Come Together, Right Now
When it comes to both knowledge of and preparation for the Covid-19 pandemic, I’m ahead of the game. (And yes, I used the “P” word because while our world leaders are clearly loathe to use it, anyone who has been paying attention to the global spread knows it meets the definition.)
If you follow me on social media, you know I’ve been sharing information and encouraging people to prepare for this pandemic since early February. If you know me personally, you know I’ve been talking about it since December. I have no doubt that I have angered people, been the subject of gossip and the recipient of an awful lot of eye-rolling. And that’s okay with me, as is the fact that this blog is likely to piss a lot of people off as well. I also know I’ve received a certain amount of gracious understanding as well.
Because if you belong to either of these two groups, you know that I’m a heart transplant recipient who is immunosuppressed and at much greater risk with even seasonal flu, a virus we know an awful lot about and have an actual vaccine for. And so yes, of course I’ve been called to arms over this— my life depends on that kind of reaction. And each of us, up to this point, has been trying to do what is right for our own households, forging our own path.
And mistakenly thinking that we aren’t all traveling the same path together.
My husband is a scientist by education and we’ve spent the past 2.5 months reading the scientific and economic papers being published about this virus and its spread. We’ve listened to the actual infectious disease experts (my own, and those quoted in the press), ignored the lies of the president and we’ve been aghast at the virtual do-nothing response to this public health crisis by our federal government.
So friends and neighbors, I have tried to help you. I have tried to do my part to provide you with access to science-based and valid information so that you could make your own informed decisions. And in the meantime, I prepared my own household (in January and February). This means that as actual testing has finally started in the U.S. and the news gets worse and worse as people come to grips with how widespread the infection already is, I feel as responsible, calm, informed and prepared as I can be for what my little family is about to go through in our tiny corner of Colorado with this virus. And because of that, I’ve been able to pivot.
The Moral Pivot
In this calm and safe place I’ve built for my family, I’ve come to realize that this isn’t about me. And this isn’t about you. This is about us. All of us.
Many like to describe the United States as a “Christian nation” and it’s time we put our money where our mouth is. Once we collectively accept that we’re all part of a community (even those of us who live where the bears outnumber the people, like me), we realize that we have a moral responsibility within that community to slow the spread of this virus. Our hospitals, medical personnel and first responders depend on it and an untold number of lives hang in the balance
How We Can Help
Let’s start with the American workforce. 39% of working people in this country have no paid sick leave. This means that they work when they are sick because they have to from an economic perspective and because they fear losing their jobs if they call in sick. If you are someone who has the privilege of working from home, exercise that privilege. With the incubation period of this disease, it’s very possible to transmit it to people without even knowing you are sick. So work from home, stay off of public transportation. Most of us aren’t really so important to begin with. This will help prevent/slow the spread to those who don’t have the same privilege you do.
46.2 million people live in poverty in America. These people cannot stockpile food or supplies, they simply don’t have the expendable income. 7.2 million of those people are seniors. You can help this group of your fellow Americans in several ways. You can donate to food banks. You can personally assist families that you know. And you can also gather your own groceries now and then stay out of the grocery stores because you have the privilege of not being forced to shop as often as other people.
30.5 million children rely on our public schools for two meals per day. When they close the schools, and this is already happening, these children will go hungry. They wouldn’t be in the lunch program otherwise. They will need your help. See the paragraph above for how you can help.
Medical staff, police, EMTs— these people have children. When the schools close, they will need assistance with childcare because they cannot stay home. You can help by reaching out and offering to help by keeping their kids so that they can go to work on the front lines.
Speaking of medical staff, they are extremely vulnerable despite their protective gear (if they have protective gear, there is a shortage). You can help to keep them safer by limiting your medical appointments to only those medically necessary at this time. Besides, what we know from the experience of other countries, hospitals and doctor’s offices are great places to get infected.
Despite protestations that traveling is safe right now— reality check, it isn’t. Not for you, not for the people at your destination and not for every single person you may encounter along the way. Stop going on non-essential trips. We ALL want to take our vacations, it isn’t just you. If you do need to travel, be sure to purchase the type of travel insurance that covers pandemic (not all do).
Stop leaving the house when you’re sick. Stop thinking it’s “just a cold.” Stop risking other people’s lives because you really want to see a basketball game or whatever it is that you feel is so important. No matter what illness you have, you are needlessly infecting other people, and if it’s Covid-19, you may be killing other people. This is why some people are buying OTC medicines now— they are restocking their cabinets so that they don’t need to shop if they become sick.
Stop panic buying. There is little indication from what we see happening in other Western countries that supply chain is going to halt. Know that if a store is out of stock of something you need, they will re-stock and you will have your chance. And if you know of someone who has missed their chance and you have a stockpile of something— SHARE. That goes for anyone who is the recipient of sharing as well. Return the favor.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ECONOMY WHEN WE STAY HOME?
Accept that there will most likely be a global recession, or at the very least a slow down. The one thing the federal government seems to be paying attention to— instead of public health— is economic health. It’s in the best interest of elected officials who seek re-election to do what they can to help with the impact of this impending recession or slow down. There are all kinds of proposals being milled over as I type this to help small businesses, to help large businesses and to keep lenders lending. Believe it or not, you personally cannot control macroeconomics. Focus on slowing the spread of the virus via the tactics suggested above— and THAT will help the economy as some hotspots begin to get things under control and others begin to turn chaotic.
Hang onto your hats, because it’s likely to be an economic bumpy ride. Retirement savings will suffer, layoffs will happen, businesses will close. It is absolutely heartbreaking. But we’ve rebuilt before and we will rebuild again.
Perhaps when we do this time, we will demand a better social safety net, consistent healthcare for all, actual transparency from our government, and a rational and swift response to the next pandemic. Don’t kid yourselves that this is the last.
Listen, I honestly hope that I’m wrong here. I really do. If I am, so are many epidemiologists and economists— the conclusions presented herein were not only my own. You can tell me over a drink in three months what idiots all of us were— I’ll buy. My fervent hope is that many of us will simply end up with a bunch of extra non-perishable food. But if we’re right, and we don’t come together as a community to slow the spread of this virus, many of us will be gone.
And remember, in the immortal words of my therapist, it won’t suck forever.