I didn't want to write about the coronavirus because I've been in denial somewhat of how serious it really is but since its on everyone's minds, I will say a few words on it.
I was surprised to hear that Arctic Winter Games was cancelled but I could understand that in the isolated communities it would be harder to provide emergency health services if the virus were to spread North. It's a shame that this virus is stopping people from being able to enjoy themselves and socialize face to face, limiting the ability for people to be able to congregate in crowds without an underlying fear.
It's no question that this virus is further revealing the awful truths about hidden racism but this week I overheard a middle-aged man talking about how the virus will most likely kill off the people that are renting which would free up the housing market and he seemed okay with that possibility, exposing his classist stereotypes. That same man then started to cough uncontrollably and cleared an entire room.
Some think that there will be a severe shortage on toilet paper and are running to the stores to stock up. I don't know what to believe anymore but all this panicking has got me asking what people did in the days before toilet paper was invented to which my mom answered, "moss and leaves."
I am now starting to question my own sneezes and sniffles. Should I quarantine myself? Could I have it without even knowing it?
How to pay the bills
People in the United States are looking at jail time if they don't comply with their quarantine. Those in quarantine are missing days if not weeks of work thus running out of sick leave leaving many to worry about how they are going to pay their bills. Is the heavy reliance on the systems for paid leave going to further collapse an already broken capitalistic society?
The Spanish Flu, tuberculosis; the black death, are all examples of epidemics that were cause for concern killing thousands of people and wiping out entire towns but we must remember that this was before most of the world had full access to health care. These diseases were sadly bound to wipe out much of the population. Nowadays the world's population is so vast that the ratio to determine the comparability between past and present pandemics is on a much larger scale. The good news is that most viruses can be contained with the help of advanced science, but the question remains has COVID-19 gone beyond the point of being able to control it? And if not, will we become immune to it?
There are so many questions floating around in regard to this virus. There are so many unknowns and I think that is the most dreadful thing in all of this is that humans are naturally afraid of just that, the unknown. It's no wonder why death is the number one fear.
There are concerns floating around about the absence of a cure, not knowing the severity of the disease or how long it might last. No one really knows much about the virus, which is why it is called novel. In this way, COVID-19 might just be preparing us for how to handle something even bigger and more extreme that might come our way in the future, but with that said, we cannot live our lives in fear.
I certainly do not want to walk around with a mask on my face. I also don't want to have to steer clear of the things I enjoy doing. I will continue to wash my hands after coming into my house from being out in public but I want to be able to shake hands when I introduce myself or when I am travelling, as it's customary in my culture.
Ultimately, this virus urges us to be vigilant and reminds us of the things that are most important to us like being able to visit with our closest friends and family. We all are hoping that this is an epidemic that will come to pass like other things that have come our way as of late.
Like a predicted storm in the night, we are doing up our best to board up our windows or as the saying goes "batten down the hatches" in hopes that the storm doesn't do too much damage when we wake up the next morning.