The spread of COVID-19 started out in a seemingly unharmful manner, at least to many Americans. It began in China and seemed to be an illness similar to the flu. Most people had an “I don’t care if I get it” attitude that was more contagious than the coronavirus itself, but in recent weeks, the number of cases of COVID-19 has increased exponentially in both the US and Colorado. In light of all this, many people are questioning what they can do to help, and many turn to one simple answer-stay home.

“My grandmother lives in Macau, China and she’s been updating us from there. Macau put in a strict social distancing policy. And due to this, there have been no new Macau cases and those with it are recovering,” Kris Sun (9) said. Social distancing may be extremely difficult, but it is also extremely important and the best chance at combating COVID-19. It is true that symptoms of the Coronavirus are similar to those of the flu and that most people who die from it are above the age of 60 or have pre-existing conditions, but the fact of the matter is, there are still a lot of people who are at risk, so it is important for us to isolate ourselves in order to protect those who are more vulnerable to the virus.

“We have had outbreaks. However, with new technologies and easier travel, it makes the spread of a virus much faster because of how easy it is to travel from place to place,” Hunter Shykind (9) said.  There have been many concerns that society is no longer set up to handle a pandemic like COVID-19. There have already been impacts of COVID-19 on the economy, and if the virus continues to spread at its current rate, there will be similar impacts on our healthcare system.

“The most valuable resource we have is time, and we need to make more of it by slowing down the spread of the virus in Colorado,” said Governor Polis in his Sunday news conference. “Time that we can build our healthcare capacity, secure more personal protective equipment, and better deploy those resources. That has been our goal from the beginning.” Perhaps the most concerning part of the outbreak is that if it continues to grow as it has been, there will not be enough hospital beds. This will put the US in a similar situation to Italy’s, where there will have to be a choice between who lives and who dies. 

“It is real and dangerous and needs the effort of all to help solve it… It is solvable and with true effort, it will pass,” Sun said.  For most students, this pandemic is like nothing any of them has ever seen before, and though it may be scary, it is of great importance that the public stays calm and stays home.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.”