Wise words on #coronavirus from Italy. It’s a message that the UK Govt needs to get quickly. pic.twitter.com/eDXjBzKGek

— Dr David Miles (@DrDMiles) March 11, 2020

 

Don’t panic! Check out Waylon’s mindful Coronavirus advice. 

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When it comes to the novel coronavirus, please—let’s take a deep breath and concentrate on what we can do instead of dwelling inside our various levels of fear.

We are strong, resilient, and willing to do what’s necessary. We know what to do, and now we must do it.

This isn’t a drill.  

Stay away from other people, period. Cleaning, washing, Neti-pots, and hydration are warranted, but “isolation,” when and where possible, works. It’s extreme, yes, but limiting the spread is about limiting exposure. This, in turn, will “slow the roll” of the virus here in the United States.

Life is very different today than it was yesterday, and it’s changing by the hour. We must heed all warnings coming from other countries (who have been dealing with outbreaks for a little bit longer). They are showing us the way out.  The “peak” of this virus just might be controllable if we act now to move ahead of it. “Controlling” it (if that is indeed still possible) is about greatly reducing or removing social contact, period.

It is necessary to listen to these real-time warnings instead of ignoring them. In the case of COVID-19, hindsight will be a bitch. A pragmatic approach by all will alleviate some of the tolls that healthcare professionals and medical facilities will face. Prevention is far better (and far more appealing) than fighting for needed treatment.

What’s happening in Italy should jolt us all out of our ignorant, stagnant, and skeptical stupor. We are mere weeks behind them. Let’s be smart. The alarm is sounding—loud, incessant, and clear. We have the opportunity now to reduce the impact of COVID-19 and not overwhelm our hospitals and healthcare workers. At this point, flattening the curve is our greatest hope.

Take action: simply stay home if you can. Avoid large groups of people. Avoid small groups of people. If you must go to work or be out, keep your distance. This is a crisis. The global spread of a new disease will not be thwarted by skepticism and inaction.

Italy did not make social distancing, containment, or event canceling a priority until it was a bit too late. The magnitude of what is happening over there (healthcare system overloaded and the inability to properly care for people with severe symptoms) has everything to do with not flattening the curve when the opportunity and timing called for it.

“Panic” and “over-caution” should not be part of anyone’s judgement or vocabulary at this point. If we all fall into line and simply halt our activities and social engagement, this virus will not have the same impact on American citizens as it has had in other parts of the world. The time is now, as in…today.

“Alarmist” is the right approach. This is the calm before the storm. Social distancing is challenging, but it must happen so that we are not eventually rationing healthcare. Seriously. This is no joke. It’s the worst pandemic in 100 years, and it’s a moment for American solidarity and clear, accurate, decisive messaging—not a spectrum of opinions, feelings, or hunches from non-experts.

It’s time to protect ourselves and those we love. And it’s time to protect people we don’t know at all.

Between Facebook, Instagram, and all our social media platforms, we’ve been practicing social distancing for years.

It shouldn’t be difficult for us, and yet, it will be. But “difficult” is a word that wholly understates what will happen in the coming weeks and months. Lack of physical contact and socializing is a small price to pay for some protection and better odds.

Closures, cancellations, and disruptions to our “normalcy” will certainly feel like a loss of freedom. It’s not convenient, for sure, but mostly, it’s just plain scary because people we love may get sick.

We all want it to be over and waiting for hopeful news isn’t easy. We are not used to waiting, but we have it in us. We can choose to band together now and “fight” for our freedoms back. By keeping our distance from each other, we can thwart this virus, this encroaching and dangerous foe. We can slow its roll. We can all do our part by toeing the line, and not letting up. It’s one of those pivotal moments in time we’ll read about someday. Our collective response will matter for years to come. The health crisis will surely pass, but not without statistics.

Coronavirus is bipartisan. It doesn’t care who we’re voting for. It doesn’t care about the missteps or straight-up lies of this inept administration. It doesn’t care what you believe. It doesn’t give a single f*ck about the experts either. It just is. It’s here now, like it or not.

But, we’ve got this…and together we will tamp it down by remaining apart for a while.

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Relephant:

 

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