OPINION
By Emily Reeves, Staff Reporter
COVID-19—it is finally here. After horror stories from Italy and denials of severity from people unaffected at the time, the moment of truth has come for Amarillo.
People take different stances on how to handle the virus outbreak. We have seen people rush to supermarkets like it’s Black Friday to buy all the toilet paper America has to offer. We have also seen people scoff and turn their noses up because their youth and health keeps them safe, but which is the more reasonable response?
It is selfish to take everything necessary off the shelves as if nobody else needs those products, but it is also selfish to walk around acting invincible and putting other people in harm’s way.
The most reasonable response lies somewhere in the middle. Now that the virus is in Amarillo, it is unwise to leave the house unless it is necessary because you put others and yourself at risk of infection.
Coronavirus is a respiratory virus. It spreads through person-to-person contact and by what the CDC calls respiratory droplets, which are what a person discharges from their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze.
In order to prevent contamination from touch, washing your hands frequently and not touching people or your own face are the best defenses. If you touch someone infected or something they have touched, touching your face exponentially increases the risk of you becoming infected.
By isolating yourself from potentially infected people and places someone who is infected may have been, you essentially eliminate the possibility of getting sick yourself. This is why experts recommend social distancing.
Recently, young adults have been testing positive for the coronavirus without showing any symptoms. This is especially dangerous because they could infect many people without realizing they are sick themselves.
Many people in that age group, most of our age group, work jobs in the food industry where they handle other people’s food and will continue to come to work if they show no symptoms.
Because people who do not know they’re sick will fulfill their duty to their workplace, the risk of spreading the virus increases. Even if restaurants have been putting in more preventative measures to combat the virus, eating something made by a contaminated person is likely to make you a carrier as well. The risk of spreading the virus is very high at restaurants.
Stay inside and do not leave if you do not have to, but this will pass. Many countries are working on a vaccination for the virus at the moment. This will all be history soon, so keep calm and watch Netflix from home.
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