About politics and other things

Audio articles on Wilson County News made possible by Camp Gladiator, Heather Silva. Watch for our community Birthday Bash Blowout Workout October 2!

This is not the column I wanted to write.

As doctors Ben Carson, a former neurosurgeon, and Abdu Sharkawy, an infectious disease specialist, said, the coronavirus is a virus that should be treated like all viruses. Many in the medical profession agree. Unfortunately, it’s too late for that.

Part of the problem with the coronavirus is that we don’t know enough about it. Regular flu seasons predictably come and go. We simply do not know if the coronavirus will do the same.

People are panicked. If everyone with a runny nose or cough rushes to the ER, our medical facilities will be overrun. As it is, this was a self-fulfilling prophecy as the media reported it.

On the other hand, if we take normal precautions, which we should be taking anyway but probably are not, we can feel confident that we can beat the illness.

We cannot beat the panic. People buy up all the toilet paper because that’s what everyone is doing. That’s how panic works. It is not a reasonable response, but one thing leads to another, and as long as the media feeding frenzy continues, the panic will continue. It’s only getting worse. Whereas the virus might not kill you, the panic will. It already has killed the economy.

This new coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the whole world. The good news is that America, more than any other country, has the potential of controlling its spread. The bad news is that when the mainstream media began reporting on this pandemic, they blamed the president, and many continue to do so. They accused Trump of lying and being a racist. They called him a xenophobe for banning travel, and then said he was irresponsible for not having banned it sooner.

The lack of responsibility from the mainstream media makes it exceedingly difficult to differentiate between the real news, wishful thinking, and propaganda. Despite accusations from the media, Trump has been extremely clear from the start. Any uncertainty is coming from those in the deep state who continue to try to “get Trump.”

The mainstream media are not asking who is responsible for introducing this virus. Isn’t that what investigative journalists are supposed to do? Instead, they point the finger of blame, which helps no one.

Look for more bad news as the mainstream media begin reporting on the testing. As more people are tested and found to be positive, whether or not they have symptoms, the media will report “the rapid increase” of the virus without giving it context.

Of course, no one wants to get a cold or the flu or even the dreaded coronavirus, but if they do, the recovery rate is 98-99 percent. That is not being reported. Neither are they reporting deaths from the regular flu. Or from the opioid crisis or other dreadful causes. Why?

Panic makes good headlines and that draws audiences. It gets clicks.

People look to the government for solutions, but also must exercise responsibility — good personal hygiene and common sense — in order to help prevent further spread of the virus — all viruses.

Panic is never helpful but neither is nonchalance. We are not being nonchalant. If everyone takes these prudent steps, we can prevent the catastrophic spread of the coronavirus. We do have to get through this current situation, and we will.

People who’ve recovered tell us it is somewhat worse than a typical cold.

Wash your hands. Take a deep breath.

If we panicked over this virus, what will we do when the next virus comes along, as it inevitably will? Will we be expected to go back to our sterile cocoons?

Is that really how we want to live out our lives? Risk is part of what makes life real.

That is my opinion.