Amidst the panic

I know everyone is feeling a lot of anxieties with everything going on right now. I know I am. I worry for my family, my friends, and the little thing growing inside me. And maybe there’s some people who don’t feel anything or care and that’s fine too, I’m not here to police your feelings.

Everything here (UK) seems to have escalated very quickly in the last week. I imagine it’s only a matter of time until more testing becomes available and reported cases will rise very suddenly. And I imagine that soon more cities and/or countries may have a lock down similar to what others, like Italy and France, have done so that hospitals don’t get overrun.

It’s all very surreal and most of us have never really lived through anything remotely like this before.
But you must try to remain calm and keep your wits about you.
I’m not trying to shame people who are panicking or hoarding, I understand what anxiety does to you and there really is no point in trying to shame how people cope with stressful situations. I’m not here to do that.

But what is helpful and what can you, as an individual, do?

• If cases haven’t been officially reported where you live, assume that there are people infected in your area because I guarantee you there are, and take the proper precautions if and when you go out.
• Keep using proper sanitation (hand washing, covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough, don’t put your fingers in your mouth, keep your hands off your face, etc)
• Try not to go out unnecessarily if you can help it so we can contain the spread and stop sharing misinformation online and spreading fear and panic to your loved ones.
• Please stick to reliable resources like the CDC or WHO. Even news articles from what you make think are reliable sources can contain tons of misinformation. Take it from a science nerd who studies this stuff, a lot of what I’ve seen being shared right now is complete and utter garbage.
• Find a way to relax. Watch a good movie, laugh, call your friends, write, take a bath and meditate, whatever. You can only expose yourself to the news so much before it starts to take a toll on your mind. Take care of your physical health and your mental health because they are equally important.

Also I just want to give a major shout out to healthcare and emergency service workers right now. Literally everyone, not just those in the lab, or doctors and nurses, but everyone who keeps the hospitals running. When all the bars and restaurants shut, if or when they close grocery stores, the hospitals and emergency services will still keep on going. I wish I was there in the lab working right now with all my fellow medical technologists.

I think that’s all I have to say.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and be kind to one another.