Unless you’ve been living in a cave, off the grid and in a total news blackout, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the spread of Covid-19, a strain of coronavirus.
It is similar to the flu, and is expected to sweep the world. It seems that the media is broadcasting how horrible this virus is non-stop, which I think may be fanning the flames of fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD.)
There have been runs on the stores (toilet paper seems to be high on the list of desirable items, why, I’m not sure.) Shelves are bare of hand sanitizer, bread, meat, water, and numbers of other items.
People are afraid that all the supply chains are going to be disrupted and they are facing weeks or months of not having anything in the stores. That is a possibility, but I think it is a little too early to jump to that conclusion.
Events are being cancelled all over the place – sporting events, concerts, group meetings, etc. I can sort of see the sense in this. Less interactions with people who may be infected helps prevent the spread of Covid-19. This keeps the health care system from being flooded all at once.
Many folks are staying home from work, or working remotely when they have the option. I’ve always been in favor of working remotely anyway, so I see this as a Good Thing ™.
Yes, the spread of the virus is something to pay attention to, and you should take sensible precautions. Wash your hands, limit your interactions with other people, and stay home if you get sick. The same thing you should be doing every flu season. This is no different.
What is different is the mentality that this is the End Of The World As We Know It. It’s not. Yes, if you get sick from it, it sucks. But you are very likely to survive. Everyone is afraid that it will be passed on to those who are deemed most vulnerable, elderly folks with pre-existing medical conditions (I almost fall into that group.) Even this group has a good chance of surviving. And practicing the sensible precautions should help minimize the number of folks who get it. Note, I did not say that no one will get this, or no one will die, but the chances are still in favor of surviving it.
So, what do you do if you are ‘self-quarantining’? (I’m a writer but I think that is an odd term to have entered into the common lexicon.) If you aren’t working remotely, and have some time, you could catch up on some household chores. Or more fun, you can binge-watch your favor show on TV or Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Prime or whatever.
Or, dare I say it, you could catch up on your reading. 🙂
There are tons of good books out there, and if you’ve got some time to spend, reading is as good a way of spending it as any.
I believe in the words printed in big friendly letters on the cover of the Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy – Don’t Panic!
I think that is something we should all do.