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The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by storm. Many people are living in fear, confusion or perhaps outright panic. The United States is no exception.
As of Wednesday, March 18, all 50 states had the virus. Each day the number of cases rises, and the recommended procedures to prevent the spread change.
While we have seen a boost in numbers of positive tests this week, officials have assured this is nothing unexpected.
Member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force Dr. Deborah Birx spoke at a news conference. “We will see the number of people diagnosed dramatically increase over the next four to five days,” Birx said, simply because more tests are becoming available.
Across the rest of the country, the Center of Disease and Control (CDC) has advised social distancing. The premise is to “flatten the curve.” The Washington Post released a model describing how social distancing is effective, showing how without it, the spread is exponential. The issue is that, even if one person does not adhere to the recommended behavior, the virus still has ways of spreading to those who are.
Many states have enforced “safer-at-home” orders, essentially like a precursor to Italy’s lockdown. These mandates are requiring the closure of non-essential businesses and limiting residents to only leave their homes for food, medical emergencies or other essential activities, according to NY Post.
Many grocery stores, like Giant and Dollar General, have implemented programs to allow senior citizens early access. Because of the senior population’s vulnerability to COVID-19, these programs are designed with the premise that people most at risk will be able to shop in smaller crowds and immediately after the store has been disinfected.
In grocery stores across the nation, however, stock is extremely low. Toilet paper aisles, especially, are vacant.
Los Angeles fashion designer Dalia MacPhee began trading dresses for rolls of toilet paper. “They were coveting their toilet paper like it was water in a desert,” MacPhee said to NBC News. While this idea seems far-fetched, many sellers across Ebay and Craigslist have listed products like toilet paper and hand sanitizer at skyrocketing prices.
While some of this may be due to panic buying, a lot of it is also simply because more people are coming home. President Donald Trump signed an emergency law named the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, allowing for many people to work from home, receive paid time off or unemployment without fear of termination. On top of this, a great number of schools have moved online or closed completely, sending many students home. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak, many school events have been cancelled or commencements postponed.
Concerts and events across the nation are being cancelled, hospitals are prohibiting visitors and many establishments like churches, therapists and fitness programs are switching to online meetings.
Some celebrities are facing backlash for their response to the virus, like Vanessa Hudgens, who livestreamed her disapproval of the potential future of social distancing, saying that “people are going to die, which is terrible but, like, inevitable?” Hudgens has since deleted the livestream and apologized for her remarks, according to NBC News.
Other celebrities are facing the virus themselves, such as Tom Hanks, Idris Elba and Colton Underwood among others, and are using their platforms to raise awareness of the magnitude of the virus. “We are all in this together. Flatten the curve,” Hanks wrote on an Instagram post.
For more information and updates on the virus, or if you are feeling symptomatic, go to www.CDC.gov.
