I’m feeling the way I did after 9-11: like my whole world had just been changed forever and not in a good way. I remember endlessly watching the news for information and hoping that people had made it out alive. I remember feeling emotionally isolated in those first few days and for many months afterward because it was the only way I could cope with what had happened.
I am lucky so far in that friends and family have been spared illness, but there is the worry for others who may be sick or in harm’s way. There is fear for our Nation and the world as a whole as this illness ravages the economy and people’s livelihoods are affected.
It is time to stand united against this disease and fight for our Nation’s recovery. It is also time that we hold nations accountable for the circumstances that help create these kinds of viruses. It is time for China and other nations that permit wet markets that traffic in wild animals for food to shut down these markets to prevent another pandemic such as this one. If you’re not familiar with these wet markets, please read these articles:
- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/china-coronavirus-wet-markets-disease_n_5e3df0a2c5b6bb0ffc1113fd
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/03/16/coronavirus-fact-check-where-did-covid-19-start-experts-say-china/5053783002/
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/01/31/800975655/why-theyre-called-wet-markets-and-what-health-risks-they-might-pose
