Opinion – Sefishness is taking over this crisis.

I considered myself libertarian because I believe in people. I believe we don’t need the state to tell us what to do.

However, after reading social media posts and comments, I now have some doubts.

Thanks to social media, I can see your true colors. How selfishness became a virtue?

From that poor mother who had to purchase an entire pack of cookies to calm her kid (because they don’t give away samples anymore at the grocery stores) to those parents not able to keep their kids at home for a little while in fear of boredom. This is ridiculous.

Did I miss the episode of The Walking Dead when they went all bananas over toilet paper?

We have two choices here: we make this crisis end quickly or last for months.

We still don’t know anything about the real dangers of this virus; however, it’s safe to say:

• People 60+ or living with chronic health conditions are at risk: High Bood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer etc. Know your risks.
• Many individuals can be contagious but do not show any symptoms.
• We don’t really know how many Americans are infected because we have a limited amount of test kits available. As more kits are made, total cases will most likely increase rapidly.
• Healthy and young individuals shouldn’t fear this disease. There are many other factors you should be cautious about… not this virus.

And yes, we will know ALL ABOUT these healthy individuals who will die from the disease. The media will tell their story; they will emphasize the fact that they had NO previous health condition. They will, again, implant fear in your mind.

Don’t let them!

So what can we do about this?

1- Be smart!

Schools closed to restrict human contacts, so why is everyone rushing to their local grocery stores, creating a massive social gathering. In 2020, we are lucky; we have pickup and delivery options. Use them.

2- Think about our aging parents/friends

When both parents have to go to work and the school is canceled, the typical move would be to have grandparents caring for children. Evaluate the risks and make your own decisions. Work from home if you can.

3- Think about the economy and your local businesses

When local businesses are struggling, a whole part of the community is struggling. Employees may lose their jobs; families will accumulate debts and won’t be able to regain their buying power once the crisis is over.  

The entertainment industry will probably face the worst outcome, but we can help. Here are some examples:

-Don’t stop paying for your child’s dance class/gymnastics/sports/ etc. 

( ask them to schedule makeup classes after the crisis)

-Buy movie tickets for a later date

-Purchase a birthday party package for a September birthday.

– Ask your doctor to offer telemedicine.

Employees in the entertainment industry could temporarily work in another busy sector.

Having multiple cases in a short period of time is the worst-case scenario.

Restricting social contacts will extend the “active cases” curve and make healthcare more manageable. 

If you think about it, we live in the best era to face a pandemic as social contacts are decreasing.