Don’t Be A Covidiot

In a time of uncertainty, danger and distress, why do people rebel against advice that could protect them and the people they love? What and who will they risk for some short-term, short-sighted summer fun? When will they learn – when it's too late? I'm not willing to lose or harm the people I love by potentially exposing them to the novel coronavirus; nor am I willing to have precious time with them stolen from me if forced to self-isolate. Sick, suffering and guilty – that will be their prize for a few hours of selfish, irresponsible socializing. How can this be? When the whole world has learned that it works: social distancing and wearing masks saves lives.

I have never been so disappointed in so many people I know. Posting publicly their reckless recreation, shoulder to shoulder and hugging with different people every week. All this ugly behaviour, seemingly without care or consideration of the consequences. Others see their pictures and think, “Things must be okay now! I should go out too.” They are essentially promoting “back to normal” group gatherings to their friends, family and followers, while our public health officials are pleading with us to not plan parties and keep our circles small.

I am distraught at the thought of what their actions could cause. Community outbreaks too hard to trace – overwhelming the capacity of our healthcare system – past the point of no return – too late to bend the curve back down. It's the situation unfolding in the USA.

Here is some real data to digest. On August 7, it was reported that active cases in the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal regions reached their highest point since Phase 2 began, while the rest of B.C.'s numbers continued to trend down. Of the new cases announced the day before, 60% were people between the ages of 20-29. That's many of the people reading this.

If your out-of-bounds behaviour is due to a "you only live once" mentality, well, it's true, but the same goes for your parents, grandparents, uncles, aunties, nieces, nephews, siblings, cousins, friends (and THEIR families) and others like those with disabilities, concurrent conditions and weakened immune systems. No one is 100% invulnerable. Not even the young, strong and healthy. Children, teenagers and young adults in Canada are experiencing waves of recurring symptoms over weeks and months, and their doctors now suspect that the virus is causing chronic autoimmune problems. In other words, COVID can compromise one's quality of life forever.

To those actually protesting mandatory mask regulations and putting on full display the narcissistic, individualistic, entitled nature of Western society—please stop. These measures don’t “take away our freedoms” or “control the population.” They’re not a “punishment,” they’re a public health precaution designed to prevent the worst-case scenario. Trading a bit of discomfort for safety is something we should be used to. We wear seatbelts in a car. We wear helmets on a bike. We wear sunglasses and put on sunscreen to shield our skin from ultraviolet rays. We turn to protective gear to avoid pain and preserve health—masks are the same.

Maybe their ridiculous actions stem from a gap in knowledge. After all, SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus causing a new disease that human beings have not encountered before. But when there are so many unknowns, why do people act without fear? "Ignorance is bliss" won't do when lives are on the line here. Sure, evolving and sometimes contradictory advice from authorities may sow confusion and doubt, but recall the scientific method. New data is being collected every day and existing knowledge is being scrutinized over and again. Deriving a legitimate theory takes time and the world is in a race to manufacture an effective vaccine. While we can't anticipate when an antidote might be available, we have learned, through empirical evidence, that there are steps we can all take to stop the spread. "Wear a mask, keep your distance, wash your hands." These simple directives have been scientifically proven to help, not hurt. Are they really that hard to do or understand? Or just... inconvenient?

Every person on our planet is up against this invisible, infectious enemy, yet none are being asked to go to war to fight it. Quite the contrary – our governments asked us to stay home. But some of us are on the frontline: healthcare workers are battling COVID-19 in hospitals, clinics and research labs. To the doctors, nurses, therapists, communicable disease and public health experts, lab technicians, and other medical personnel putting their all into healing the sick and searching for cures: THANK YOU. What about the rest of us – what is our duty? We can't rely on them to do all the work while the worst among us carelessly undo any progress we've made. Not when we can literally and quite easily make a difference. And we certainly should not be ADDING TO THEIR CASELOADS by acting like things are back to normal. They aren't.

Cases could explode exponentially without our constant vigilance. On August 12, B.C. announced 85 new cases – the third highest single day jump since the pandemic began. The virus remains in our communities; we cannot afford to be careless, lazy or "done with it."

Imagine being a soldier stationed in a trench, the last defence against the oncoming foe. It has been weeks, no, months of staying low. Would you stand up, giving away your position and risk getting killed? Would you remove your mask in a toxic battlefield, or take off your heavy ear protection amid bombings just because it was uncomfortable?

We know COVID is spread by droplets, and the jury is still out on whether it's airborne. Catch it, and you may experience some mild cold or flu-like symptoms... but you may also develop blood clots, breathing difficulties, extreme fatigue... or end up on a ventilator or with multiple organ failure. You also may not show any symptoms at all, but unknowingly spread it to 4 others, who then go on to spread it to 16, 64, 256 others. Are you ready to be the source of all that pain?

Worldwide (as of August 13), 20,624,316 people have tested positive for COVID-19. Of them, 749,421 did not survive. During the SARS outbreak in 2003, 774 people in total lost their lives. With the latter, infected individuals were not asymptomatic – if someone was sick, it showed. With COVID, people can be infectious long before showing any symptoms, and in some cases, they can be infectious without ever developing symptoms. Scared? It’d be weird if you weren’t.

After all, this is a novel coronavirus – a new virus – challenging humanity. We don't know everything about what it does to our bodies long-term. It is a serious threat, one that people everywhere need to take seriously.

What should they do? It's basic, really. With the latest knowledge, public health is merely asking us to (1) stay home if unwell, (2) wash our hands thoroughly and more often, and (3) stay 2 metres apart from people outside our trusted "bubble." When that distance is difficult to maintain, wear a face covering.

Socialize smartly. Know your risk. Don't peer pressure. Play within your "bubble" – but please think outside of it.

Do your part – it’s not hard. Those that are abiding by "Dr. Bonnie Henry's Good Times Guide" and tips from credible sources like the BC Centre for Disease Control – keep doing it, you're part of the solution. Those that are ignoring the recommendations or blatantly refusing to behave in a safe way – you're part of the problem. While a part of me wants to turn a blind eye, not say anything, and let Darwinism run its course, that won't do; your stupid and shameful actions affect more than just you – you're endangering "x" number of people who trusted you and unfortunately couldn't stay 6 feet away.

Like a cancer, COVID-19 is unfair and unpredictable – we need to get it under control while we still can – and we can. This isn't a 'practice' life. It's the only one we're given. None of us wished for this pandemic to happen, but it's here, we're alive and living it, and we can get through it if we take care of each other better. We can and should do better.

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Maybe you've heard all this before or are too tired to care. Good luck to you; the virus doesn't get tired. Or maybe this has got you thinking about the pandemic in a new way. People are allowed to change their opinions, their behaviours and the side of history they want to stand on. That would be my best hope. I can't force you to wash your hands more, take a mask with you when you go out, or keep a polite distance from other people. But I hope you do.

Stay kind. Stay calm. Stay safe.