Opinion
We’re only 3 months into the year, and as a whole, we’ve seen quite a few challenges, but humanity has been shaken to its very core this month alone. World War III? It came in the form of a virus. COVID-19, or coronavirus, has successfully led the human race to a point of no return. A point of instability and panic. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), since first discovered in Wuhan, China in December 2019, there have now been 209,839 (8,778 deaths) confirmed cases globally. Of those, 15,219 are here in the US. That is rapid growth, but there have been more recovery cases than deaths, which is nice to know. (These numbers are increasing at a constant rate. Please visit CDC website for accurate and updated numbers.)
The CDC has suggested several simple recommendations to combat the virus: wash your hands, don’t touch your face, avoid social spaces with more than 50 people (or 10 if you Don it – see what I did there?), and clean and disinfect your home, car, workspace, etc. Quarantine yourself if you are elderly, immunocompromised, or just downright scared (and you really should isolate yourself if you’ve been traveling). Oh, but alas! Humans are now learning that practicing good hygiene is not just good for you, but imperative for our surroundings. Now we’re talking about it! That’s good, right?
Well, let’s dig deeper here because the repercussions aren’t few. People are losing their jobs, kids and college students can’t go to school, parents have to homeschool, the stock market is crashing, businesses are about to hit financial ruin. It seems that the long-term effects of COVID-19 are never-ending. So, if you’re reading this, then you have every right to panic. You have every right to be afraid. You have every right to feel whatever you need to feel. But let me tell you what you don’t have the right to do. You do not have the right to be xenophobic or racist. In fact, you should never have those rights. You do not have the right to be inconsiderate. You do not have the right to spread fear, lies, and lame excuses about why you need to hoard toilet paper, water, and baby supplies when you don’t have a baby.
Live your life as you wish, but try to remember that we are on this earth to take care of it and each other. Be considerate. Be respectful. Give a helping (imaginary) hand. Don’t look down on people. Don’t fight. Do your own research. Don’t depend on word of mouth alone. You can’t afford the nonsense right now. You never know the depth of your fear until your whole life gets shaken to its core, so use your fear for good by sharing kindness. We’re all in this together.
Sylvina Bravo (@thesylvii)
Director of Lifestyle and Fashion Editor
SHE Magazine USA
