Hey everyone,

You may think, what the heck is this guy doing writing about coronavirus?

He’s not a doctor.

This isn’t sports-related.

These statements are facts, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t chime in with my two cents along with the rest of average America.

Well, I just want to share my opinion on how the virus is affecting us today and encourage folks in this very strange and unprecedented time.

If you are reading this, and are like me, you are not in the danger zone for the COVID-19 virus from an age standpoint. From research and trend tracking, the experts say those over 65 years of age are at a higher risk of dying from the virus than those less senior.

Along with my previous assumption regarding your age, I will also surmise that you enjoy having a social life and the idea of quarantining yourself indefinitely is about as inviting as putting a toothpick between your toe nail and kicking the wall for a weekend.

While I understand that you personally may not die from the virus and may only experience slight or non-existent symptoms, it is worth noting that you could still serve as a vector and aid in the spreading of the disease to those with compromised immune systems. If this doesn’t make sense, just remember that we are a lot closer to each other than we think.

I have no idea if the term “social distancing” even existed before last month, but right now it seems like the only option that we as Americans have to help calm the spreading of COVID-19 and give our healthcare system a chance to treat those who will be fighting for their lives.

If you haven’t seen a graphical representation of the “flattening of the curve” to help you better understand the driving force behind social distancing, then please check this out.

Now is not the time to be a hard-ass and potentially risk your health and the health of others. Though it may seem like a low risk situation to keep living life like normal, it is anything but that. I am no healthcare professional by any means, but I have no reason not to trust in those who have dedicated their life to the study of such viruses and understand the potential impact of their wrath.

Even Hillary Duff gets it.

In a digital age where we have the world at our fingertips, it might actually be a good time to keep it there and enjoy the tools that we take for granted on a daily basis. Many pro athletes are utilizing this downtime to hone in on their gaming skills – particularly NBA players like Luka Doncic, Grayson Allen, Ja Morant, and others.

Even in this time of turbulence, it is encouraging to see people who can make a huge impact taking the leap and assisting those whose income relies on events that are being widely cancelled. Many NBA players and owners, including the Memphis Grizzlies’ own Robert Pera have pledged to continue paying game staff through the end of what would have been the regular season. My cap goes off to these folks for their generosity.

Pera decided this as soon as the season was suspended but is not really the type to send out a press release. Grizzlies will compensate the folks who work for them for all games missed in March. And then, if more games are missed in April, they’ll compensate them for those, too. — Geoff Calkins (@geoff_calkins) March 13, 2020

Speaking of generosity, now is a great opportunity to look for ways to help out those in your own community. Take Memphis for example. With extended spring breaks and parents having to stay home from work with their kids, many families will likely struggle to provide healthy meals for their kids. Pop superstar and local-ish Memphis icon Justin Timberlake reached out the world via Twitter to help spread the word on how the everyday person can assist.

Link below if you're looking for ways to donate or volunteer in your own community. Stay healthy, stay calm, and help everyone stay fed. 🙏🏼 Spread the word. @feedingamericahttps://t.co/Ixa3qi6u2G pic.twitter.com/wepfGL4E0N — Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) March 15, 2020

The coronavirus is drastically impacting our lives as we know them, and will continue to do that for the foreseeable future. Yesterday, the President set a goal of returning to normal operations by July or August, and it is in all of our best interests to follow a stricter set of guidelines handed down by the President yesterday — where he suggests that we all limit our interactions to groups of less than 10 people — before that suggestion becomes a mandate.

While the Untied States has not gone into full shutdown mode like Italy and other countries, that measure could very well be coming up on the horizon if we choose to be brash and not obey the suggestions given us by the professionals. Here in Memphis, mayor Stickland said in an interview yesterday that, given the authority, he would shut down events hosting groups larger than 50 people.

Hopefully it doesn’t come to that, but to avoid it we will all need to play our part.

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