I would be surprised if there is anyone out there unaware of COVID-19 (or coronavirus) right now. It’s all over the news and there is no way to not see at least one story about it on social media. It’s almost impossible to avoid all the news about it unless you don’t watch any tv or do anything online. I’m not necessarily a news junkie, but I do pay attention to the news every day. So this has been something I have been reading and hearing about for a few months.
Whenever there is a big health-related news story, I try to not take everything that is said as the truth. There is usually some sort of spin to the story and I try to find a reliable source to get my information from and to confirm what I have gotten from other sources. For example, when some sources were saying that this was much more fatal than most other diseases, I was able to see online that while it was worse than some other diseases that it is not killing everyone who catches it. When some news was saying that the cases in this country would be down to just 1 or 2 within a few days, I was able to see online that wasn’t likely.
I’m not panicked about what is happening, but I am aware and being careful. I’m making sure I wash my hands much more often now and I am being cautious when I’m out if there is a large crowd. I’m not hoarding food or supplies, but I am making sure that my emergency kit is stocked and that I do have a bit more non-perishable food than I usually have in my house. I know there are several people who are stocking up, but I don’t feel the need to do that. It is a bit annoying that others are because it can make it difficult to get things that I need. For example, it took me 3 stores before I found one with any toilet paper for sale. I was out and needed to buy some, but other people were buying out the entire stock (I don’t quite understand why that is one of the main things people seem to be hoarding).
I don’t want to complain about things being canceled because I know they are doing it for a good reason. But it is sad to see so many things being canceled or postponed that I have been looking forward to doing. Some of them have been fun events and some of them are union meetings. With the union, almost all meetings have been put on hold because they are trying to make sure that we don’t get each other sick. For me, that meant 5 meetings this month are no longer on my calendar. I know that staying healthy is important, but I really have loved doing my union work and I’m sad that I will be missing that this month. And as far as the fun events go, I’m sure those will all be rescheduled at some point and I’ll have a lot of things back on my calendar soon.
With all the different precautions being put into place, I know I am very lucky if anything is done in LA. I already work from home so I don’t have to worry about what will happen if I can’t go to work. I do worry about if there will be as much work for me if things get worse, but I can’t think about that too much. I live close to different stores so I can get things I need (as long as they are in stock). I know some people are worried that grocery stores will be shut down and not open, but even places that have quarantines are keeping stores open so people can buy food and other things they need. I don’t need to worry about having to survive on only the things I have in my house. And I think everyone living in the US is pretty lucky because we do have good hospitals and so many scientists working on this situation right now. Even if politicians say that it’s not a big deal, there are others who know how bad it could be and are working on making sure that doesn’t happen.
I know that things can get really bad, but I’m trying to focus on the situation right now and taking the steps I can do now. And worrying too much or thinking up what could potentially happen isn’t a healthy thing for me. Even though my panic and anxiety aren’t as bad as it used to be, I don’t want to do anything that might trigger an attack or make me spiral. All I can do right now is stay aware, pay attention, and take little steps and actions that will make sure that I stay healthy and safe.
