It’s safe to say that the events taking place over the last few weeks are unprecedented. Schools are shutting down, restaurants and bars are closing, and lines are starting to form outside of grocery stores for basic necessities. With all these events being canceled and places being shut down, many young people are starting to feel cheated out of opportunities. With that said, all this is happening for our safety and it is important to recognize that.
However, many people are refusing to take this seriously. With over 200,000 cases worldwide and 10,000 deaths in the span of four months, it is safe to say that this problem is very much real. Yet, people are choosing to ignore it and the outcome can be dire.
It is understandable why many young people aren’t taking this problem seriously. It makes sense that they’re angry with many places and events being shut down; spring break being a big one. Even so, many beaches in Florida are still packed because college students are refusing to let this virus ruin their break. Panama City Beach, a resort town in Bay County, Florida was a hot spot for spring breakers, with hundreds attending the beach and partying despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendations to distance from one another. According to the Washington Post, many college students didn’t seem to pay much attention to the COVID-19 (coronavirus), one saying, “If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not going to let it stop me from partying.”
Although it’s understandable, it’s careless, to say the least. Many people are choosing to ignore the recommendations to prevent the coronavirus simply because they want to have fun. With the coronavirus being highly contagious, the best thing to do is take note of the recommendations made by the CDC and apply them. Ignoring that can bring about many consequences.
Younger people are not really affected by the coronavirus. Death is not a high possibility for them. However, it is a possibility for many older people. According to the CDC, those who are at risk of becoming very sick from the virus and possibly dying are older people and people with underlying medical conditions such as heart or lung disease and diabetes. With the majority of the deaths being those above the age of 60, the possibility of spreading the disease to someone who is at risk should be enough to stop people from acting recklessly.
Not only is the virus highly contagious, but it can also live for days on many surfaces. According to the New York Times, the coronavirus can last up to 72 hours on surfaces such as plastic and steel and up to 24 hours on surfaces such as cardboard. And because this virus is so contagious, we need to recognize the role we play in this situation, even if the risk for us is little to none. We must acknowledge the high possibility that we could spread the virus and take the steps necessary to make sure we don’t.
This is a serious problem and if people fail to recognize that, containing the virus is going to become much harder than it already is. With California having the 3rd highest number of cases in the United States, now more than ever we need to realize how important it is to stay quarantined and follow the recommendations made by the CDC.
The city of San Diego is taking their own precautionary measures in an attempt to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. On Monday, March 16, 2020, the mayor of San Diego, Kevin Faulconer released an executive order. This order prohibits gatherings of more than 50 people and issues all bars and nightclubs to shut down among other safety measures. Although this is a step in the right direction, we must do our part to contain the virus.
The best thing for us to do right now is to follow the CDC’s recommendations and make sure others are doing the same.
