Alexis Jones, Class of 2023
It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone since the virus uprooted people
from the lives they knew and forced them into quarantine. What some thought would only last a
few weeks turned into almost a year of self-isolation. While world leaders have installed
measures to “flatten the curve,” the threat of COVID-19 still exists. Based on the data from
COVID-19 tracking of the Census Bureau and John Hopkins University since January 2020, the
Wall Street Journal reports the number of cases has been higher than ever as the U.S. leads with
a new record high of over 100,00 new cases and 200,000 deaths in a single day as of December
3, 2020. Yet, more and more people have been out in public since certain restrictions have been
lifted, varying among states. Although mitigating the virus has become more feasible with
drive-thru testing and other safe practices such as wearing masks and social distancing, some
people refuse to take these safety precautions and utilize these resources. It is these people that
must be held accountable for their contributions to these new record highs because until
everyone is able to slow the spread, there is less of a chance for the world to return to normal.
The personal beliefs of the American people influence how they respond to COVID-19 in terms
of prevention, which consequently affects its rate of spreading, but the most alarming is the
misinformation about the virus and at this point, fault lies on the people after all this time.
Evidenced by its alias, not much is known about the novel coronavirus, which is why
organizations like WHO have been careful to report on it but faced scrutiny due to the circulation
of false claims through social media (Journal of Communication in Healthcare 2020). As a
result, many believe that the coronavirus is “fake news” despite statements from public health
officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infection
Diseases (NIAID) and member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. However, a study
published by the Social Psychology Personal Science Journal shows a correlation between
conspiracy theorists that believe the coronavirus is a hoax and their self-centered prepping
behaviors (Imhoff & Lamberty 2020). Dr. Fauci echoed the findings of the study and addressed
the skeptical sentiments towards the virus in October: “Right now we have 210,000 people who
have died and 7.3 million people (who) have been infected. Globally, there are over 1 million
people who have died. That is not a hoax’” (Al-Arshani 2020). The coronavirus is real despite
how much the world wants it to not be. It is a fact that hundreds of thousands of people have died
and millions infected, so people that do not want to practice social-distancing behaviors for
whatever reason have no excuse not to unless they want to become another statistic.
The proportion of Americans who do not practice CDC recommendations in slowing the spread
of COVID-19 contributes to the increased rates of infection. A poll conducted by Ipsos showed
that about 55% of Americans wear masks when they go out, which means that 45% do not
(Jackson et al. 2020). Speaking about the lesser half of the American population who go out
without a facial covering, a study found that people who do not wear masks or comply with other
safety regulations have relatively “lower levels of empathy and higher levels of callousness,
deceitfulness, and risk-taking” (Miguel et al. 2020). Therefore, people who do not want to take
safety precautions enforced by the government tend to disregard how their actions potentially put
others at risk. What might motivate this group to not take their chances is an analysis that
roughly estimates a death count of 500,000 by March 2021, accounting for the reinstatement of
social distancing mandates. However, the same report also predicted that wearing a mask “could
prevent nearly 130,000 deaths from COVID-19” (Reiner & Barber 2020). This is due to the
findings that people who wear a mask reduce their own risk of infection by 65% (Chu et al.
2020). In comparison with each study, the number of deaths does not seem so scary if the percent
of people that do not practice social-distancing behaviors do just that. If they do not want to for
others, they should at least wear a mask for their own sake so these predictions do not become
reality.
Scientific evidence and statistical projections are forcing states to revert to phase 1 by going into
lockdown once again, which is what everyone alike does not want. Those that might have to shut
down again are among the most populous states in the U.S. like California, holding a record for
the most reported cases on a daily basis so far (Wall Street Journal 2020). As a means to combat
this, Governor Newsom announced a new stay-at-home order for California that will take effect
Saturday, December 5, 2020. For the time being, restrictions include closing non-essential
businesses and limiting restaurants to only provide take-out services (Lin II, Money 2020).
Meanwhile, Governor Ducey of Arizona plans to allow restaurants to expand outdoor dining
spaces among other items despite the state’s similar experience with a record number of daily
cases (Wall Street Journal 2020). Despite the disparity in action between states in preventing the
spread of COVID-19, it seems that the U.S. is heading in the same direction taken by California,
which should incentivize people who do not already to perform whatever means is necessary to
prevent the spread of the virus so they can go out again and not take what feels like a step back.
