Simple but difficult to follow

There are simple solutions against the spread of SARS-COV-2 that we often inadvertently ignore because they are uncomfortable on several levels.

One is wearing a mask. An FDA-approved KN95 or N95 mask costs around P25 apiece, while cheaper versions can be bought online at five pesos apiece. A 3-ply disposable face mask with an extra layer of cloth mask over it is very much cheaper and still gives effective protection. And yet so many people still take this solution for granted. Many people who do wear a mask often do it improperly.

Why is it so difficult for many people to wear a mask? The main reason is discomfort, both physically and psychologically. Masks don’t affect our breathing but it still feels uncomfortable having elastic straps looped around our ears to hold a barrier over our face.

Wearing a mask doesn’t come naturally too. Although many of us are capable of self-control, we had never imagined it would one day apply to covering a part of the face that we use to interact with others --our mouth. It’s remarkable how some of us can glue ourselves on our seats for several hours every day to prepare for a licensure exam, but can’t stand wearing a mask for a few hours.

It’s difficult to wear a mask because we may have never really understood the point of wearing one. An enemy we can’t see and smell tells our brain it’s business as usual. Psychologists recommend changing one’s perspective. Wear a mask not just for your own sake, but for the sake of protecting others. Think of it as helping others, that you are helping society survive this pandemic.

Another anti-COVID-19 solution is avoiding close contact with people outside the household. And if we are in the company of others, it must be in a well-ventilated environment where we should still keep our distance. This is probably the simplest yet the hardest solution. It’s so hard to do because we are social beings who crave for contact and physical touch. It’s already bad that masks hide our smiles, even worse when we can’t hug each other or even shake hands.

Just think that the harder we sacrifice to get this pandemic over with, the sooner we will be able to hug each other again. Meanwhile, be contented with hugging your pets and keeping in touch with friends and loved ones using Zoom and social media.

Viruses are part of our lives. Fact is, they are part of what makes our ecosystem diverse and balanced. There are those that attack oceanic bacteria to keep their population in check. Otherwise, these unchecked bacteria will devour all the phytoplankton in the ocean, the life-giving plants that supply much of the oxygen we breathe. Once in a century a very bad virus appears that kills people en masse. And it’s happening today, a hundred years after the last one killed 100 million people from 1918 to 1920.

But our vulnerable bodies are also equipped with intelligent brains that allow us to bounce back and overcome such threats. We may not be able to tell when we can go back to the way things were, but trust that we can always find simple ways to cope with the new normal.

Haven’t you noticed what’s really complicating our pandemic response? It’s people who take advantage of the crisis. It’s the self-isolation that’s too hard for the self-centered. It’s the narcissism in governance that defies evidence-based solutions in favor of good optics and self-indulgence.