COVID-19

I don’t think it would be possible for me not to talk about COVID-19 (coronavirus). So what does rural sustainability have to do with a global pandemic? Sustainability is all about protecting resources for future generations. Or maintaining resources at a certain level. So how can we best protect ourselves or minimize disruptions?

First, a disclaimer: I do not have any official health care training. My educational background is in journalism, political science and law, and my professional experience is in law and education. I am a curious person, and I always try to seek out evidence-based information.

I work at Georgia College, which has moved to online instruction for the remainder of the semester. I am on campus today, and the campus is spectacular this time of year. Our grounds staff are truly outstanding, and our azaleas are ablaze in color. My favorite time of the year is when the dogwoods “flower” (they are actually bracts, which are modified leaves that look like petals) not long after the redbuds bloom.

As I was walking on our deserted campus, I thought about how important it is to appreciate the little things.

We can all appreciate nature and the world around us. I’m grateful to live in a rural setting, where I can walk outside and enjoy a walk or just a nice view.

We can also smile when we see each other. Everyone is stressed in their own way.

I do not want to minimize what is going on. Make no mistake: this is a war, albeit one against an invisible foe. During wartime, people are often brought together against a common enemy, but this time, togetherness is challenged by the scepter of contagion. No doubt “social distancing” will be the phrase of the year (move aside buzz word “boomer”).

I think most people are exhibiting a reasonable concern for our fellow man. Concern for our grandfathers and grandmothers, our friends battling cancer, our classmates with asthma, our cousins with COPD. The list goes on and on.

And this is not like the flu.

Here is how it is different:

In early March, the World Health Organization estimated a death rate for COVID-19 of 3.4%. Taking into account a large number of probable unreported cases, the fatality rate goes down. In fact, the United States Director of the National Institutes of Health reported a likely fatality rate of 1%, which is still 10 times that of the seasonal flu.

There are vaccines for strains of the “regular” flu. This is not yet the case with COVID-19.

The rate of transmission for the flu is 1 to 1.3. The rate of transmission for COVID-19 is higher at 1 to 2-2.5. In other words, someone with COVID-19 is likely to infect at least two other people (versus about one for the flu)—likely before the person even knows he or she has it, which leads me to the next difference.

People with the flu are most contagious when they have symptoms. Increasingly, scientists believe COVID-19 is transmitted prior to a physical manifestation of symptoms, therefore making it really hard to control. Even if a person doesn’t feel sick, then he or she can still pass on this virus.

The number of serious COVID-19 cases necessitating a hospitalization is 10 times higher than for the flu, and those hospital stays are about two times longer than the average stay for a flu patient.

So how can we preserve toilet paper and bread for future generations? Fortunately, our supply chain is intact, and the trucks are delivering.

All this is to say that we can all go for a great deal of patience and kindness as we adjust to living in a different way. Our social fabric has not been ripped—it is just not the same fabric we were used to. We have to try and adjust and make the best of it. And people are doing this in touching and extraordinary ways.

We can be kind and just get two loaves of bread instead of clearing out the shelves.

We can offer to shop for elderly loved ones or shut in’s.

We can roll up our sleeves and do what needs to be done, even if that means keeping our distance. And the best way we can do that is not to avoid others in an effort to prevent getting sick, but to all act as if we already have it and avoid others in an effort to protect those who are most vulnerable.