Combating the Crisis

By: Olivia Gorum

We have been battling COVID-19 for almost a full year now. It has been a year of increasing Covid cases, stay-at-home orders, practicing public safety via social distancing and mask-wearing, figuring out the “new normal”, and intense loss. 2.2 Million people, likely even more due to limited testing capacity and problems with the attribution of the cause of death, have passed away due to Covid-19. While blame cannot be placed on anyone person or cause, aside from perhaps poor leadership, we as citizens have been tasked with actively working to reduce the spread of the virus. But what does this look like? For starters, continuing to wear masks and sanitizing your hands. But more importantly, however, this means continuing to practice social distancing. It is incredibly disheartening that so many people have made the conscious decision to participate in events like parties without proper safety measures in place. Even more disappointing is that many of these people are of younger generations. While it may not be as life-threatening to most young people, our actions still deeply impact the people around us.  Not only is it unfair to older loved ones and/or people with underlying health conditions, but it is frustrating to those who have been doing their part consistently to stop the spread of the virus. Finally, while the distribution of vaccines most recently is incredibly important and a positive step in the right direction for all, it does not mean that we can simply stop caring about how our actions impact the lives of the people around us. Please take the lives of others seriously, like if it was your own life hanging in the balance. No more gentle nudges, and certainly no more friendly reminders. Do your part and slow the spread of Covid-19.