Ignorance is not a virtue. Diminishing reality, or pretending and announcing that things are not as grim as they seem will not be the protection people worldwide need to stay healthy and avoid this global pandemic.
Do we need to go into fear?
No.
What we need to stay healthy is to adhere to the social distancing of six feet or more between people, even if they do not show any symptoms. As most of us know by now, people who are spreading COVID-19 are doing so up to fourteen days before they know they have the symptoms. By this time, it is too late for the numerous people they have already come in contact with.
This is not only a disease for old people. Most of the COVID-19 cases in New York City, according to New York Governor Cuomo, are young people 18 to 49 years of age, more than 50 percent of the people who have contracted this disease.
“Young people can get it and young people can transfer it,” said Cuomo today.
He also said that to be socializing on basketball courts and congregating with friends as if there is nothing to be concerned about is simply arrogant and selfish. He said New York has already had 374 deaths.
“This is sobering, sad and distressing,” he said, acknowledging 311,000 who know are known to have it, and over 13,000 deaths, as mentioned below.
Cuomo also acknowledged the “cabin fever” and aloneness everyone can feel emotionally in this situation, but advised everyone to rise to the occasion and follow the guidelines. He said we need to make mental adjustments to continue with order and function, not to hoard food and run into chaos. Know things will be OK in the long run. Just rise to the challenges, he said.
The faster we adhere to the social distancing and self-quarantine guidelines, the faster this pandemic will end. The more we choose to ignore these guidelines, the longer the pandemic will exist. This is the advise of our medical experts.
I do not understand pictures I have seen of churches still open and having services, with people sitting side by side, in rows back to back. Is it the thought that God will not allow bad things to happen to good people? Do we really think that if we prayed hard enough that nothing bad will happen to us?
It seems to me taking medicines for our ailments, seeing doctors, and following medical advice is not a denial of God, or lack of faith in God. God gives us wisdom to follow medical guidance, as is the case now with this COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully, soon it will be all over. But until then, let us all use the brains the good Lord gave us and obey the advice of the doctors during this worldwide pandemic.
There’s that word again, obey. This was briefly addressed in the previous post in this blog.
Don’t we all have free will?
Yes.
We can choose to be willfully ignorant for a wide host of reasons, or we can choose to be smarter, grow a bit more in character development, and follow the doctor’s advice. Who likes to obey? Aren’t we all adults? Yes, but sometimes we revert back to being children, doing what we want, when we want and how we want. Let us all chose not to do that, for the sake and love of everyone else around us.
Here are the COVID-19 statistics worldwide as of March 22, 2020, according to BING.
TOTAL: ………….. 308,615
ACTIVE CASES ………………. 199,710
RECOVERED CASES ………. 95,834
FATAL CASES ……………….. 13,971
China (mainland) … 81,054
Italy ……………………. 53,578
Spain ………………….. 28,603
United States ……… 27,111
Germany ……………. 23, 129
Iran …………………….. 21,638
France ………………… 14,459
South Korea ………… 8,897
Switzerland …………. 7,014
United Kingdom ….. 5,027
Netherlands …………. 3,643
Belgium ……………….. 3,401
Austria …………………. 3,062
Norway ………………… 2,234
Sweden ……………….. 1,770
Portugal ………………. 1,600
Denmark ………………. 1,420
Australia ………………. 1,356
Canada ………………… 1,331
Malaysia ………………. 1,306
Brazil ……………………. 1,201
Japan …………………… 1,054
Chechia ……………….. 1,047
Turkey …………………. 947
Israel …………………… 945
Luxembourg ……….. 798
Ireland ………………… 785
Diamond Princess … 712
Pakistan ………………… 646
Thailand ……………….. 599
Iceland …………………. 568
Chile …………………….. 537
Poland ………………….. 536
Ecuador ………………… 532
Greece ………………….. 530
Finland ………………….. 523
Indonesia ……………… 514
Qatar ……………………. 481
Singapore …………….. 455
Romania ………………. 433
Saudi Arabia …………. 392
Slovenia ……………….. 383
Philippines …………… 380
India …………………….. 341
Bahrain ………………… 333
Estonia ………………… 326
Peru ……………………. 318
Hong Kong SAR …… 317
Russia …………………. 306 ???
