Let’s work together to get through this pandemic

We are all tired and feel like we’ve already spent a year and a half dealing with COVID-19. We want it to be over. We all want it to be over. On that, we can agree. But it’s hard to agree on exactly what it will take for this pandemic to be behind us, and on what each of us individually should be doing during this difficult time.

While we all consider ourselves to be bright, knowledgeable people, it’s time to put our own hubris behind us and to start listening. Being patient and adhering to the protocols set out in your particular area are the only ways that we are going to defeat COVID-19. And this means that each of us needs to do their part. How do you do so? Here are a few key suggestions.

Yes, this seems rudimentary — but it’s honestly not. The World Health Organization put out a news release in October 2020 that explained that “hand-washing with soap remains one of our best defenses against the virus.” As Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region went on to explain in the same release, “Hand-washing is also one of the key cornerstones of COVID-19 prevention. Now more than ever, as we embrace the new normal and live with COVID-19, hand hygiene needs to become an integral part of our daily routine and our lives, as we live through this pandemic, and beyond, to protect us from diseases.” You should wash your hands with soap and water after coughing or sneezing, when you are caring for sick people, after using the bathroom, before eating and when preparing food, and after coming back from visiting public locations.

Another vital behavioral pattern that we must continue to employ is social distancing. As with hand washing, this is a relatively simple behavior to follow, but one that many people have gotten lax in doing. The last 18 months have shown us that adhering to these protocols is really the only way to defeat the virus. What do we actually mean when we say you should employ social distancing? At one extreme end, it means staying home when you don’t need to be out. You should avoid large, crowded places as much as possible and keep your social engagements and your work gatherings to a minimum. For people who do want to be out and about, social distancing means keeping a six-foot distance from other people when in public areas. Research has shown that the virus is spread with particles that move from a sick person to others through breathing, talking, coughing and sneezing. The tiny droplets get into the air and people who are standing nearby can then get those droplets into their eyes, noses and mouths and become infected. When you keep six feet of distance, or more, it minimizes the ability of those air particles to reach the next person.

Doctors and scientists around the world are trying to combat this virus. Of course, the playing field is constantly changing as variants like delta appear and protocols change. This doesn’t mean that the protocols that were originally adopted were wrong — it means that we are all learning and growing as we understand this virus more and find ways to combat it. It is very important to check your arrogance and hubris at the door and to follow the guidelines and protocols put in place in your area by scientists and doctors. They are doing the research needed to set the best safety guidelines and it is the job of the rest of us to adhere to their advice and to follow their protocols. Listening to what they say and following their advice could make the difference between staying safe and contracting COVID-19 and infecting others.