It’s a scary time right now with the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the lack of information from government sources. University students are forced to move out of their residences with limited time, and k-12 students are missing weeks’ worth of school. There are hundreds of restrictions on travel and leisure activities. All of this to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Despite a general understanding of the severity of the virus, not everyone follows the warnings to stay inside and avoid gathering in large groups. Many young people are told that they are at low risk for the virus and suddenly feel invincible. However, these people don’t consider those who are high risk and the way their decisions could affect a high-risk person. This is why we had #CoronaKatie and #HighRiskCovid19 trending simultaneously.
How can you spread a virus, if you’re healthy and aren’t carrying it?#COVIDー19
— Katie Williams (@realkatiejow) March 15, 2020
People with similar mindsets as Corona Katie are the ones putting immunocompromised people at risk. Not everyone who contracts the virus will show symptoms, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t carrying the virus. And you can’t know whether you’re carrying the virus or not. By continuously gathering in large groups, you are continuing the spread of the virus and putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk. I’m one of those people.
I’m a Police Officer. I look fine and day to day have little issues but I suffer from #crohnsdisease. I take immunosuppressive meds to stop my own body fighting itself. I’ll keep doing my job as long as I can but I need people to #WashYourHands and be careful #HighRiskCovid19 pic.twitter.com/aqN7NELe0q
— Barry (@Trojandelta) March 15, 2020
Being immunocompromised as a young person during this pandemic has been a truly frustrating experience. Whenever I express fear or concern about my wellbeing, I’m told I’m panicking because I’m young and will be fine. But that’s not true. Hearing words like this and seeing people like Corona Katie makes me feel so invalidated and honestly like I don’t matter to society as a whole. There are so many people that ignore the lives of high-risk people unless they’re old. And this really needs to change.
There are hundreds of thousands of immunocompromised people in the US. Preventing the spread of the coronavirus is an effort that needs to be taken by everyone.
After the trending thread of high-risk people begging others to take precautions seriously, I hope people really heed these warnings. Just because you’re going to be safe during this pandemic doesn’t mean you can put the lives of others at risk so you can enjoy a night out or a meal at a restaurant. Please, stay inside. Wash your hands. Stay safe!
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