Egypt …………………… 294
Mexico ………………… 251
Panama ………………. 245
South Africa ……….. 240
Croatia ……………….. 235
Lebanon …………….. 230
Argentina …………… 225
Iraq …………………… 214
Colombia ……………… 210
Armenia ………………. 190
Kuwait ………………… 188
Serbia …………………. 188
Slovakia ……………… 178
Bulgaria ……………… 171
Taiwan ………………. 169
San Marino ……….. 160
United Arab Emirates … 153
Algeria ………………… 139
Latvia …………………. 139
Uruguay …………….. 135
Hungary …………….. 131
Costa Rica ………….. 117
North Macedonia .. 114
Dominican Republic … 112
Lithuania ………………. 105
Morocco ………………. 104
Jordan …………………… 99
Vietnam ……………….. 99
Bosnia and Herzegovina … 94
Albania …………………….. 89
Andorra ………………….. 88
Brunei ………………………. 83
Moldova ………………….. 80
Belarus ……………………. 76
Cyprus ……………………. 75
Tunisia ……………………. 75
Malta …………………….. 73
Sri Lanka ……………………. 72
Venezuela …………………. 70
New Zealand …………….. 66
Burkina Faso …………….. 64
Palestinian Authority … 59
Kazakhstan ……………….. 57
Senegal …………………….. 56
Oman ………………………… 55
Georgia …………………….. 54
Azerbaijan ………………… 53
Cambodia …………………. 53
Ukraine …………………….. 47
Liechtenstein ……………. 44
Uzbekistan ……………….. 42
Cameroon ………………… 40
Kosovo ……………………… 31
Bangladesh ……………….. 27
Nigeria ………………………. 27
Honduras …………………… 27
Afghanistan ……………….. 24
Congo (DRC) ………………. 23
Paraguay ……………………. 22
Cuba ………………………….. 21
Ghana ……………………….. 21
Bolivia ………………………. 20
Jamaica …………………….. 19
Macao SAR ……………….. 19
Mauritius ………………….. 18
Guatemala ………………… 17
Guernsey ………………….. 17
Cote d’Ivoire …………….. 17
Rwanda …………………….. 17
Montenegro ……………… 16
Togo …………………………. 16
Jersey ………………………. 15
Kyrgyzstan ……………….. 14
Maldives ………………….. 13
Tanzania ………………….. 12
Monaco …………………… 11
Mongolia …………………. 10
Ethiopia …………………… 9
Trinidad and Tobago … 9
Kenya ………………………. 7
Seychelles ……………….. 7
Equatorial Guinea …… 6
Barbados ………………… 5
Isle of Man ……………… 5
Suriname ……………….. 5
Bahamas ……………….. 4
Eswatini …………………. 4
Gabon ……………………. 4
Guyana ………………….. 4
Cabo Verde ……………. 3
Central African Republic … 3
El Salvador ……………….. 3
Madagascar ………………. 3
Liberia ……………………… 3
Namibia ……………………. 3
Zimbabwe ………………….. 3
Angola ………………………. 2
Benin ………………………… 2
Bhutan ……………………… 2
Fiji ……………………………. 2
Haiti ………………………… 2
Mauritania ………………. 2
Nicaragua ………………… 2
Sant Lucia ……………….. 2
Sudan …………………….. 2
Zambia …………………… 2
Antigua and Barbuda … 1
Chad ………………………… 1
Djibouti …………………….. 1
Eritrea ……………………….. 1
Guinea ……………………… 1
Nepal ……………………….. 1
Niger ………………………… 1
Papua New Guinea ….. 1
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines … 1
Somalia ………………………. 1
Uganda ……………………….. 1
Vatican City ………………… 1
God Bless