We have had to adapt to new daily routines very suddenly, and modifications in our public and private spheres continue to happen each day.
There is a bottom line right now. We have to flatten the curve of COVID-19 to ensure that our medical facilities are not overwhelmed with too many patients all at once. Each of us can be heroes through the inconvenience of serious social distancing.
Dr. Asaf Bitton, a highly regarded public health expert affiliated with Harvard and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, has been consistently clear in statements and interviews that social distancing is not casual. If you have the privilege to work from home or you do not need to work, stay home.
I have heard from people who think they can just decrease their outings or have outings where the virus has not yet spread, and Dr. Bitton says this is foolish and selfish behavior. This is serious. Stay home.
If you do go out and touch things, such as in a grocery store, take off your clothing that has touched other surfaces and put it right in the washing machine. I liken this to when I feel I have been exposed to poison ivy in the gardens. Those clothes should not touch your indoor sanctuary. The virus can live on various surfaces for up to nine days. And wash your hands thoroughly for 30 seconds before touching anything in your home.
If you need groceries, limit the frequency of shopping. Get your prescriptions filled up to date. Bitton says we should and can walk outside, but only with that 6 feet of distance from people. We should not sit on public benches or seats of any kind.
I have always had the habit of leaving my shoes at the door or outside, but I have been a bit lax about it at times. Now is the time to leave all shoes worn outside in a designated place.
When I served as a health agent, I remember learning that upward of 80 percent of the germs we bring into our homes comes from the bottom of our shoes. These days, clothes and jackets may be more important to consider, but the shoes habit should be lifelong. If you need good shoes for support, have designated indoor shoes or slippers with support.
Prior to the mandatory closures, many of our small businesses voluntarily closed to decrease the potential spread of the virus. Those businesses will need our patronage more than ever when things re-open. If you are able, think ahead and save money for those indulgences that you will need that contribute greatly to our local economy.
Northampton Community Acupuncture made the difficult decision to close just as more of us could use treatment. They responsibly weighed out public health benefits and risks. The Blue Heron, Coco’s and other independently-owned restaurants closed. The Amherst Cinema, a nonprofit, will pay their employees while they are closed. It is easy to imagine that some small businesses will not recover. They are the backbone of many of our communities. Perhaps some will sell gift certificates online to keep some cash flow coming in. Just a thought.
If you are able to offer something to help your neighbors and friends, do it. Many people do not have the option of telecommuting, and many of them are our heroes. They keep our hospitals and nursing facilities running, and they stock and staff our grocery stores. We cannot thank them enough, but we should try.
I have anxiety on some days or in moments, and that coexists with profound appreciation for the smallest kindnesses. Our feelings are heightened now. If there is a gift in this, it is a reminder to simplify, to make amends with people we need to forgive or from whom we need to ask for forgiveness. We can choose love and compassion as absolute imperatives. And we should live this way all the time — not just when we are under duress.
Social distancing is not self-isolation. We need each other. Using the phone for calls and not just texting. I recently joined a free Zoom event where a well-known Buddhist leader talked and then led us through a simple meditation. On the chat screen, many of us sent brief messages of love and solidarity, and I cried with gratitude and sadness all at once.
We have been talking about collective trauma since the 2016 presidential election, and now we have collective anxiety on top of that trauma. Yes, the person in the White House has squandered time and will cause lives as a result. This is not surprising. We live in Massachusetts where the powers that be are acting as quickly as they can to take serious measures given the tragic delays of everything at the federal level.
Each and every one of us can be a hero in one way or another. We are in it together, we are messy with our feelings, and caution and kindness are crucial.
J.M. Sorrell is a social justice activist and health care advocate. She is grateful for kindness in the best of times, and she is especially comforted by receiving and offering it during this pandemic.