COVID-19 is changing daily life around the world, and each passing day brings a new wave of guidelines and regulations. College students across the country are packing their bags and saying their goodbyes in preparation for the transition to online classes. Major sporting and entertainment events are cancelled. Businesses are staggering work hours to practice social distancing. Meetings and interviews are being held remotely, and stores and restaurants are either closing or providing limited services. People are doing all that they can to shelter in place. For some, such as residents of San Francisco, the mandatory quarantine has already begun.
The fear bred by this disease outbreak is not due to the symptoms of the illness, but rather because of the rapid spread. For most young, healthy individuals, the Coronavirus symptoms are mild, and most people will recover. The concern remains, however, for the elderly and immunocompromised members of society. The number of infections is rising rapidly, and the government officials are reporting that their main goal is to reduce the number of infections. This is being accomplished through guidelines surrounding hand washing and social distancing. If we follow these guidelines, we can decrease the number of infected people. However, at the same time, America is working to expand the number of hospital beds, medical supplies, and cleaning supplies to prepare for the overwhelming number of patients they are anticipating. Despite all the measures that have been put in place to prevent the spread of the disease, America and several other countries are still certain that the worst is yet to come.
Ultimately the trajectory of the virus over the next few months will come down to our individual decisions. Will we stay home and self-quarantine or will we take advantage of cheap flights and go on vacation? Will we buy up all the essentials from the grocery stores or will we donate what we have to those in need? When historians look back at the Coronvirus pandemic of 2020, will they say that the people were compassionate and united to survive, or will they cite our greed and selfishness?
Many people believe the recommendation for isolation is an overreaction. It is challenging to prove the severity of the risk because it is largely invisible. There aren't millions of people dying every day, and scientists are still uncertain of the long term effects on those who recover. Without realizing that the measures being taken are all to prevent a catastrophic loss of lives, it is understandable to believe that this is all for nothing. Regardless, our decisions today are the difference between historians saying: "they played it safe and nothing bad happened" or "they risked it all and paid the price".
