PSA: Stay the F*ck Home
Written by Akkarasorn Opilan (Ang-Ang) | Edited by David Bang | Designed by Pollisa Tien-iam-arnan (Polly) and Sanisa Kongsiri (Kym)
Amidst the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have enforced lock-down and curfew policies. Not surprisingly, a couple of days ago, the United States of America has now become the country with the highest number of COVID-19 patients, while China and South Korea have successfully “flattened the curve,” meaning that their numbers of infected patients are decreasing. Within 25 days after the lockdown in Wuhan and Hubei were enforced, the curve has been noticeably flattening.
In order to keep each other safe and decrease the number of infected individuals, communities must rely on herd immunity. Since there are no vaccines and medical treatments, the only way to create herd immunity is via social distancing.
According to CNN, there is a large number of individuals who are carriers of the COVID-19 virus. This means that they do not show symptoms of the virus but spread the virus just as how a symptomatic patient would (e.g. coughing, sneezing, fluid contact). These carriers who do not show symptoms of the COVID-19 are mostly healthy individuals. Therefore, they may think they are healthy while they infect the ones they love without knowing it.
According to the New York Times, a group of 70 students from the University of Texas in Austin traveled to Mexico for spring break. Now, 44 of them have tested positive for COVID-19. This breakout resulted from the group of teenagers who ignoring social distancing protocols, so everyone they came in contact with had a very high risk of contracting the virus.
The key message that I want to say is that you may only think that you will be fine if you contract COVID-19. While it’s true that you have a higher likelihood of survival, this is an act of selfishness. Think about those who are dear to you: your siblings, your grandparents, and other vulnerable groups. The chances of your younger siblings and your grandparents surviving are very slim.
Of course, I still believe that there will be some individuals who will brush this off and think that it is fine; they may not care if their beloved family members are infected with COVID-19. But consider the strangers you may infect.
These individuals may be doctors or nurses who are helping fight this pandemic; they are someone else’s loved father, mother, sibling, or friend. You may not care about your beloved ones, but it does not give you the right to make that decision for someone else.
Recently, a 90-year-old COVID-19 patient in Belgium would have likely survived if she had not given up her ventilator. Before she took her last breath, she told the doctors, “I don’t want to use artificial respiration. Save it for younger patients. I already had a good life."
You can easily save the world by not leaving your house. It only takes a bit more compassion and laziness to help flatten our curve, so please, just stay the f*ck home.