April 2020- A cool breeze floats through the street empty of all but a lone pedestrian, face obscured by a homemade cloth mask. This ghostly silence has become the norm across the world. While some rogue protesters violate and speak against the quarantine’s regulations, most of the nation abides by the current rules. It is likely that COVID-19 cases in Texas will peak in early May and that means transmission is at its highest right now. This is a critical moment in the pandemic and it is vital to stay inside and socially distanced. It is not an act of courage to risk going out in public, it is a display of selfishness. Going out puts others in jeopardy at least as much as it threatens you.

Though some may disagree, COVID-19 is no joke. It is not just a cold, it is not just the flu. It is more deadly and contagious than the 1918 Spanish Flu, the most recent pandemic. If you are over 60 and you get it or you have any underlying conditions, your chance of death is over 10 percent. If you value your own life over going to church on Easter Sunday, or spending time with people, you’d better stay home.

The longer everyone stays home, the sooner everything will reopen. If the quarantine continues, then cases will drop and our lives will resume as normally as is possible. If everyone starts going out then there will be a boom in cases and the regulations will come back stricter. 

You might be thinking that you have to go out for groceries, exercise and other essentials. It is true that you need to go out for some things but most of those can be ordered online and picked up at a scheduled time. If you have to go out it is very important to stay six feet away from all other people and wear a mask. People need to continue with the shelter in place and stay safe at home.