Seeing Fellow Humans as Viral Threats

A change needed to “reopen the economy”

Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash

Activities that used to be mundane are now heightened battles. Walking into into the grocery store is anxiety-inducing, and most people inside them are super jumpy once we do. Walking at the park equals grumpily sidestepping groups bigger than mine who won’t give way on the sidewalk, combined with withering stares from both parties.

And I’m not alone — Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and the resulting isolation and physical and social distancing measures we’re taking to save lives is making everyone grumpier all over the nation, from the nation’s leaders to traditionally grumpy old men, to your roommates.

A recent Atlantic piece about having to fly in the current conditions summed up a specific thing we’re going through:

“Governors can lift restrictions and companies can implement public-health protocols. But until we stop reflexively seeing people as viral threats, those old small pleasures we crave are likely to remain elusive.”

Opening up as some states are doing is incredibly problematic in our current conditions, and will likely lead to unnecessary deaths. That point aside, relaxing restrictions on shopping and public participation isn’t going to help the economy out — because we ultimately see other people as…