Covid-19

If you watch the news at all, you have undoubtedly heard of Covid-19, otherwise known as the "Corona Virus". It's a new strain that's been spreading throughout the world and dominating headlines. Throughout my life I can recall at least several outbreaks that have caused some degree of panic. There was SARS, Ebola, Swine Flu, Zika, just to name a few. In each case, things eventually panned out. A vaccine was found and normalcy returned. I believe that will be the case with this most recent pandemic but nonetheless it is concerning. There is no doubt in my mind that a large reason for the hype is a desire for ratings but I wouldn't cite that as adequate reason to dismiss this as a legitimate public health crisis. However I also wouldn't want to contribute to any sort of mass hysteria that is all to common with this sort of thing. From my perspective there are a few important things to remember concerning this situation. First of all, this is just a mutation of influenza, which is a very common virus. Secondly, while it's rate of fatality is higher than the common flu, those fatalities are most common in the very old, the very young, and those with compromised immune systems. If you do not fall under any of those demographics, as long as you practice good hygiene, you don't have much to worry about. Thirdly, even if it is contracted, the chance for recovery is very high. Many who have contracted the illness have gotten better. Still, this shouldn't be taken lightly and it's a good reminder of why taking care of your health is important, why washing your hands is important, and why it's always better to be clean in general. Many public figures have made statements concerning the outbreak, but out of all of them, I feel former president Barack Obama had the best take on it. The core theme of his statement was that the best thing for the general public to do, is to remain calm and wash our hands. I think that was very characteristic of him, being famously level headed, and I think it's the mentality that needs to be taken by everyone concerning this situation: Don't freak out, and take care of your hygiene. I hope this will pass, but until it does, I think we should all keep up with life as usual and remain as level headed as the former head of state. A tangential issue concerning the matter that I feel really needs to be addressed is the xenophobia. If you've been following the story of where it came from, you know that the virus originated in Wuhan China. It is likely that the mutated strain originated in one of the "wet markets" in the region where various exotic meats are found. From my knowledge, while the conditions in these markets can be obscenely unclean, the majority of Chinese people do not actually eat there. Wet markets originated in the 70's and 80's when there was a food shortage in China, and unfortunately turned into an industry that has stuck around despite the fact that the food shortage has not. Again, it is my knowledge that the overwhelming majority of Chinese people do not partake of the wares found in these places, but that hasn't stopped people all over the world from allowing their prejudices to cloud their judgement. I've read reports of obscene xenophobia being shown towards people of Asian descent and this is ridiculous. If you are in the states and see an Asian American walking down the street or sitting on the bus, you need to know that they are no more likely to carry the pathogen than anyone else. I understand that a crisis can cloud peoples judgement, but this brings us back to the importance of remaining level headed and knowing that it is most likely that this whole thing will blow over. A vaccine will likely be found and the disease will likely be contained and eradicated as have others before it. Mistreating Asian people, or otherwise losing your cool is not an acceptable response to the situation. The world will carry. We will figure things out. That's the mindset I'm choosing to have concerning the pandemic and it's the mindset that I encourage everyone to adopt as well.