Fear can be a feeling that we have all experienced even once in a lifetime. However, we all react to fear in a different way.

Some people take it, they try to take it easy and find the best solution / reaction to certain situations. On the other hand, there are those whose instinct is to flee at all costs, without thinking about the consequences that their words or actions may cause. This can be easily verified with the coronavirus pandemic that affects us this year. 

While there are people who have been motivated to take precautionary measures, for fear of contracting the virus, there are people who have been acting irresponsibly. After all, is this something natural that happens when we are afraid of something or do not feel safe, but how long can an action be justified?

Not everyone seems to fear the virus as they try to continue an almost normal routine. Regardless of all the warnings, it seems that nothing is enough to convince them that the danger is real. We know that these times seem like something out of an apocalypse movie, but nothing is fake or false: the sick are real, the dead are increasing, and there are no signs of a cure.

The idea is not to traumatize anyone or to make them lock themselves in the house dead with fear when thinking about the virus 24 hours a day, only that there are those who do not know that the best thing would be for them to take certain precautions when continuing their routines and it is that there are those who hear the suggestions and ignore them completely or put them into practice in the wrong way. 

For example, we know that masks can be uncomfortable and even more so if you are not used to wearing them. However, that does not mean that when you are in the store or out and no one is around you can take it off, or take it off to talk or sneeze.

The mask should cover your nose and mouth at every time. The function of the mask is not only to keep the bacteria out, but also to prevent them from leaving since if you have the virus or even if it is a common flu, the mask will keep the bacteria inside.  You should also not touch the mask with your hands or scratch your face while wearing it, as you could become contaminated with the virus.

Another wrong action is when they talk about or comment on the virus. A clear example is when referring to it as the “Chinese” virus, say that was created by China and can be transmitted only by people of this country.

The truth is that this virus is so new that not much is known about its origin. It may be a virus that has never been identified in the past and was inactive for a reason, or it may even be the mutation of an existing virus. Now what matters is finding a cure or treatment more than blaming others. It is not anyone’s fault that the virus appeared, since it is something that has been repeated in history for years. Every so often, a virus appears, people get sick and fear arises. But what is the worst, fear or virus?

Fear clouds judgment, and there are those who try to party without ignoring the warnings. Governments close premises or request quarantine, but it seems that there are those who think that this is a type of punishment rather than care for their own sake. Because the first cases were reported in China, there are those who believe that people with Asian features possess the virus. And this is NOT true. 

The virus is contracted when a person comes into contact with an infected person or object. Anyone can be a carrier or victim, since the diseases don’t look at the race, skin color or economic status of the victims. The coronavirus, like all the other diseases that exist in the world, attack without asking if the person has family, money or where they come from. We are all at risk and that is why we must take care of ourselves as a community.

Another reaction, which in my opinion is one of the worst, is the one seen on social media or on the street against public health workers. They work countless hours trying to save lives, and when they beg you to stay home it is not “overdoing it.” They are simply tired of watching their patients die, of which there are some of them who preferred to go out to party or walk around a couple hours instead of staying at home for a couple of days to live a full life with their family.

What hurts them the most, is that they cannot hug their own families for fear of infecting them and that their patients die in suffering and loneliness, without being able to say goodbye to their parents, children or loved ones.

Coronavirus is a highly contagious disease that affects us all equally. For that same reason we must all do our part. If you don’t have to go out, don’t do it or at least take precautions. We are all suffering from the coronavirus, and only together can we get out of it. Because you’re having a hard time, don’t take it out on others: you don’t know what they may be experiencing right now.