Pandemonium

Pandemonium is kind of an interesting sounding word, but it’s one that has kind of an extreme meaning. You may have to agree though, that the world is kind of going crazy at the moment so this word may apply. COVID-19, also known as the Novel CoronaVirus, is a virus that has been in the wind for a few months now, but it seems that everything has escalated significantly within just the last few weeks.

All around the world, we see a sort of chaos about something that seemed to just fly by quietly under all our noses. Now we see countries in lockdown, with people resorting to serenading each other through their windows, and life as we know it seems to be at a halt of sorts. It’s scary, really, how kind of apocalyptic everything is seeming, and for a lot of people, the fear has sprouted a certain level of paranoia. There are still those, of course, that don’t see the state of the world as a problem.

It's already been said by many, but in this case I really don't think there is such a thing as saying something too much. We aren’t necessarily okay even though we feel okay. This particular virus spreads even without showing symptoms, and that’s what’s so scary about it. Literally anyone could be a carrier and pass it to anyone they come into contact with. It’s a stealthy one, COVID-19, and even though you could very well be young and healthy, there are definitely other people out there -- whether we’re directly or indirectly in contact with them -- that aren’t as healthy and are more at risk.

Yes it’s scary and the world is seriously freaked out, but even if you think that everyone’s just over reacting, or that this is not a big deal, shouldn’t we have some consideration for the elderly and immunocompromised? I’ve even heard that some people said “If I get the CoronaVirus, then I’ll get it,” but that’s really not the point is it? I think that we really have to think about the common good here. Staying indoors as much as possible and practicing social distancing are efforts that we should be able to manage especially if we're being considerate to others. Other things like washing our hands and covering our mouths when we sneeze or cough should also be a given.

On another note, the craziness caused by COVID-19 extends towards a panic that has caused shelves to quite literally be cleared of necessities. It doesn’t quite make sense because it begs questions like “how does tissue help with this?,” and it’s very frustrating because hoarding does not do the general public any good either. Yes, we should definitely stock up on things to help us survive a self-quarantine, but I think people are going too far and not leaving much to those that also probably need these resources. It again just goes back to being considerate of others.

Yes, self-quarantine can be a struggle -- more so for those that literally can’t work and lose their income because of it -- and really I also wish these were things that can be taken care of. But this issue is not a "me" issue but a "we" one. If we do our parts, are respectful to others, and are patient, this pandemic will pass and we'll all be better because of it. Otherwise, I fear how the country and the world will fare moving forward. Hopefully we can curb this sooner rather than later, the pandemonium will end, and we’ll all be able to go back to normal life.