As of December 3, 2020, the reported number of cases and deaths caused by COVID-19 is the
most seen since the news of the virus broke in March and people had to quarantine. Although
everyone wants to return to the way the world was before, where masks were not required and
people did not have to avoid each other, achieving that seems to be farther from reach than when
these systems were first put into place. At the rate the virus is spreading, it is highly unlikely that
the world will be able to transition into some semblance of a normal life until the U.S. at least is
able to drop the count. If everyone receives the Pfizer vaccine, then there is hope for a more
permanent return to work and social life that people knew, but factoring into the priority levels at
which the vaccine is distributed, that might not happen until sometime halfway through 2021. So
for the time being, wear a mask, socially distance, and most importantly, stay at home...again.
from the lives they knew and forced them into quarantine. What some thought would only last a
few weeks turned into almost a year of self-isolation. While world leaders have installed
measures to “flatten the curve,” the threat of COVID-19 still exists. Based on the data from
COVID-19 tracking of the Census Bureau and John Hopkins University since January 2020, the
Wall Street Journal reports the number of cases has been higher than ever as the U.S. leads with
a new record high of over 100,00 new cases and 200,000 deaths in a single day as of December
3, 2020. Yet, more and more people have been out in public since certain restrictions have been
lifted, varying among states. Although mitigating the virus has become more feasible with
drive-thru testing and other safe practices such as wearing masks and social distancing, some
people refuse to take these safety precautions and utilize these resources. It is these people that
must be held accountable for their contributions to these new record highs because until
everyone is able to slow the spread, there is less of a chance for the world to return to normal.
The personal beliefs of the American people influence how they respond to COVID-19 in terms
of prevention, which consequently affects its rate of spreading, but the most alarming is the
misinformation about the virus and at this point, fault lies on the people after all this time.
Evidenced by its alias, not much is known about the novel coronavirus, which is why
organizations like WHO have been careful to report on it but faced scrutiny due to the circulation
of false claims through social media (Journal of Communication in Healthcare 2020). As a
result, many believe that the coronavirus is “fake news” despite statements from public health
officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infection
Diseases (NIAID) and member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. However, a study
published by the Social Psychology Personal Science Journal shows a correlation between
conspiracy theorists that believe the coronavirus is a hoax and their self-centered prepping
behaviors (Imhoff & Lamberty 2020). Dr. Fauci echoed the findings of the study and addressed
the skeptical sentiments towards the virus in October: “Right now we have 210,000 people who
have died and 7.3 million people (who) have been infected. Globally, there are over 1 million
people who have died. That is not a hoax’” (Al-Arshani 2020). The coronavirus is real despite
how much the world wants it to not be. It is a fact that hundreds of thousands of people have died
and millions infected, so people that do not want to practice social-distancing behaviors for
whatever reason have no excuse not to unless they want to become another statistic.
The proportion of Americans who do not practice CDC recommendations in slowing the spread
of COVID-19 contributes to the increased rates of infection. A poll conducted by Ipsos showed
that about 55% of Americans wear masks when they go out, which means that 45% do not
(Jackson et al. 2020). Speaking about the lesser half of the American population who go out
without a facial covering, a study found that people who do not wear masks or comply with other
safety regulations have relatively “lower levels of empathy and higher levels of callousness,
deceitfulness, and risk-taking” (Miguel et al. 2020). Therefore, people who do not want to take
safety precautions enforced by the government tend to disregard how their actions potentially put
others at risk. What might motivate this group to not take their chances is an analysis that
roughly estimates a death count of 500,000 by March 2021, accounting for the reinstatement of
social distancing mandates. However, the same report also predicted that wearing a mask “could
prevent nearly 130,000 deaths from COVID-19” (Reiner & Barber 2020). This is due to the
findings that people who wear a mask reduce their own risk of infection by 65% (Chu et al.
2020). In comparison with each study, the number of deaths does not seem so scary if the percent
of people that do not practice social-distancing behaviors do just that. If they do not want to for
others, they should at least wear a mask for their own sake so these predictions do not become
reality.
Scientific evidence and statistical projections are forcing states to revert to phase 1 by going into
lockdown once again, which is what everyone alike does not want. Those that might have to shut
down again are among the most populous states in the U.S. like California, holding a record for
the most reported cases on a daily basis so far (Wall Street Journal 2020). As a means to combat
this, Governor Newsom announced a new stay-at-home order for California that will take effect
Saturday, December 5, 2020. For the time being, restrictions include closing non-essential
businesses and limiting restaurants to only provide take-out services (Lin II, Money 2020).
Meanwhile, Governor Ducey of Arizona plans to allow restaurants to expand outdoor dining
spaces among other items despite the state’s similar experience with a record number of daily
cases (Wall Street Journal 2020). Despite the disparity in action between states in preventing the
spread of COVID-19, it seems that the U.S. is heading in the same direction taken by California,
which should incentivize people who do not already to perform whatever means is necessary to
prevent the spread of the virus so they can go out again and not take what feels like a step back.
