Melody Wang / Daily Nexus
With over 99.5 million COVID-19 cases worldwide — 25% of which originated in the United States alone — now is not the time to “learn to live with” it.
With the federal government discrediting or flat-out lying about the severity of the virus, and crisis fatigue leading to a deliberate or inadvertently laissez-faire and incoherent pandemic approach, the truth is that we have not and are not doing enough to stop the spread of COVID-19. Hospitalizations and deaths should not be normalized and marked up as unavoidable consequences in a continuous crusade.
With December’s regional stay-at-home order lifted on January 25th, many California counties are returning to the purple tier, the most restrictive level that allows limited personal care businesses and outdoor dining establishments to reopen. But just because looser guidelines are legal doesn’t mean you should test your luck.
While California’s overall case numbers appear to be on the decline, new coronavirus variants are on the rise. More than half of recently collected samples in the Los Angeles area contained a new California-specific variant, known as CAL.20C. Although scientists remain hopeful regarding vaccination efforts — for now — these variants pose a potential future threat to the effectiveness of vaccination, with some having shown increased transmissibility.
Mass distribution of a barely available vaccine is the best long-term solution, but we cannot continue as we are. Without strong regulations and enforcement, COVID-19 and its highly contagious variants will continue to spread and mutate, leading to a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, subsequent hospitalizations and deaths.
A complete shutdown of society is unsustainable in the long run. So for now, we are left with cycles of restrictions and gradual openings, which are only viable if people take the new coronavirus seriously and completely adhere to the restrictions. It’s almost as if people’s lives are at stake. Oh wait, they are.
Looser restrictions have resulted in spikes in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. On the flip side, even with a stay-at-home order in place and ICU capacity hovering around 15%, many Isla Vista residents continue partying like there is no tomorrow. The orders and regulations only work if people care and follow them.
I don’t want to live with strict rules, regulations and restrictions. It’s not fun. It’s frustrating. It’s stressful. It’s boring. It’s scary.
As a nation, we like to brag about our spirit of adaptability and ingenuity — this is our time to step up.
Remember, being in the purple tier doesn’t mean an immediate discontinuation of all services. A lockdown means a continuation of essential services and modification of nonessential services. It means cutting out in-person meetings with individuals outside of our immediate households and stopping indoor gatherings.
I understand the toll the pandemic is taking on the economy and the individual. Crisis fatigue is real, and this is a difficult time for individuals and families. However, staying home does not mean you have to stay isolated. Fortunately, we do not live in the 1600s and the village’s sole pageboy hasn’t died. We have the technology to communicate with others.
And while the economy is obviously important, churning the wheels of capitalism shouldn’t be prioritized over people’s lives.
You may cite not being able to go out as an “infringement on your rights,” claiming “I’ll be fine!” Or you may cite wanting to go out to support local business or to lessen your boredom, but the truth is, we’re all in a precarious situation. Keep in mind that a negative COVID-19 test is not an invincible shield. It does not necessarily guarantee your safety or the safety of those around you.
A study conducted by the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine found a 100% probability of getting an incorrect/false-negative test result on the first day of infection before the onset of symptoms. Remember that the incubation period for COVID-19 ranges from two to 14 days and it is suspected that 40% to 45% of those infected are asymptomatic.
In other words, you can get infected with the virus and falsely test negative before the virus reaches detectable levels in your body. You can get infected with the new coronavirus, test negative and continue to infect those around you before ever displaying symptoms. You can have COVID-19, suffer no symptoms and infect those around you without ever knowing.
COVID-19 is an indiscriminate beast. You don’t have to belong to an at-risk group to directly or indirectly suffer from its effects. Telling people to “just stay home if you don’t feel comfortable going out” or “just stay home if you’re at risk or know somebody at risk” is insufficient and irresponsibly naïve. They aren’t the infectious ones to target. It is the responsibility of the wider community to proactively prevent infection to these sensitive groups and the community as a whole.
Even if you don’t have at-risk individuals living at home or nearby, others do. COVID-19 bubbles can be popped. You can harm your extended community and social circles. You can harm those who can’t stay home, including essential workers at grocery stores or on public transportation and health care professionals.
COVID-19 hospitalizations prevent others from being treated; you or those around you may find yourselves victims of unexpected health crises, car crashes or heart attacks and could be left without hospital beds.
As a nation, we like to brag about our spirit of adaptability and ingenuity — this is our time to step up. And yes, it will be difficult to persist and rebuild, but it’s possible. You can patronize businesses and restaurants in a strictly virtual or take-away context. You can discover new forms of interpersonal communication and interaction. This is our time to navigate a crisis while working actively and effectively toward preserving our safety.
Stop partying. Yes, you.
Stop having “intimate” events with people outside your immediate household. Stop pretending that our reality is and was inevitable. Stop pretending this is okay.
What’s happening right now could have been prevented and can be improved.
Wear your mask. Keep your distance. Talk to your friends and family over the phone. Wash your hands. Do your part.
Toni Shindler-Ruberg wants plague doctor masks to come back into popularity, but not the plague. Seriously, y’all, come on.
Anyone that doesn’t wear a mask is and idiot and gets what they deserve. Covid is coming for those lungs.