We’re in the midst of a pandemic. With the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) quickly spreading, we need to stay away from large groups of people. Schools have closed, events have been canceled, and businesses are closing until further notice.
Is this overreacting?
Or is this response too little, too late? Only time will tell but currently hospitals cannot handle a full-blown outbreak since there are simply not enough medical professionals, not enough supplies like N95 medical masks, and not enough medical facilities. As of today though, the first human trial of a vaccine developed by Moderna has started. All these closures and precautions are needed to even out the medical demand and give more time for a vaccine to be developed and properly tested. This is needed to reduce deaths.
Unfortunately, this partial shutdown of our communities will also affect local economies as bars close, restaurants lose business, productivity slows down, and parents have to stay home to take care of kids not in school. Let’s face the facts: some businesses can weather this loss and others will not and we may even be looking at a recession. Hopefully national legislation will pass to provide relief to these beleaguered businesses and families in the short term. However, we can’t be sure this will happen nor that it will solve the issue.
So what should we do?
First off, take care of yourself and your family. If you can work from home, do so. Limit your exposure to slow the spread. At Thrive, most of us are working from home until we hear otherwise. We encourage other businesses to do the same. If you can’t, make sure to wash your hands at least 20 seconds, avoid close contact, and sanitize work spaces as much as possible.
According to the CDC, “The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.” Read more tips on their website.
Help the Community
If you are able, do your part to help your community during these difficult times. In fact, I received a wonderful email from online event site Eventbrite with several great suggestions on what you can do:
- Offering grocery store runs or meal delivery to the elderly and immunocompromised
- Contributing financially to food banks for children who have lost access to daily meals during school closures
- Purchasing gift certificates to local restaurants, record stores, and brick & mortar retailers to provide an alternative revenue stream
- Hosting virtual happy hours with friends and family to bolster human connection
- Buying tickets to future community events to show support for the greater community
- Donating to artists, performers, and venues to show solidarity and continue the celebration of the arts
- Creating wishlists for direct delivery to non-profit organizations and shelters that cannot currently receive in-person donations
- Providing online attendance options for classes, concerts, church services and more to connect communities to meaningful experiences
View Eventbrite’s full community resource page.
We’ll all need to chip in to help our community. After you make sure that you are safe and that your family is safe, we encourage you to make a difference in your community as well.
