Staying Alive

By Christina Kim - April 11, 2020



Home, that is where everyone is bound to be these days, as countries are shutting down workplaces, schools, and almost every place we can think of, with the exception of essential running services such as healthcare (of course), food, electricity, water, telecommunication and critical functions supporting the country's overall infrastructure and people's well-being.
It is a time where the home confinement is more than just necessary, it is pivotal to ensuring the livelihood of the population and it is not even an exaggeration to mention for the sustainability of mankind.
We are currently facing a crisis that we could never have imagined in a million years and it is probably something we have only read of in our history books. Plagues, Black Death, the Spanish flu, epidemics and of a higher scale, pandemic are all terms we have learnt which have affected our predecessors, generations ahead of us. If before we could only imagine the massive effects of the outbreaks of their time, we are now facing a reality that is taking place right here in our time.
I would never have in a million years imagined this.

It is simply because we are living in a time where everything is so advanced and it was this that drawback that our ancestors faced back then that landed them in such a tragic predicament. They did not have predated information nor experiential knowledge to help them back then to handle their crises and they were just taken by complete surprise and helplessness when facing with a massive scale disease spread. Yet today we are well-equipped with knowledge, tools, experiences and skills but at the same time, we are still rendered with the same helplessness as them back then.
It is indeed a scary thought at the level of threat this crisis we are now facing posed and it is this very same sentiment that is creeping into us that is invoking fear and anxiety.
It still feels surreal and fictional, something out of the movies and that we would wake up and then it is all just in our minds, or so we hope.

Many would take it lightly in the beginning (and there are those who still thought so, unfortunately), thinking that it is just a flu and would not believe the threat it imposed. After all, many die from the flu as well each year where most of us would swallow a couple of flu medication in capsules or tablets, get a good rest, and increased dosage of Vitamin C and we would back on our feet again in no time.
So, how could this be any different, people ask?
Well, this is not any different from our usual flu, except that it is one that has evolved in mutation and has formed a strain that is similar to the previous flu viruses yet very different at the same time. I will spare the technicalities as I am sure everyone has read everything there is about this virus and do not need further education on it. Besides, this is not the point of my post here either.
In short, this has become deadly because of its mutated strain and there is yet to be a solution to overcome it, no vaccine has yet to be proven effective against it and developments are ongoing to come up with a new vaccine. On top of that, the virus has spread its might and claimed victims in numbers, ripping some of their lives as well and the number is still growing everywhere. If anyone would still take it lightly, take a look at the numbers each and every day to fathom that fact.
Yes, this is a fact and it is not fiction.
This is not another blockbuster disaster movie with special effects nor superb cinematography, this is actually happening right now, right here, right before US.
US, we are ALL impacted by this, no one is spared and there is no way of knowing who, where and when will be the next case.

That is why we are all constrained within where we are, our homes. No travel is allowed, no massive gatherings, no close proximity to another human being, no touching and social distancing is not only encouraged but mandatory. In short, no human contact possible to reduce the risk of infection, even if one does not have any symptoms of flu, sore throat, cough, and fever. We may be perfectly healthy and we think we are healthy, but we may be asymptomatic carriers, people who may have the virus without displaying the symptoms nor become affected. We do not know when we may have come across (even if it is just a passer by) or we have actually come into contact with a symptomatic or an asymptomatic carrier and that the virus may have latched and stayed on with us or the other person, whoever that is. The danger is one does not fall sick immediately, for the symptoms will only be felt, seen or discovered after two weeks (an incubation period) and in unique cases, even up to six weeks. By the time the symptoms surface, the infected person would probably be in a dangerous stage and for some, hanging at the edge of their lives. 
That is the real threat, the most frightening risk and the core of the problem which forces almost every country in the world to call for a lockdown for people to stay at home and not come out so that it will not spread.
Take the imagery of a water colour spread when the tip of the brush tainted with the colour touches water.
We do not want that.

It is a difficult time for everyone, definitely for many cannot be confined to homes because we have all enjoyed freedom and of course the essential human interaction because that is what makes us human, even the introverts. It does not do one's mental health well, for just like your pet, we do like to be outdoors, and we do need our interaction, even the most recluse will still need the fresh air, to stock up on basic living essentials from the stores and to even just absorb that dose of sunshine and see the world.
That is just how it is and lockdown, confinement, staying put are all things we do not see ourselves ever being in for they are not terms for majority of us and we only associate them with probably prisons or against our wills.
However, it is not just essential but absolutely necessary if we want to stay alive.

It is all about keeping ourselves ALIVE, if nothing else would make one understand the importance of this.
Frustration, annoyance, anxiety, worry, misery, anger, contempt are all the emotions that are enveloping almost everyone and it is perfectly understandable. Then there are those who do not have the luxury to work from home yet enjoying their salary being paid which is all the cause for their frustration and anxiety. If before they are already struggling to survive with their meager income which could even be on a daily or hourly or job availability basis, right now the situation means none for them and that is every cause of worry for them, especially if they have a family to support and food to put on the table. If the pandemic is deadly, the current situation is just as deadly for them where they cannot even afford basic survival needs like most of us. These are the people we ought to keep in our minds and prayers for, for those who have enough supplies to last ten years of lockdown and are still complaining, you have no idea about what happens around the world and you are still stuck in your own importance. 

Staying alive is right now of utmost importance for everyone, and if we can, lend a hand to help those in need rather than complaining about everything we do not have or do not get to do. If you have been down with a serious illness before, where you are lying helplessly on a hospital bed, not knowing whether you will recover or if you will ever leave the hospital, you will know how important life is. You will realise how much you treasure life and that nothing else could precede the value of life.

To WIN this for ourselves and for everyone, we need to do this but first, we need to come out of this ALIVE.
So, Stay HOME to STAY ALIVE.



*Author's Note: 
This is not a sponsored/promotional post, and solely based on author's personal opinions and do not represent the general public. 
Experiences vary from one individual to another.
You do not have to agree with me.

Art Direction and Photography Styling by Me.
Photos/Videos all belong to me and are copyrighted.
Please kindly ask for permission if you need to use any of my images.




LIKE my Facebook Page
Follow Me on Twitter @Angelstar
Follow my Google+
Stalk me on Instagram @AngelstarChristy
Check out my Pinterest @Angelstarc

Subscribe to my YouTube

Follow me on my live updates on my life, happening on SNAPCHAT @angelstarchrist

  • Share:

You Might Also Like

0 comments