Sunday Essay: The coronavirus test

THE ongoing public health threat of the new coronavirus is a test. It tests not only the effectiveness and efficiency of our health care systems, or the decisiveness and priorities of our public officials.

It’s also a test of our ability, as individuals and communities, to apply caution and critical thinking at the same time.

I understand that people want to take precautions. And we should, especially if we live with babies or elderly family members who are more vulnerable than most people. The challenge will be to avoid crossing the line between reasonable caution and blind panic.

Taking extra care to keep our hands clean is a necessary precaution, even when no outbreak is imminent. So is boosting our immune systems by getting enough sleep, eating clean and giving up smoking and excessive drinking.

What we should drink is plenty of water: ideally three liters a day, in small, frequent sips to keep our throats moist.

At the moment, I don’t need to wear a mask, whether surgical or N95. Health workers who face a much greater risk of infection—given what they have to do every day—need those masks more than I do.

Avoiding crowds? Reasonable caution. Staring at groups of Asian tourists wandering in the malls? That’s just cruelty.

This is also not a time for scoring political points. Yes, I’m looking at you, Facebook friends who have openly wished for the illness and death of certain public officials.

While it is always a good time to ask for accountability and intelligent actions in the face of serious threats, pointing out how intellectually and morally superior your choices were as a voter does not help anyone now. Perhaps not even you. It only makes you look callous and crass and I know you are not those things.

Instead, please try to do your share of providing useful information that people can use to protect themselves, their families, and communities.

That’s information verified by credible health authorities and not just randomly shared in your alumni group by someone who may have been somewhat concerned—although not concerned enough to check first who the source was of that alarming video he had helped spread.

Before sharing unverified information on social media, check: How will this help? Is there anything more helpful I can do?

For instance, did you know that by the water.org nonprofit organization’s estimate, nearly seven million Filipinos lack access to a safe water source? Instead of spreading rumors, would it be possible for you to find out who in your immediate community might need help acquiring safe water supply?

This new coronavirus is also a test of our ability to protect our calm and our common sense. For those who are prone to entertain conspiracy threats and worry about them, this could be a time of increased stress and irrational decisions.

I’m trying to learn to manage my worry like an economist would.

Have you noticed? Even when they worry, economists have a useful habit of emphasizing how little they really know.

Think about every interview you’ve heard lately where an economist was asked how the new coronavirus might disrupt the world’s economy before it could even recover from the China-US trade war.

The ones I’ve heard have cautioned that travel restrictions and factory closures will probably stall supply chains and slow down China’s economy—as well as other economies that depend on its manufacturing sector.

And then they added: “It’s really too soon to tell.”

Next time I’m tempted to worry about how the new coronavirus threat will play itself out over the next few months, I’ll remind myself of how much there remains mysterious and unknown about it, pray for patience and peace of mind and make sure my hands are clean.