As humans, we like to take control of the unknown. I believe we're not too good at just letting things be since our survival depends on controlling a number of factors related to our good living.
This pandemic challenges our instincts to take control since there's a lot we don't know about the virus, and what we do know challenges many of the ways we're accustom to living.
For example, we've been branching out a bit from solitary confinement. We've had a few guests over and when they've visited, we've been very careful about sharing food, sitting away from one another, staying outside as much as possible, and washing hands. Yet, when we heard that a recent guest was ill, worry occurred. Did we catch their illness, and if we did how will that present itself in us? Also if we did catch it, what did we do to allow the contagion to spread. No one wants to catch another's illness or spread an illness themselves. This is a worry we're mostly not accustom to.
A few years back, a sickness spread through work--many, many children were sick. Some teachers became ill too. The nurse tracked the illness well and facilities managers did what they could to clean up the environment. A school vacation occurred too, and after that the sickness was gone. No one was overly concerned because the sickness that spread, while bothersome and uncomfortable, was not associated with long hospital stays, permanent damage, or death like COVID-19.
Last fall I contracted a strange virus of some kind. I had a bad cough and general lethargy. I went to the doctor and she said that many people were coming in with a similar virus. Some of my colleagues got it too. The virus lasted with varying degrees of seriousness throughout the fall, and finally after a good visit to a doctor in December and a follow-up regime of rest and medication, I was rid of the illness. Again, I didn't worry too much because, except for a few days, I was mostly able to carry on life, and the people around me generally did not catch what I had. That too was not like COVID-19.
COVID-19 is a true worry since we don't know enough about it, and when we see people dying from it, we know that this virus is a true threat to our good lives.
What should we do?
The best that we can do is to take a measured risk response--we need to mitigate our exposure to the virus as much as possible while still living our lives. How can we do that? This is a question, most of us keep revisiting. Currently, this is my short list.
This pandemic challenges our instincts to take control since there's a lot we don't know about the virus, and what we do know challenges many of the ways we're accustom to living.
For example, we've been branching out a bit from solitary confinement. We've had a few guests over and when they've visited, we've been very careful about sharing food, sitting away from one another, staying outside as much as possible, and washing hands. Yet, when we heard that a recent guest was ill, worry occurred. Did we catch their illness, and if we did how will that present itself in us? Also if we did catch it, what did we do to allow the contagion to spread. No one wants to catch another's illness or spread an illness themselves. This is a worry we're mostly not accustom to.
A few years back, a sickness spread through work--many, many children were sick. Some teachers became ill too. The nurse tracked the illness well and facilities managers did what they could to clean up the environment. A school vacation occurred too, and after that the sickness was gone. No one was overly concerned because the sickness that spread, while bothersome and uncomfortable, was not associated with long hospital stays, permanent damage, or death like COVID-19.
Last fall I contracted a strange virus of some kind. I had a bad cough and general lethargy. I went to the doctor and she said that many people were coming in with a similar virus. Some of my colleagues got it too. The virus lasted with varying degrees of seriousness throughout the fall, and finally after a good visit to a doctor in December and a follow-up regime of rest and medication, I was rid of the illness. Again, I didn't worry too much because, except for a few days, I was mostly able to carry on life, and the people around me generally did not catch what I had. That too was not like COVID-19.
COVID-19 is a true worry since we don't know enough about it, and when we see people dying from it, we know that this virus is a true threat to our good lives.
What should we do?
The best that we can do is to take a measured risk response--we need to mitigate our exposure to the virus as much as possible while still living our lives. How can we do that? This is a question, most of us keep revisiting. Currently, this is my short list.
- Stay away from people who are not taking this virus seriously. For example, I have a neighbor who is throwing big parties with upwards of 50 people regularly. I'm keeping my distance from that neighbor and his friends.
- Visit with close family and friends outside as much as possible--don't risk the exposure that being indoors creates.
- Designate bathrooms to specific family members if possible or create a good bathroom cleaning schedule so that when you use the bathroom, you don't risk infection.
- Avoid places where there are lots of people, and if unavoidable, stay six feet apart, definitely wear a mask and wash your hands often.
- Create a new routine for good living--one that is still enjoyable, but also safe.
- Decide what risks you will take. For example, I want to see my elderly parents--I will risk that using the precautions above. There's lots of other risks I can live without right now. For example, I don't have a need to be with large groups of people in indoor spaces.
No one likes this pandemic. No one likes being apart of a situation that's out of their control, but that's what is happening and there's little we can do about it.