#coronavirus COVID19 2020Pandemic 2020GlobalHeathCrisis

[thehandydje]

No Time for Coronas At-The-Moment.

There’s no more denying that this pandemic outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has taken over our world. Some people – including myself – have a YOLO (You Only Live Once) mentality, which encourages one to live every day to the fullest, and to not let anything hold one back. However, with all of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) stuff going on, this is a time to hold back and put the “living every day to the fullest” on the back burner for now. Our economy is at stake; our jobs are at stake; our lifestyles’ are at stake; our socialization with others is at stake: (mind you that humans need socialization).

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has forced businesses to close and has put sports, entertainment, and other lifestyle activities on hold. Virtually every professional sports league has suspended their seasons for the time being.

This virus is non-discriminatory. If professional athletes all over-the-world – who have arguably the best workout and nutrition regiment plans in place to stay in good shape and stay fit in their respected sports - have tested positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) - then no one is safe. Anyone is vulnerable.

The government and other healthcare experts underestimated the severity of the spread and potential consequences of contracting this virus. The uncertainty of containment has forced the government to issue strong suggestions and warnings that we must self-quarantine, practice social distancing, refrain from gathering in groups above 10 people, and being more diligent and stricter in our hygienic practices. While some states are taking these suggestions to a whole new level - by making self-quarantine and social distancing a mandatory enforcement for the time being - other states have taken a more leisure approach to this enforcement. For those states, the lack of awareness for this public safety measurement has created a fearful state-of-mind for certain groups of people within the general public: such as individuals who have pre-existing health conditions – like myself.

To give a little context: I am a 24-year old male, who is disabled, in a wheelchair, and I use a ventilator to breathe. (Just a reminder: the ventilator I use to breathe is the same type of equipment in short supply right now across the nation.) My immune system is compromised and I have respiratory issues, which puts me at a higher risk of developing pneumonia and I am more susceptible to picking up illnesses from other people. I check all of the vulnerability boxes; the bottom line is this: If I contracted the Coronavirus (COVID-19), worst-case scenario is I could die like everyone else since we don’t have a cure for it yet.

I am a DJ, a producer, and do some other freelance work from home; but, like anyone else, I like to socialize with others, too. While our technological advancements allow us to telecommunicate and interact with others from the confines of anywhere – such as our homes – interacting and socializing with others, in-person, is a whole new dynamic.

Scientists, medical, and healthcare professionals are working around-the-clock to try to find a cure for this mystery virus. However, that takes time – and time is something that we don’t have.

With my compromised immune system, my pre-existing health conditions, and with the uncertainty of this virus, I haven’t left my house in weeks. The extent of activities that I’ve done over the last few weeks includes going out for walks in my yard and stuff, but that’s basically it. I’m cautious and fearful that the next person I come into contact with - aside from my immediate family (I live with parents) and some of my immediate caretakers - could pass along this virus that impacts me in a way that I don’t even want to think about. Therefore, I don’t want to take any risks because of what the potential could be if I go out.

We are lucky to be living in a world where we have the luxury of using technology to communicate with others anytime, anywhere. However, the unknown of this virus is making this world a pretty scary place right now.

The uncertainty makes the world a scary place right now; there are people out there that fit the more “at risk” category for this virus – such as myself; there are other people out there that may be more immune to contracting illnesses than others, but no one is safe.

Celebrities and professional athletics, who have tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19), have sent messages / posted videos on their social media accounts, updating their fans, the public, and the world on their status. There has been one person in particular, though, whose message stood out to me wholeheartedly: thewell-known sports figure, NFL Head Coach of the New Orleans Saints’, Sean Payton. He recently tested positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19). While it appears that celebrities and professional athletics have sent consistent messages / posted videos on their social media accounts that tried to convey hope and optimism, Sean Payton’s reaction and response was firm, stark, and frankly a reality-check that should be a wake-up call to the world.

According to ESPN, “Payton was publicizing his case because he wants the public to heed warnings relating to attempting to limit the spread of the virus.” Payton told ESPN: “This is not just about social distancing, it’s shutting down here for a week to two weeks. If people understand the curve and understand the bump, we can easily work together as a country to reduce it. Take a minute to understand what the experts are saying. It’s not complicated to do what they’re asking of us. Just that type of small investment by every one of us will have a dramatic impact. “I was fortunate to be in the minority, without the serious side effects that some have. I’m lucky. Younger people feel like they can handle this, but they can be a carrier to someone who can’t handle it. So we all need to do our part. It’s important for every one of us to do our part.”

This was the first direct response I have heard from a high-profiled person that has urged the public to stop being selfish – and to just follow the suggestions and protocols.

My pre-existing health conditions; my immune system being compromised and vulnerable; the worst-case scenario that if I contracted this virus, I could die like everyone else since we don’t have a cure for it yet; and the fact of the matter that people aren’t taken the suggested public safety measurement protocols serious enough - So, what should be the conclusion on this? Well, let’s see: our economy is at stake; our jobs are at stake; our lifestyles’ are at stake; our socialization with others is at stake: (mind you that humans need socialization). People are dying, we are in short supply of medical supplies, and this is a predator / enemy that we have never encountered before.

I think the answer is really simple and it’s not rocket-science: for the sake of friends, families’, co-workers’, people “at risk”, and more - stay home and be more diligent and stricter in your hygienic practices. We’re a community and a family; we have to take care of each other and help people out. The bottom line is that if one of us falls, the whole community can fall - and then we’re in a crisis worse than we are in right now.