Last week when I was on my regular morning walk after the kids left for school I got a download of pandemic truths. Usually all the information around the pandemic and COVID swirls in my head until it feels like it’s gonna explode but that morning was different.
I’d been thinking a lot lately about the insane division this virus has created and how it’s feels like we’ve gotten to the point where there’s no middle ground.
I know logically this is not true but in the heat of it all, it’s easy to forget. I talked about why that is a few posts back here.
When I got home from my walk I opened up the notes app on my phone and these 10 pandemic truths poured out.
They’re the 10 things I wish everyone knew about this virus and what’s going on right now…
They’re some of the thoughts that have been helping me stay grounded, remember that there’s more than 2 sides to every story, and that even when people disagree about something usually the highest intention is the same, and good.
I have to believe that we’re all out here doing the best we can. Here’s what I have to contribute in this moment…
10 Pandemic Truths Everyone Needs to Know Right Now
1. It’s not as simple as germs make you sick. Disease is a two way street – yes germs can make you sick but the health of your terrain determines how vulnerable you are.
2. The same fear we have for a virus we should have for the shit sprayed on our food… pesticides wreck our terrain.
3. So does hand sanitizer. It decimates our skin microbiome and creates super bugs. Washing hands with soap and water > hand sanitizer, says CDC.
4. We are not sitting ducks just waiting to be infected by a virus. Doing things like eating a nutrient dense real foods diet, moving your body (literally doing anything), getting quality sleep, boosting with vitamins, builds resiliency.
5. But also these are not public health measures, they are the long approach (also needed). In a pandemic short term triage tho is where it’s at.
6. Truly we need BOTH – triage and long term – but sadly our healthcare system isn’t set up this way. It’s designed for triage. Anything long term is usually not covered by insurance and it’s a privilege to have the time, energy and money to spend on it.
7. This is why you won’t see anything re: vitamins, nutrition, etc. talked about as solutions for coronavirus. Other solutions may be ignored because if there are treatments a vaccine can’t be approved for emergency use. And prevention is the surest path out.
8. Sadly because other treatments are not discussed and worse criticized the public doesn’t know about these things that can help them prevent COVID and can help lessen severity, and people have died because of it.
9. Vaccines save lives but there are also individuals who can’t take them for varying reasons; they are not risk free. Where there is risk there must be choice.
10. There’s a risk/benefit ratio for all measures – masking, distancing… raising an entire generation that’s afraid to touch things, socialize etc. There is a cost, and this too must be weighed.
11. We are being tested right now – this virus is a challenge (literally, science calls a virus a genomic challenge). In any test there is a lesson. We should be asking ourselves – what is that lesson? what are we going to learn from this test that is going to make us stronger as a species?
I know this list barely scratches the surface – it’s more of a high level summary that helps me make sense of it all. There’s plenty more pandemic truths. So I’d love to know…
What are the Pandemic Truths You’re Holding On To?
What are the truths that are helping you stay grounded right? How are you making sense of everything that’s going on in our world right now?
I’d love to know. Do please share with us in the comments.
Only kind, and constructive comments though please.
Anything hurtful, hateful or closed minded will be deleted.
This is a place for constructive, productive conversation.
Thank you.
Be safe,
Be well,
P.S. Over the past, oh 18 months or so, I’ve written a slew of blog posts to help you counter COVID-19 (e.g. support your immune system, reduce inflammation, reduce stress, etc.) — all the things that build resiliency vs a virus. All of these posts are linked at the bottom of this post right here.
