader in showing the world how to prepare and deal with a global pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) said China’s move to quarantine about 60 million people in central Hubei province, where the virus originated, in late January helped the rest of the world prepare. A spokesperson for WHO said, “The effort regarding all aspects of research by China, even whilst in the ‘eye of the storm’ has been remarkable and we will learn from their research outputs.”
As of now, China has done everything right when it comes to containing and preventing the spread of the coronavirus. Cuba has done an excellent job also (they also have the interferon Alpha-2B, which is powerful in the treatment of coronavirus). So has Puerto Rico. Same with Singapore. Unfortunately, European countries and the U.S. are doing the opposite, mostly due to white arrogance and the delusion that nothing will ever affect us. If you’ll notice many of these delusional countries are also the places that value individualism over collectivism. Individualism is white supremacist culture. And it is literally killing people now. It is time to think collectively about how to protect the greater good. Every single one of us is responsible for making sure that the vulnerable can avoid getting sick. It’s not just about protecting yourself.
Countless experts have stated that if it feels like you’re overreacting, then you’re doing the right thing. You’re not panicking, you’re being prudent. These are preventative measures so it doesn’t get worse. If you’re young and healthy, you can still carry COVID-19, not show symptoms and infect those who are more at risk. We each have a role to help reduce the transmission rates.
“The discovery of the disease being airborne means coronavirus now has three modes of transmission. In addition to airborne transmission, direct transmission occurs when a person breathes the air close to an infected person who has coughed or sneezed. Contact transmission is when a person touches a contaminated surface, then infects themselves by touching their mouth, eyes or nose.” (Vita Molyneux, MSN Asia)
There is so much misinformation going around that is telling people it’s okay to continue to go out. The most glaring example is Italy — a country thought to be a week to 10 days ahead of the United States in its outbreak — where the health care system is falling apart due to too many new cases. In The Boston Globe on Friday, Italian journalist Mattia Ferraresi offered a chilling warning to U.S. readers not to follow Italy’s lead. “Many of us were too selfish to change our behavior," he wrote. “Now we’re in lockdown and people are needlessly dying. We thought a few local lockdowns, canceling public gatherings, and encouraging working from home would be enough stop the spread of the virus. We now know that wasn’t nearly enough.”
“At least 20 percent of the population is in an at-risk group for getting coronavirus, which includes older adults, but also people who are undergoing chemotherapy, are living with HIV/AIDS, have preexisting respiratory issues, or are just recovering from another serious illness. That means that if you get coronavirus and spread it to three other people — and statistically, the average person who catches it and doesn’t take any social distancing measures does spread it to two or three people — there’s a scarily decent chance that you will spread it to someone for whom it might be deadly.” (Kelsey Piper, Vox)
Now that the case has been made for a full shut down, it brings up another set of problems because our capitalist system is not designed to survive a crisis like this. The government must immediately implement a freeze on mortgages and rent, student loan payments, and a food plan so no one goes hungry. They should also implement a freeze on evictions, utilities, and any other life saving items (medicine). All coronavirus testing and treatment should be free. A universal basic income is needed to help families afford to self-quarantine. And it goes without saying that we need Medicare 4 All. The only politician calling for this is Bernie Sanders. He is the only presidential candidate taking this virus seriously. I cannot stress enough how important his policies are to the future of our country.
The fact that the Democratic Party has not backed Bernie Sanders on anything show the magnitude of how useless they truly are.
As Zeynep Tufekci argued in Scientific American in February, “We should prepare, not because we may feel personally at risk, but so that we can help lessen the risk for everyone. We should prepare not because we are facing a doomsday scenario out of our control, but because we can alter every aspect of this risk we face as a society.”
Social distancing and staying home is a responsibility that falls on all of us. Don’t wait for the government to impose it. Start now.
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