So, a short post about this plague thing.
I am currently in the country below the 49th and as such, I need to say that the government, public health, and media response down here is severely lacking and hugely behind that of my home country. I am not for a minute suggesting that this is solely a political issue but the entirety of the health response has been retarded because of a lack of political will, and the narcissistic need for politicians rather than health experts to be the face of the crisis. I am grateful for the hard lessons that my city and country learned from the SARS outbreak and am watching a smart and measured response from afar and wishing it was happening here, toilet paper hoarding notwithstanding.
That said, there are some things that I really wish people would understand about me and people like me when they cavalierly post obviously well-meaning statistics and responses about not panicking. Here are a few thoughts on the subject and a few things I require from you, my friends. This is all being written in love and with the best of intentions.
I am a self-described germaphobe. I have been for years and have been a fastidious hand-washer long before it was fashionable. Ask anybody at my synagogue how I feel about hand-holding for our blessing of motzi and they will tell you of my aversion to this seemingly harmless custom and of my ubiquitous purse-sized bottle of Purell. I am also a buffet-avoiding individual and I am not impressed by pot-luck meals because I like to know how and where my food is being prepared and while I am not questioning anybody's individual cleanliness, this aversion is just part of my DNA. I am also considered to be in the high-risk medical category for this virus due to chronic asthma, so any normal common cold affects my lungs in a way that those who shrug off these illnesses simply cannot fathom. I also have dear people in my life--my parents, my mother-in-law, my other dad--who are similarly in the high-risk category due to their ages and chronic health conditions and I would very much like them to be protected.
While I am not in panic mode and I deeply resent those who suggest that I am, I am taking wise precautions to avoid exposure both for myself and my loved ones. But, I could really use a little help from my friends. Here are a few things that I need from you all.
1. Stop minimizing other people's true feelings of fear. This could involve maybe refraining from putting up memes and statistics showing that only twenty percent of cases will be difficult and whatever the morbidity rate might be on any given day. Every single one of those statistics is a person who has people who love them. The octogenarian who dies from this disease is no less a person than the forty-year-old.
2. Similarly, stop posting bullshit. If your posts are coming from anywhere except a reliable news source or health authority (and no...home healers or your friends who got their post from another friend aren't those) DON'T SHARE IT! I will block you forever if I see another post from some crappy homeopathic blog site.
3. Stop hoarding. I honestly don't understand the toilet paper thing but there are items that will definitely be required from people who might find themselves in quarantine, especially if those individuals live alone and don't have daily help. Your hoarding could mean somebody else's crisis.
4. Under the most ideal circumstance, everybody who is ill should stay home but let's not pretend that it is an option for all. Many people who don't work can't pay their rent and until our government guarantees paid sick leave for all people affected, there will be individuals out there who are sick. If you can help cover a shift for an ill co-worker or maybe help with some childcare for others, that would be a far sight better than criticizing online. We are in a time of true collective need. Let's help each other.
5. Understand that we are asking people to change their true selves. My father is a natural hugger. It is proving very difficult for him to change this habit. Let's cut people some slack.
6. Finally, we need to understand that this health crisis is changing hourly and we will all need to be flexible. That may mean changing long-standing plans, cancelling gatherings, and understanding when individuals just have to say no to attending. This isn't panic. It is common sense. Contingency plans are something we should all have.
Thank you, friends. I do appreciate your understanding and above all else...
WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER. A LOT. ALL THE TIME. FOREVER AND A DAY.
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