I assumed it was nothing to worry about. I thought it was just like every other disease that has popped up in my lifetime—serious, but not bad enough to hit close to home. I know I’m not alone in this. Many of us either feel invincible or untouchable to things that affect the rest of the world in larger scales. But this time, we were wrong. This time, we’re S.O.L.
What started as a national health crisis on the other side of the world turned into a global pandemic that seems to be getting worse. Many of us joked about the seriousness of the coronavirus (aka COVID-19) on social media, mainly as a defense mechanism. Many of us, especially those of us who are Black in America, have used humor as a way to get through all of the horrible things life throws our way. But the joke’s only funny until it’s not. I just wished it had stopped being funny before things started getting serious for us.
China was going through it, and we joked. It spread to Europe, and the laughing continued. A few cases popped up in the U.S. and the giggling proceeded. But then it kept spread, making its way across the country, and suddenly, panic replaced complacency.
Look, I’m not saying the jokes weren’t funny, and I won’t say that I didn’t laugh. Some jokes were definitely more appropriate than others, but it seemed that most of the internet knew this was all in "fun", a light-hearted way to ensure we didn’t worry.
But we should have worried, and we should have done it sooner.
I wouldn’t say I was “scared” when I heard about the first cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. I was, however, concerned. I realized my mistake in not being concerned sooner. The people of China suffered long before the first known cases here, and all I did was scroll past the news story. There’s nothing I could have actually done to stop the virus, but I could have cared enough to at least read up on what others were going through, what the virus actually was, how fast it was spreading. We can always stand to care more.
So now, here we are. Practically all sports are canceled for the time being. Schools are kicking kids out of their dorms and switching to an online course system for the rest of the semester (while also postponing graduations). Many companies are telling employees to work from home instead of coming to the office, and those who aren't able to can't work at all. And today, the governor of Illinois announced that all restaurants will be closed for inside dining indefinitely as of tomorrow, Monday, March 15. People are buying toilet paper and hand sanitizer in bulk, even fighting over supplies in grocery stores, and spreading false information, all while being misinformed by the White House. We can’t laugh this one away; this problem is here to stay.
I’ve done all the preparation I can. I already clean regularly, but now I take care to sanitize and disinfect everything as often as possible. My non-perishables have been bought. I have enough supplies to last me the duration of a quarantine (if that’s what it comes to). And most importantly, I’m staying the hell away from everyone as often as possible, for my own sake and the sake of others, especially the most vulnerable amongst us.
I don’t know what’s gonna happen, y’all. The Orange One isn’t telling the truth, everything is shutting down, and crap is hitting the fan. But I’m staying prayed up and prepared, and I hope you’re doing the same. I’m doing all I can, but I’ll tell you one thing I’m sure not doing anymore: laughing.
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