As technology evolves, humankind is becoming increasingly isolated. More than ever before, we constitute a mob of individuals disconnected from ourselves and one another, struggling for a sense of meaningful purpose, unconsciously searching for something to bind us together as humans with a common experience.
The novel coronavirus is a double-edged sword. In one aspect, it alienates us from one another, but it also has the potential to bring us together, by causing us to focus on what—and who—is important in our lives.
For me, this whole experience has been really surreal. For the most part, I’ve been trying to keep my cool, trying to not make a big deal about everything, but watching the whole country shut down, and having people fearfully back away from me and shout at me through doors because they’re afraid to expose themselves to another human, is disturbing and unsettling. It makes me feel leprous, filthy.
I’m confused and bewildered about what to think. How big is the threat, really? How long will it last? These are nebulous questions with indeterminate answers, but one thing I’m certain of is that fear is a bigger threat to the well-being of our society than the virus is.
Every single person is now considered a potentially lethal enemy to everyone else. We’re panicking, afraid not only of each other, but of the very air we breathe. The viral infection is limited, but the psychological infection of terror is absolute. It’s alarming and disconcerting to see how fragile our collective psyche is.
Yet, as I mentioned earlier, there is a silver lining. Now, more than ever, we’re forced to think about the people we care about, particularly our parents and grandparents, who are at the highest risk. When we’re vulnerable, we see what really matters: people. It’s for this reason that we should not allow our fear to alienate us from others.
What we should keep in mind is that the actual prevalence of infection is proportionately very low. As of March 26, there are 3,555 confirmed cases in Canada, out of a population of 37.59 million. That’s 0.009 percent—less than 100th of one percent. Even considering unreported cases, the statistical truth is that it’s overwhelmingly unlikely that you or the people you encounter in public are infected.
We should certainly follow the safety guidelines, but we must not allow ourselves to be infected by fear and hysteria. This will only make things worse. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones, and next time you see a stranger on the street, smile at them and be compassionate, because in stressful times like these, what we need the most of is more positive human connection, not fear.