My, how life has changed in a matter of days. Instead of enjoying the coming of spring, we are “social distancing” in an effort to “flatten the curve.”
A few days ago, using that type of public-health speak would have drawn blank stares from most people. Now, it brings nods of understanding.
So as national and local news media continue to do an excellent job of keeping the public informed about the COVID-19 pandemic, and as our state and local governments continue to take warranted and unprecedented steps at slowing the rate of infections — the battle to contain the virus is already lost — it’s heartening to see that a vast majority of us are following the advice of public health officials.
We’re staying calm. We’re washing our hands and taking other preventive measures. We’re limiting contact with others by working and eating at home with our families. Put simply, we’re riding out the early stages of a pandemic that likely won’t subside for the foreseeable future.
As headlines in the Gazette over the last few days suggest, the story shifts by the day — sometimes multiple times a day. In the future, it’s going to be difficult, disruptive and costly in ways we have yet to imagine. The country’s leading expert on infectious diseases, for example, is calling on the nation to act with more urgency to safeguard everyone’s health as the novel coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across the United States. Dr. Anthony Fauci says he would like to see aggressive measures such as a 14-day national shutdown.
And while the extraordinary measures taken by large and small employers, colleges and now the government — Gov. Charlie Baker on Sunday closed schools for at least three weeks, banned gatherings of more than 25 people and ordered all dine-in restaurants and bars to close for three weeks — may seem extreme to those in areas with few or no reported cases, they are rational.
The U.S. has recorded about 3,800 infections and at least 65 deaths, two-thirds of them in Washington state, according to an Associated Press report. As of Monday afternoon, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 197 confirmed and presumptive cases — one in Hampden County, none in Hampshire or Franklin counties, and 11 in Berkshire County.
Public health experts believe that the true infection rate is much larger than what has been reported because of the shortage of diagnostic tests. And they say that the U.S. experience so far could end up looking like Italy. Two weeks ago, there were 1,700 cases of COVID-19 in Italy, and the country had reported 34 deaths, according to the AP. Now, Italy is reporting an estimated 25,000 cases, and more than 1,800 people have died.
In the absence of true leadership from the White House to help us navigate through this crisis, citizens in western Massachusetts are turning to their state and local leaders to make the difficult but essential decisions needed to protect their communities.
And most have done so. The five colleges decided over the course of several days last week to send students home amid coronavirus fears; Holyoke followed Boston’s lead last Tuesday and announced it would cancel its St. Patrick’s Parade and Road Race scheduled for this weekend, followed by decisions Friday to declare a state of emergency and close schools; Baker declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts last Tuesday, a decision that came three days before President Donald Trump made the same declaration nationwide; local school districts opted to close at the end of last week, two days before the state ordered schools shut for three weeks; and town halls, libraries, senior centers and arts and sporting events were all nixed last week.
These are all wise decisions, despite the upheaval they will undoubtedly cause in the coming weeks and months. Thankfully, people are remaining calm, despite a surge of sales of hand sanitizer, toilet paper and other items that have left grocery store shelves empty. Health experts advise there’s no need to hoard supplies, however. This, at least, is one thing the president is right about.
“You don’t have to buy so much,” Trump said at a Sunday news conference. “Take it easy. Just relax.”
Trump assured Americans, after speaking with leading grocery chain executives, that grocers would remain open and that the supply chain remained healthy.
Challenging times lie ahead. While we should all practice social distancing, remember those in “self-isolation” who might need help. Older or frail people in particular might appreciate knowing that someone will deliver their groceries or take care of their trash and recycling.
As is usually the case, this crisis will fall hard on those living paycheck to paycheck. Hourly and low-income workers should be supported by their employers to be allowed to stay home if they are sick through sick time policies that realistically address the current crisis, and any housing authority and landlord that has not already done so should assure tenants that they will not be evicted during this crisis. In a public health crisis such as this one, it is incumbent upon us all to support those who need it most.
And amid all of the concern, it might help to remember that going outdoors is not canceled, nor is listening to music, spending time with our families, laughing, reading and sharing with others. Let’s embrace what we have.