Let’s catch Coronavirus slowly

Businesses are uniquely positioned to influence how fast Coronavirus spreads. I shared this message with my team at Names & Faces explaining our policy and attitude towards the virus and the view that we’re all likely to get it soon.

Hello folks, as COVID-19 continues its march around the world I’m making it company policy at Names & Faces for everyone to please work from home until further notice.

“Everything we do before a pandemic will seem alarmist. Everything we do after will seem inadequate.” — M. Leavitt

It seems reasonable to assume several of us are likely to get the virus. You will know people soon who have it if you don’t already. A friend of mine from school was the first person identified in South Africa last week and our family doctor was the doc who diagnosed him. They are both doing fine.

My understanding is that, like the flu, rest and general recuperation is what is required to help your body fight it and build its own immunity if you do get ill. Fortunately we are all healthy and (with the exception of Richard) young.

What is important is that we support the worldwide effort to reduce the intensity of the outbreaks and slow the spread down to take pressure off our medical systems which will buckle if too many people get sick too quickly.

In the USA most stores are already out of many canned and dried foods as people stock up fearing supply chains are going to be severely affected.

If there has not yet been a run on the shops in SA, I’d recommend you all make sure you have a decent stock of basics at home to last you a few weeks just in case — and better to prepare for that now than when broader panic sets in.

So look after yourselves and your loved ones and let us know if anyone starts feeling grotty so we can offer support as a team and as a company as best we can.

See you all online this week. 👍🏼