In “To Fight the Coronavirus, You Need An Army,” Ricardo Nuila speaks about how the scarcest resource during the time of coronavirus was humans. The hospitals in Texas did not lack space or equipment but simply could not accept more patients because there were not enough I.C.U. nurses to take care of them. Texans were able to prolong the spread of the disease in the early stages through distancing and wearing masks. However, when the governor prematurely reopened the state, there was a spike in the number of cases as people became more relaxed with safety measures. Despite the surge of cases that were seen amongst the individuals, the hospitals seemed to be doing fairly well when it came to handling the cases that they were seeing.

While medical professionals and politicians provide essential information in the midst of a pandemic, addressing its effects requires more than just that. It calls for major behavioral changes on the part of the “ordinary” individual. This comes in the form of maintaining distance and wearing masks. Though it may lead to the argument that such requirements infringe on the personal freedoms of people, it is important to recognize that these guidelines are put in place to help the society as a whole. In times like these, we should put the needs of the society above our individual desires.

The podcast brings us to Hotel Corona, a hotel transformed into a COVID-19 recovery facility. Baruch Shpitzer speaks of the initial conflicts he faced due to the diverse cultures and beliefs of the guests who were coming to stay at the hotel. Most people stuck with their own kind – Jews with Jews, Arabs with Arabs. Through shared meals and laughter, we see these groups that don’t normally mix slowly become friends despite their differences. Hotel Corona shows us that people can still maintain their own identity while accepting the cultural differences of others. All it takes is treating every person with a basic level of respect and kindness.