Door to one’s safety: Reverse Psychology might be the key

Whatever status we are in right now, either MECQ, GCQ or MGCQ, one thing is certain: COVID-19 is here and we should learn to live with it.

Take the ECQ as training ground for all of us on how to live life with COVID-19. For almost 3 months, we have been trained to work at home, stay safe, wear face mask, wash hands, etc…But if you check around after we transitioned to a more lenient and relaxed GCQ, it seems like most people have not learned from our so-called ECQ training on what to do in this pandemic. So just for fun, here are some tips on how you can get the virus.

DON’T WEAR FACE MASK:Please don’t wear your face mask because wearing the mask prevents you and me from getting infected from the disease. When one person coughs or sneezes, droplets fly out as far as one meter away, so wearing the face mask prevents it us from inhaling it.

STAY IN CROWDED, ENCLOSED AND AIR-CONDITIONED SPACES: This is the best way to increase the volume of your exposure to the virus. Just imagine the micro droplets which float around the area. It just going round and round and make sure take off your mask.

AVOID PHYSICAL DISTANCING: When you have to go to a grocery store or buy essential items such as food or medicine, please stay close when lining up. Stay close with other customers. Shake hands or ‘beso beso’ with your friends, it is good for transferring the virus to you. 

DON’T WASH OR SANITIZE YOUR HANDS: Avoid sanitizing or washing your hands because it kills the virus instantly. After touching money, bills, coins or anything from door knobs, railings or even elevator buttons, make sure you touch your face, nose, mouth and ears.

EATING HEALTHY AND EXERCISE ARE NOT GOOD: Eating healthy and exercising regularly are not good for COVID-19 because these strengthen your immunity and help prevent heart diseases, diabetes or other health problems. Eating healthy as well prevents you from being obese and fat. So please eat food that is loaded with sugar and fat, try the deep fried food such as fried chicken, chicharon bulaklak, French fries and other foods that are the best source of fatty meals. Soft drinks, ice tea, powdered juices, cakes and rice are the best source of sugar, so make sure you eat and drink lots of it. Avoid drinking water because they have zero calories. When you drink coffee always mixed it with sugar and cream. Just remember the unhealthy you are, the chances of getting COVID-19 are higher. 

I am no doctor or medical practitioner, but if you follow all the tips above, I guarantee that you will be COVID-19 positive. Hospitalization is very affordable, per day in the ICU room. The rental of ventilators is cheap. Besides, our daily expense from rental, food, utilities or bank loans can be paid in staggered basis until the year ends so what is additional expense in our daily budget.

On a serious note, the number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise. During the past 15 days, the numbers have not stopped. It continues to go up and up. The only reason we are transitioning to GCQ is mainly because of our battered economy. So on our part, we may have to live a life with COVID-19 for the next months or perhaps years to come. Learn to live with it. Be practical, use common sense. Regular washing of hands, proper wearing of face mask and face shield, and maintaining a 2-meter distance are the best ways to prevent and protect ourselves from this deadly virus. Wearing of mask for long periods interferes your breathing or oxygen level so don’t wear if you are driving your car or you are in your house. Wear it only in crowded area. Wearing of gloves is also a bad idea because the virus can accumulate in your gloves. The best way is just to keep on washing your hands. But make sure you take a bath also because if you don’t, people will stay away from you. Levity aside, remember that you will lower your immunity if you stay in a sterile environment for a long time but please go out of your house once in a while. Be smart. Cleanliness is a virtue, paranoia isn’t. You don’t need to change clothes or take a shower instantly when you get home. Let’s be practical. Our biggest ally in this pandemic is washing our hands regularly, staying 6 feet or 2 meters away from people, avoiding large and crowded spaces, and wearing face mask.