In these troubling times of the coronavirus pandemic, we must come together as a society to fight. In the article “To Fight the Coronavirus, You Need an Army” published in the New Yorker describes how the biggest problem in caring for coronavirus patients is the lack of nurses available. The author went to go visit the hospital in Houston and he was surprised to find what he saw. Unlike the reports that the hospitals in Texas were overwhelmed, he found the hospital to be calm. The individual nurses that were treating the virus patients were overwhelmed and as individuals, they were succeeding. However, the medical community as a whole has been struggling with the coronavirus. This stems from the lack of nurses available to treat them.
Individual’s choices in the time of the pandemic impact society by choosing whether or not to act responsibly. All it takes is one irresponsible to infect all the people he comes into contact with. We must take on the responsibilities as individuals, for our society to thrive in these challenging times. The ideas of freedom and independence clash with the communal necessities because a person could believe it’s their choice whether or not to wear a mask or to properly socially distance themselves because they believe it’s their freedom to choose. But what they don’t understand is how these choices can affect other people’s families and lives.
The podcast Hotel Corona speaks about the Dan Hotel in Israel that became a virus hotel for infected patients. The unique thing about this virus Hotel was that it was a mixture of secular and religious jews, as well as Arabs. In Israel Jews and Arabs don’t live in the same towns let alone sleep in the same hotel. At first, everyone was sitting in their group, but after an incredible stand-up performance from one of Israel’s best comedians, where she made fun of all the groups present, everyone started mingling with each other. They realized that they are all in the same boat and that even though they come from different backgrounds they are all just people. This is a lesson we can learn and hopefully implement in our society to help build peace and unity.
The choice of some people to not wear masks or socially distance definitely reflects an ignorance in how they can impact other people of the community. Their irresponsibility also contributes to the struggling medical community as more and more people get sick. There has been so much divide in our country over personal freedoms and community, but in Hotel Corona, we see a completely different world. You mention of the comedian also reveals how humor can help unite people and guide people towards understanding each other.
I completely agree with what you said about one irresponsible person can infect other people they come in contact with. The key word is irresponsible. Everyone has a decision to make, do they want to help stop the spread of Covid-19 and follow the necessary precautions, or do they want to ignore what will help stop the virus for their own personal benefit.
You made a good point when you said that it only takes one irresponsible person to spread the virus. We need everyone on board and to be looking out for their community. It’s interesting that people did not really mix so much in Hotel Corona until the comedian performed. That was a real bonding experience and I think that once people are able to laugh together it helps them feel more comfortable with the people around them.