No doubt that by the time you read this entry, you are well versed in hearing about the newest pandemic called the Coronavirus, or COVID-19. I don’t need to rehash the current statistics or talk about the biology, but I want to spend my entry discussing some of the major themes that have occurred to me in the last few weeks.
1.The virus itself might be a physical issue, but so many other things come along with it. For example, this virus is taking its toll on our collective social, financial, economic, emotional, and mental health as well because of the mandated and self-imposed social distancing. I am concerned about all of the downstream affects this virus is causing, and our mental health is at the top of this list.
2.With the dawn of the internet and social media, there has been a fear of increased social isolation – this pandemic has currently made that even worse. Personally, as I see activity after activity get canceled, I have realized that we had a lot more social interactions than I would have believed. Perhaps we were more social than we had thought.
3.Even though I am home with my immediate family, I can FEEL the anxiety and depression rising in our world. It is understandable, but it challenges me to think of ways I can help and make our current situation better.
4.Even though the pandemic has come with a lot of negatives, I am trying to think about what I can do and learn from this experience. I am in a fortunate place where I can look at the opportunities that are presented here. I can find ways to help, and I can even take advantage of the time that has opened up for me.
5.This pandemic overwhelmingly displays how unprepared the world is for an outbreak. I hope that this will provide us the resources and knowledge we need to keep a pandemic from happening again.
6.Honestly, there is so much more to say here, but I wouldn’t know where else to begin. I have no doubt that hundreds, if not thousands of books will be written about this pandemic. This is an important moment in history, and we have choices on how it will play out. We can still take care of ourselves and each other, like we always should have been.
Take care of yourself and others as much as possible – we will get through this together.