Even though the streets are nearly bare and most stores are temporarily closed, there seems to be a lot going on behind the scenes.
The response to this modern epidemic has been similar to others across the generations. In times of crisis there will always be people that rush to help out where needed while another, seedier crowd rushes to find ways to exploit people.
Various phone and email scams have popped up in the wake of the virus-induced government measures, banking on the current moment of disorder to con people out of their savings. Offline, there have been tales of people not respecting public health guidelines and callously putting their fellow citizens at risk.
It’s easy to let these upsetting examples of human depravity make your blood boil. After all, many people are stuck at home with no connection to the outside world other than social media, where these kinds of stories spread as quickly as, well, a contagious virus. In a crisis like this, many people are desperate to feel anything other than an overwhelming sense of dread, even if it means converting their fear into hatred.
But, if everyone is following the hygiene protocols that the government has been pushing, these examples shouldn’t change how Pontiacers go about their daily routine. You should already be acting as if others in the community are carrying the virus and avoiding all non-essential interactions. It shouldn’t matter if someone who’s tested positive lives in the city or next door, everyone should be following the rules and limiting the spread of this disease.
It’s easy to get fired up about the selfish actions of others, but as the 20th century sage Fred Rogers pointed out long ago, in times of crisis, you should “look for the helpers.” Psychologically, it’s a lot healthier to be thankful for the workers in essential services that are keeping our society humming along in spite of everything. There’s plenty of ways people are helping their neighbours that should get more attention than the careless few risking the health of themselves and others.
In the next few days, we will see what effect our distancing efforts have made in the progress of this disease. Even if they have made a serious dent, it will be many weeks before things return to business as usual. Your family, neighbours and community will need your support during that time period and you owe it to them to keep healthy and stay sane.
Distancing yourself from social media is likely more difficult for some than the other distancing measures in place, but for the sake of everyone’s mental health, it’s the reasonable thing to do.
Caleb Nickerson
