Social Distancing = Love
For the record...
Talking about Coronavirus is not perpetuating fear.
People aren’t bringing down the vibe for making the decision to keep themselves and their families at home.
Practicing social distancing, and trying to learn from and understand the current state of Italy, China, South Korea, Iran, etc., and considering the detrimental impact this may have on our medical system, is not “choosing” or “feeding” fear.
Suggesting that folks are fear-mongering because they are using science-based information to make decisions, is what we call gaslighting. Gaslighting is a form of manipulation that causes people to question their sanity for making sound and reasonable (science-based) decisions about their health and safety, and the health and safety of others.
For the record: I’m not a prepper. I’m not stocked up on toilet paper. I don’t have a couple of months worth of canned goods. I’m just a regular (almost) 40-year old mom, who is doing her best take care of her family and her community simultaneously.
We have cancelled dinners, play dates, and unnecessary Target runs. We are leaving the house only when necessary, or in outdoor situations where we are certain to avoid any contact with others. It’s not the fun choice. But it is the right decision for our family. And sometimes the hard decision and the right one, are one in the same.
To be honest, I’m not all that afraid of what Coronavirus would mean for myself or my family. Maybe I should be. But we are young, generally healthy, and the reality is that odds are strongly stacked in our favor. We are fortunate.
We have made the decision for our family to practice social distancing, under the precautionary assumption that we may currently have Coronavirus, are asymptomatic, and are doing our part to keep others safe.
Here are some additional examples of why we have chosen to social distance:
For those who must work and do not have the financial ability not to;
Minimizing risk to those showing up to work to stock the shelves of the grocery stores, or at the checkout, so that my family and I stay nourished and well;
The countless frontline workers (in a variety of settings) who create the conditions that allow us to stay home;
My dear friend with stage 4 breast cancer that has metastasized to her lungs, whose doctors have told her exposure to this virus could be fatal;
Medical workers who continue to show up and serve those in need (Coronavirus or otherwise);
Our family friend with Rheumatoid Arthritis who is currently taking an immunosuppressant medication;
Friends and family who suffer from chronic illness and/or have weakened immune systems;
My 65-year old parents;
And the countless others who I will never know I may have impacted.
My step-dad had an unexpected heart attack this past week. I am happy to report that he is ok. He received wonderful treatment and was discharged within three days of being admitted. In three weeks from today, I can’t help but wonder (based on actual situations occurring in Italy) what his care would look like with the exponential number of cases of Coronavirus currently on the rise in the United States.
Right now, somewhere in a 1st world country, a doctor is being forced to make a decision between who gets the ventilator: the 25-year old mother of two, or the otherwise healthy 66-year old man.
This is not hyperbole, friends.
The simple fact is that our medical system is not equipped to handle the influx of those in need; Coronavirus or otherwise.
Let’s hope that weeks from now, this is a distant memory, and things never become as catastrophic as predicted. If this is the case, do science and public health a favor and say thank you. Our caution wasn’t in vain. This is what successfully managing a public health crisis looks like.
So back to my point…
I am not choosing fear. I am choosing to be discerning and conscientious. I am also choosing to see this as an answer to my constant wish of having more uninterrupted and quality time with my family.
Here is what I am concerned about:
People who are struggling to see beyond themselves in all of this. I’m afraid of people who don’t understand WHY social distancing and flattening the curve are of the utmost importance right now. I am afraid of the people who are hyper-focused on the mortality rate of Coronavirus, or those that are still comparing it to the flu and its mortality rates. I am afraid of the people who are citing numbers, but not the ones that really matter. And I’m afraid that in a few weeks from now, we could be in a very different and very dire situation.
I don’t get myself and my children vaccinated for measles because I am terrified of contracting measles. We get vaccinated because there are babies who are not yet old enough to receive the vaccine themselves. We get vaccinated because there are people who have legitimate allergies to the vaccine, and cannot have it. We get vaccinated for all of our immune-compromised friends that we spend time with. We get vaccinated because I believe in my heart that it is our moral and social responsibility to do so.
Social distancing and isolation are no different.
In the end, this is about taking care of who those may who need it most, because we can. It is about the greater good of humanity.
So what some choose to call fear...
I choose to call Love.
