By now, the entire world has heard of COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus.
I remember my dad calling me in January. He said: “Be careful, there is a very contagious virus coming from China. Don’t be around people if you can. It’s coming. It’s called the Coronavirus” And I, very stubborn daughter, said “Dad, don’t worry. Nobody has heard of this contagious virus of yours, I’m sure it will be fine.” Boy was I wrong. For once, I should have listened to him. To be fair, he called me in 2011 telling me I should run for the hills because there was an earthquake in Japan and there could be a tsunami coming my way. I live in the Valley in Los Angeles, protected by many mountains, but that wasn’t good enough apparently. I got in my car, went to the pharmacy to “get supplies for the tsunami” (as instructed by my dad), and waited in the car for hours in La Cañada Flintridge by myself. So when he called me telling me about this dangerous virus, I thought he was just being “dad”. He is always more careful than needed, but in this case, he was spot on.
What amazes me about this is how quickly it got out of hand. What started as “just another kind of influenza in China” turned into a global pandemic in just a few weeks. It’s crazy to think about that.
It feels like we are at war, with an invisible enemy. This all feels surreal. As if we are watching a terrifying movie about a pandemic, except we are literally living it.
What is terrifying, is the fact that we know nothing about the virus. It’s brand new. And the unknown is scary. And you know who doesn’t do well with the unknown and fear? Humans.
The entire world is freaking out. Stores are empty ( even though every government has specifically said that there would be no shortage of supplies), I have heard of people being agressive towards one another, buying guns (?!?), people are robbing hospitals and pharmacies.
We are all in this together. Now more than ever, is the time to stick together. We are all fighting the same enemy. This is the time for “All for one and one for all”
So what can you do?
Be kind. Try not to panic. Meditate. Stay home. Learn a new language online. Watch documentaries. Learn something new. Work out. ( so many videos are available online) Take vitamin C. Eat well. Sleep. Be selfless. Even if you are not “high risk”, I guarantee it, you know someone who is. So save them with self quarantine. There is so much we can do while staying home. So do it, for humanity’s sake.
Let’s be the best humans we can be and not let this get the best of us.
Stay safe and healthy, and work from home if you can. At VOFFLA, we are working from home to do our part.
I want to thank all the nurses, doctors and medical personnel who are working extra hard during these unprecedented times. Thank you for all you do.
Sending love,