Kayla Bullock
Staff Writer

As you all may know, we are currently living through a pandemic. A disease is classified as a pandemic when it spreads across multiple continents or worldwide. As the COVID-19 virus spreads, the World Health Organization urges us to stay indoors and practice social distancing. Yet, people are continuing to travel, vacation and party nationwide. Due to this, the number of cases is rising across the nation. According to researchers, social distancing can help us “flatten the curve.” The curve refers to the number of people who contract COVID-19 over some time. By doing this, we can slow down the spread of the virus. 

As I checked the news this morning, the U.S. Surgeon General announced some alarming information. He warned citizens by saying, “this week, it’s going to get worse.” COVID-19 is an infectious disease that causes symptoms such as a dry cough, fever, shortness of breath and body aches. The disease is spreading rapidly; people are not following the guidelines of staying at home. The recommendation is to stay at home unless you need something. Many young people are ignoring the warnings and not taking the virus seriously. According to research, young people can be asymptomatic and still spread the disease. Older people, immune-compromised people and those with underlying conditions are more likely to suffer from the virus. Think about them when you travel and come back to your home state. Of course, we can still enjoy the weather by going for a walk or run but we must stay six feet away from others. 

The United States does not have enough ventilators or hospital beds to support this large number of people. If the virus continues to spread, doctors will have to prioritize certain patients and make tough decisions. People will get turned away due to not having enough resources. Why aren’t we frightened by this? In countries like China, South Korea and Germany, the spread of the virus has slowed. The governments in these countries decided to lock down to stop the spread. I believe this is a smart idea, especially for the United States. Since the research has proven it to work, I think this needs to be our next step. If Americans will not listen, then the government needs to do something legally. If we continue down this path, we will see death rates skyrocket. 

The moral of the story is to stay home. Why risk your life or someone else’s? The more we listen, the faster this will be over. I know we’re concerned about the activities in the spring and summer, but for now, let’s appreciate those activities indoors. There are many things you can do in your free time. Try not to go places unless you are in dire need. If you have any symptoms, you need to self-quarantine. Only go to the hospital if your symptoms intensify. There are also hotlines and online symptom tests we can use to our advantage. Otherwise, stay home and flatten the curve.

Categories: Opinions

Tags: covid-19, opinions