Coron-ahhh-virus
Coronavirus. It’s all the rage. No one can cough, sneeze, or rasp without being called out for coronavirus. Fever? Coronavirus. Flu? Coronavirus. Knee hurts? I’d say it’s coronavirus.
Especially as a Chinese-American, the meme culture of coronavirus has appeared even more vivid to me. My mom called me a week ago, saying that if I was going to talk to international Chinese kids, I should probably invest in a mask. Then, a couple days later, she called me frantically to ask if I was going to be joining a gathering of Chinese kids for a Chinese New Year party. I exasperatedly explained to her, again, that I was going to be okay and that I was not going to die from talking to someone that looked like me.
My friend’s parents bought him hand sanitizer. My dad sent me article after article that talked about how coronavirus was in Washington. Then, it was in California. Then, all hell broke loose when someone from UMass Boston was diagnosed with coronavirus. The people who visited Boston this long weekend were plagued with good wishes: “Don’t get SARS!” Valentine’s Day cards should’ve said: “Instead of getting coronavirus, why don’t you get with me? ;)” The email that was sent to us about coronavirus titled: "Important Information for the Brown Community re: 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)" didn't help much either. (Sidenote: I've found that long-winded subject lines often don't live up to their hype).
Some people have upped their sanitation game, some have avoided Chinese people, and others, the sane ones, have realized that coronavirus hasn’t really touched us at all. I remember that as soon as we got back on campus, rumors were flying around about a kid who had returned from Wuhan and contracted a horrible fever. I thought, “Whoa, coronavirus really could be at Brown.” And so did hundreds of others.
Now, looking back, I feel bad for that kid. Who could’ve predicted that running a few degrees higher would’ve driven everyone to speculate about your disease? All of a sudden, Web M.D. = Brown undergrads. Instead of Googling your next medical catastrophe, just ask the kid sitting next to you in lecture.
Because there is still some paranoia on campus (and all around), I’ve decided to include a couple of essential tips on how to avoid contracting coronavirus:
1. Be sanitary like a normal human being - wash your hands, sneeze/cough into your elbow, cook food properly
2. Get your flu shot.
Yes, these are normal tips on how to avoid the flu. In all honesty, the coronavirus is not a threat to us, as scary as it sounds and as big of a deal it has become. It has been globally devastating, but, as students at Brown, we aren’t imminently in danger. The U.S. cases have stemmed from people who recently visited China, and the only recorded transmission has been from spouse to spouse. These cases were isolated immediately, and most people have gone to the hospital voluntarily because of their presented symptoms. This season has been particularly bad, so screw your anti-vaxx regime and go get a flu shot! It’s not too late.
All in all, here is my advice: don’t avoid Chinese people (unless you’re xenophobic, in which case, please stay away), wash your hands like you would if your mom was watching, and stay calm. Don’t let coronavirus get to you, folks. We have an important semester coming up.