As of December 3, 2020, the reported number of cases and deaths caused by COVID-19 is the
most seen since the news of the virus broke in March and people had to quarantine. Although
everyone wants to return to the way the world was before, where masks were not required and
people did not have to avoid each other, achieving that seems to be farther from reach than when
these systems were first put into place. At the rate the virus is spreading, it is highly unlikely that
the world will be able to transition into some semblance of a normal life until the U.S. at least is
able to drop the count. If everyone receives the Pfizer vaccine, then there is hope for a more
permanent return to work and social life that people knew, but factoring into the priority levels at
which the vaccine is distributed, that might not happen until sometime halfway through 2021. So
for the time being, wear a mask, socially distance, and most importantly, stay at home...again.
References:
Al-Arshani S. 2020 Oct 6. “Fauci says growing number of COVID-19 cases among White House
staff is 'not a hoax' and 'could have been prevented.’” Business Insider. [accessed 2020 Dec 4].
https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-says-white-house-covid-19-cases-are-not-hoax-2020-10
Chu DK, Akl EA, Duda S, Solo K, Yaacoub S, Schünemann HJ. 2020 Jun 1. “Physical
distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of
SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” The Lancet. [accessed
2020 Dec 14].
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31142-9/fulltext
Imhoff R, Lamberty P. 2020 Jul 6. “A Bioweapon or a Hoax? The Link Between Distinct
Conspiracy Beliefs About the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak and Pandemic.”
Behavior Social Psychological and Personality Science Journals. [accessed 2020 Dec 14].
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1948550620934692
Jackson C, Newall M, Yi J. 2020 Dec 14. “Americans prioritize frontline workers for
coronavirus vaccine.” Ipsos. [accessed 2020 Dec 14].
https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/abc-news-coronavirus-poll
Miguel FK, Machado GM, Pianowski G, Carvalho Lde F. 2020 Aug 21. “Compliance with
containment measures to the COVID-19 pandemic over time: Do antisocial traits matter?”
Personality and Individual Differences. [accessed 2020 Dec 14].
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886920305377
Reiner RC, Barber RM. 2020 Oct 23. “Modeling COVID-19 scenarios for the United States.”
Nature Medicine. [accessed 2020 Dec 14]. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-1132-9
Rocha, K. 2017 Feb. 23. “Closed Hanged on Door.” Pexels. [accessed 2020 Dec 4].
https://www.pexels.com/photo/business-car-daylight-door-331985/
“U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Hit a Daily Record as Newly Reported Cases Surge.” 2020 Dec 3. The
Wall Street Journal. [accessed 2020 Dec 4].
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/covid-2020-12-03?mod=e2fb
“A Voice from the frontline: the role of risk communication in managing the COVID-19
Infodemic and engaging communities in pandemic response.” 2020 May 13. Journal of
Communication in Healthcare. [accessed 2020 Dec 4].
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/17538068.2020.1758427?scroll=top
Al-Arshani S. 2020 Oct 6. “Fauci says growing number of COVID-19 cases among White House
staff is 'not a hoax' and 'could have been prevented.’” Business Insider. [accessed 2020 Dec 4].
https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-says-white-house-covid-19-cases-are-not-hoax-2020-10
Chu DK, Akl EA, Duda S, Solo K, Yaacoub S, Schünemann HJ. 2020 Jun 1. “Physical
distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of
SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” The Lancet. [accessed
2020 Dec 14].
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31142-9/fulltext
Imhoff R, Lamberty P. 2020 Jul 6. “A Bioweapon or a Hoax? The Link Between Distinct
Conspiracy Beliefs About the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak and Pandemic.”
Behavior Social Psychological and Personality Science Journals. [accessed 2020 Dec 14].
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1948550620934692
Jackson C, Newall M, Yi J. 2020 Dec 14. “Americans prioritize frontline workers for
coronavirus vaccine.” Ipsos. [accessed 2020 Dec 14].
https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/abc-news-coronavirus-poll
Miguel FK, Machado GM, Pianowski G, Carvalho Lde F. 2020 Aug 21. “Compliance with
containment measures to the COVID-19 pandemic over time: Do antisocial traits matter?”
Personality and Individual Differences. [accessed 2020 Dec 14].
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886920305377
Reiner RC, Barber RM. 2020 Oct 23. “Modeling COVID-19 scenarios for the United States.”
Nature Medicine. [accessed 2020 Dec 14]. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-1132-9
Rocha, K. 2017 Feb. 23. “Closed Hanged on Door.” Pexels. [accessed 2020 Dec 4].
https://www.pexels.com/photo/business-car-daylight-door-331985/
“U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Hit a Daily Record as Newly Reported Cases Surge.” 2020 Dec 3. The
Wall Street Journal. [accessed 2020 Dec 4].
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/covid-2020-12-03?mod=e2fb
“A Voice from the frontline: the role of risk communication in managing the COVID-19
Infodemic and engaging communities in pandemic response.” 2020 May 13. Journal of
Communication in Healthcare. [accessed 2020 Dec 4].
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/17538068.2020.1758427?scroll=top
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