Moment: March 11th, 2019 at 11:26 AM CST
COVID-19 was characterized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
It’s safe to say that the world looks very different from how it did the last time I wrote on my blog. This growing pandemic is bigger than any one of us, which can lead to feelings of helplessness, and it has the world retreating into seclusion in hopes of containing the spread in a way that I never would have even imagined a week ago. As a science major and pre-med student (who actually just got done learning about the immune system!), I get asked a lot about what I think about “this whole coronavirus thing,” so I decided to just share a few thoughts.
I’m not an expert by any means, and there are so many facets to this growing health issue that there is no way to formulate an opinion that takes every single one of them into account. However, even through the world has seemed to come to a stand-still, I think that the measures that many governments are taking to make sure that COVID-19 doesn’t spread any more than it already has are vital in preventing an even more catastrophic global outbreak.
With the onslaught of cancellations of things like SXSW and other festivals, the rodeo, live classes, church services, and college graduations (including mine unfortunately), it may seem like this level of precaution is unnecessary, but I think that depends on what you consider as a “precaution.” Here's a breakdown of some common examples:
Fear can be more contagious than even the most aggressive virus, and I realize that the mass cancellations and social-distancing can be really scary, but the best way to overcome this pandemic is by taking a proactive, rather than reactive, approach. The biggest concern is the potential of running out of adequate health care services for those contract COVID-19 in addition to the many other people who need healthcare for a variety of reasons , especially since so many healthcare professionals are under extreme pressure on the front lines while many of us can stay home (say a prayer for medical staff!).
The goal of these precautions is to make sure that the number of cases at any given time does not exceed the healthcare system capacity, which can impact EVERYONE who needs any kind of medical care, not just the people who get coronavirus. As a college student in my early twenties, I am beyond privileged to be in a demographic that is not at risk of being detrimentally affected by this particular virus, but I have just as much of a responsibility as everyone else to stop the spread, so that it doesn’t pass on to the elderly, children, or immunosuppressed people I may encounter.
I don’t say this to put the burden on any individual or to scare anyone, but rather to encourage everyone to do their part to support their communities in this trying time. There's a quote by Hank Green that really resonates with me :
"Sometimes the symptoms we associate with illness are actually the signs that we're healing."I have had a screenshot of it on my phone since I was in high school AP Biology (s/o to Mrs. Torres!). It seems like this super deep, philosophical quote, but it’s actually from a Crash Course video on the immune system and is in reference to how a high fever (which seems bad) is a way of fighting pathogens in the body (which is good). I have always loved this line and remember it often, especially when I have a particularly hard day, or I hit a road bump in my plans. It seems especially fitting in a time like this, when it seems like even coughing from swallowing my water too fast scares me.
It can be sad to read the news and hear about the rising number of cases and death toll every day. Even knowing the facts about the importance of containing the spread and alleviating pressures on the health care system, it’s still disappointing to know that I won’t be able to really spend my last semester of undergrad with my friends, attend conferences I was looking forward to all year, or walk the stage on my graduation day. But instead of becoming fixated and overwhelmed by these unfortunate things that I can’t change (the resulting symptoms of this illness), I choose to do my part to make sure these terrible things don't escalate further while looking at the good (the signs that we are healing).
I’ve seen countless stories of communities coming together to provide resources to the less fortunate. Teenagers are volunteering their time to go grocery shopping or run errands for their neighbors, Detroit restored water service to homes with unpaid bills so people can wash their hands, and soccer fans in Italy are donating ticket refunds to hospitals. We live in a time in which the internet is powerful enough to connect us even when we’re forced to be physically apart. In spite of such a horrible pandemic sweeping the globe, people are not going down without a fight, and it’s universally known that there is strength in numbers. The world is coming together to make a difference, and I hope this motivates you to continue doing your own part to decrease the spread and impact of COVID-19 in your community.
