Go ‘Lazy Kitty’ on COVID-19
Practice Social Distancing and Help Edmonton, Canada and the World, Flatten the Curve.
Posted: March 23, 2020 2:30 PM MDT. Written by Joanna Manchur, Student Engagement & Communications Specialist for the Faculty of Arts. For up-to-date information and U of A updates visit the UAlberta COVID-19 Information webpage.
This past weekend the media reported that a student from the University of Alberta has tested positive for COVID-19. The numbers of cases in Alberta continues to grow, but this is the first confirmed case from the U of A community.
It kind of hits home in a different way than before.
As the numbers of confirmed cases continue to rise — everywhere — there’s a lot of talk about ‘flattening the curve’ on the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Flattening the curve’ is at the heart of why classes for the remainder of the UAlberta Winter 2020 term are being taught remotely. It’s why as many faculty and staff from the University of Alberta as possible are working from home and not coming to campus. Stores, restaurants, gyms, churches— anywhere that people congregate are reducing the number of people allowed in, reducing hours or closing all together. And it’s why Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, is giving daily updates and continues to appeal to all Albertans to do everything they can to slow the spread of this virus.
But what’s with the term ‘flattening the curve’? To help understand it better, Anne Marie Darling posted this to Twitter (@amdar1ing):
Lots of science-y folks are posting this graph. But if there is one thing I have learned from being on the internet, it is this:
Data/graphs: Not compelling to many.
Kitties: Compelling to many.
So I present: #Catteningthecurve.
So — let’s ‘lazy kitty’ this situation! Here’s how:
Call out your friends (or maybe even yourself) for thinking all these preventative measures are unnecessary.
It’s typically your generation (the 15–30 year olds) that feel indestructible, and up until recently there haven’t been many cases for your demographic. However new research is showing that it can, and is, affecting your generation.
If you do get sick you might just have the sniffles, a mild fever and a cough for a week and that will be it. Or, you could even feel fine and be carrying the virus completely symptom free.
The big problem is, by going out and interacting with those not in your immediate family or household, interacting with more people than absolutely necessary, you are keeping this situation ‘alert kitty’.
When you go out with ‘just a few friends’ you can unknowingly receive or pass on the virus. Then when you see another friend the next day, or your parents when they invite you over for supper, there’s a good chance you could be passing the virus on to them. And so on and so on.
Inevitably it will get passed on to someone who can’t fight this virus off alone and needs medical attention. There will be more and more people that need hospitalization. And that will cripple our health-care system.
If you’ve got people in your life (and maybe that person is you) who aren’t taking this seriously, show them the research from the World Health Organization and explain the importance of flattening the curve. For this to work, we’ve all got to be on the same team at the same time.
Create physical distance not emotional distance.
Your regular routine right now needs to change (even more than it already has). The biggest change is going to be the physical distance. Not going to class with 30–300 other people anymore, no more coffee or drinks in between classes or in the evenings, no more workouts at the gym or dancing at the bars.
It sucks. Yep, it does. I fully agree. But it’s also doable.
Pretty sure we all had to read “Anne Frank: Diary of A Young Girl” when we were in grade school. To remind you, Anne and seven others hid from the Nazis, in an attic, for 2 years and 35 days.
That’s 765 days!!!
“Just imagine what would happen if all eight of us were to feel sorry for ourselves or walk around with the discontent clearly visible on our faces. Where would that get us?”
At most we’ve been at this social distancing thing for 10 days maximum.
We can do this.
And the sooner we flatten the curve, the quicker we will be able to return to our normal routines.
In the meantime, embrace the opportunities that do exist to stay connected with people.
Whether that’s through making phone calls, “meeting” for drinks from your couch with Zoom or Google Hangouts, having a Netflix Party, or writing cards by hand and putting them in the mail.
Learn and experience like never before.
There are so many people and organizations out there right now that are reaching out through social media and technology to bring people together — from free ‘concerts’ and workout classes, to tours of zoos and museums.
Artists, celebrities, and organizations are making experiences and information available to people via technology for free right now. So what are you waiting for? Do a Google search for that thing that’s been on your bucket list and see if you can cross it off.
You can easily find something new and exciting every day, and share it — virtually — with someone.
Be a helper.
If you really can’t sit at home anymore, when you go out, go out with purpose. Make a positive difference for someone who could use the help.
There’s a lot of people following social distancing recommendations, self-isolating or self-quarantining that absolutely need to. Their lives, or lives of their loved ones, depend on it. Your grandparents, your aunt who is 3-years breast cancer-free, your neighbour who has asthma and has had pneumonia every few years even in ‘normal’ times.
All these people are watching the news and have recognized that this virus is serious. So, if you are in a position to help these people out — do so.
Go get groceries for them. Do the shopping that they can’t or are scared to do. Pick up prescriptions at the pharmacy. Drive around to four different stores to find infant Tylenol and infant Advil because that new mom from down the street knows she’s going to need it, but just can’t bear the thought of dragging her 2-month-old out from store to store to find it.
Consider the doctors, nurses and health care staff who continue to go to work to ensure that our front-line is strong. Many of these families are now struggling to find child care because of the closures of daycares and schools. U of A students have stepped up and are volunteering to offer emergency child care.
What lies ahead?
No one is really sure how this pandemic is going to play out exactly. The concern is real, and we all need to do our part to contain the virus and slow it’s spread.
And that can feel like a lot of responsibility.
Over the years I’ve learnt that when I am feeling particularly challenged, when I’m feeling unmotivated, when I’m struggling — if I connect with someone else it becomes easier. When I become someone else’s cheerleader the situation gets better for me too.
So today I implore you to do everything you can to ‘lazy kitty’ this situation, and at the same time ask yourself “How can I help someone today?”
