Article 2 on How to Cope with COVID-19 pandemic

In the previous article, I have brought forward some of the problems with confront as a result of the COVID-19 effects on our lives.

The first step in the right direction to cope with the challenges posed by this pandemic is to achieve a state of mind permeated with Objectivity and Equanimity.

By objectivity, I mean, the eradication of ideas about conspiracies and political maneuvers behind the pandemic–i.e., the acceptance that COVID-19 is a natural infectious phenomena. Being objective here means to accept that the COVID-19 pandemic is caused by a widespread viral infection of a particularly nasty virus that from time to time infects massive numbers of people around the world. This is particularly the case when a virus has the ability to be transmitted from person to person as an air-borne infective agent. And this is the case with this Corona-virus.

This Coronavirus, the SARS Cov-2 is an aggressive virus that is transmitted by close contact via the microscopic droplets that we blow out into the air when we cough, sneeze, sing, or speak. The microscopic droplets can infect people within 6 feet. The microdroplets we expel can become smaller, (smaller than 5 microns) and become aerosolized. When this happens, these ultra microdroplets can float in the air up to 4 hours and they fall on cold surfaces where they can remain “alive” (and infectious) for a day or two. In these situations, people can be infected by touching these “fomites” (objects that are infected with the virus). And they do it, by touching their faces or scratching their eyes, and self inoculation virus in the process.

The viral particles can be more widely distributed through air-ducts of air conditioning systems and reach people that are further away from the viral source. However, most infections occur with direct close person-to person contact and that is the main point to keep in mind in terms of infection prevention.

Stay away 6 feet from people while WEARING a face cover mask of good quality.To be objective here, means to understand what the enemy is like, how it behaves, and what we need to do to conquer it.

TO WIN THE BATTLE AGAINST COVID-19, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO REMAIN OBJECTIVE

To be objective is to remember that the ENEMY is the VIRUS, and not the people that are infected with it.

• To be objective is to understand the basic hygienic and scientific principles that will allow us to survive this pandemic with the least disease spread and loss of life possible.
• To be objective is to get our political ideologies and our Egos out the equation as these two interfere with the behavioral changes we need to implement as individuals and as a society to make to achieve victory.
• To be objective is to be educated. If we are not educated about this situation, we need to BECOME EDUCATED. And not only do we need to educate ourselves, but we also have to educate those around us–especially our children and our elderly.
• To be objective is to LEAD by EXAMPLE. Particularly when it comes to adjusting to WEARING MASKS on a day-to -day basis, and to practice social distancing as much as humanly possible.

By now, most of us are dealing with quarantine fatigue. We have been forced by the pandemic circumstances to seclude ourselves for over six months now and we are tired of not being able to see our friend, families, children, parents and grandchildren. We are also tired of not being able to go to school, go to work, to attend any type of function or public event, or do things as we used to.

Honestly, WE ALL HAD IT WITH THIS VIRUS! But, you know what? THE VIRUS DOES NOT CARE. The virus continues to do its destructive work like if it were the first day. It has not become any less aggressive nor any less lethal in the last six months.

That is why is so important that we HANG ON and STAY THE COURSE.

Victory in war does not go to the strongest but to the most persevering. Thus, we should not become lenient or complacent when it comes to taking our precautions, but in fact we should get better at instituting them. If we do that, we will be able to REACTIVATE OUR ECONOMIES and NORMALIZE OUR LIVES FASTER.

If we get good at prevention, then we can have it both ways, flatten the infections curve and reactivate the economy. If we continue to defy nature, or persist in not changing our behavior, we will continue to see cases go up, and the day of normalization will be further away than ever.

In regards to the need for EQUANIMITY in this matter, what I mean by that is the use of good old COMMON SENSE.

Somebody said that “common sense is the least common of the senses”. I couldn’t agree more. We are stubborn creatures of habit and of pride. That gets in the way of applying common sense to the situation. The other enemy we face is plain IGNORANCE. That is why we need EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION. About what? About BEHAVIOR CHANGE AND PREVENTION.

That is not just the job of individuals, BUT IT SHOULD BE THE TASK OF ALL GOVERNMENTS and INSTITUTIONS, from private to public, from lay to religious ones.

Applying equanimity means taken the middle path.

It is an objective path of applying calm knowledge to solve a challenge. It is a path that admits we have a big problem in our hands. But we have the tools to conquer the problem. In fact, we have never in history been equipped better to conquer a viral pandemic than we are NOW. That is reason for GREAT HOPE.

So the person that acts with equanimity, does not go over board in OCD type fears of viral infections or compulsive behaviors and does not become paranoid with his/her fellow neighbors. People that use common sense keep their heads well set over their shoulder and DO NOT PANIC. After all, 40 percent of people infected with this virus, present no symptoms or disease. Most children catch the minor cold like or flu-like form of the illness. 98 of people infected will survive the infection. Only 17 percent of people get the severe form of the infection that causes hospitalization. And only 1-1.5 % of people die from COVID-19 infection and its complications.

This is bad alright, but actually nothing compared to the fact that when we dealt with the HIV epidemics of the 1980’s the mortality in 5 years was then 100%. And today, people with HIV infection can lead virtually normal life spans if they stick to their medication regimen.

So, STAY CALM, BE OBJECTIVE, and look at this problem with EQUANIMITY

Finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel. At the time of this writing there are 120 scientific groups around the world working day and night to get vaccines against the COVID-19. And two of those vaccines–one developed in the US and the other one in the UK–are already in phase 3. This means the companies that make them are starting large trials in humans as they have proved to be safe and effective in small groups of volunteers.

By the end of the year, those vaccines will be probably ready for massive use and next year we will have effective tools to prevent COVID-19 infections.