EVEN as we gradually move out of the restrictions that have been imposed in dealing with the Coronavirus, many people deny the need for the measures taken.
Catastrophe provokes varied responses, particularly if the catastrophe is truly unexpected, like the arrival of interstellar aliens on the front yard lawn.
One of the more common responses to disaster is the psychological defence of denial, the problem doesn’t exist. COVID-19 demonstrates that denial is more than protean, for some, it can provide pleasant and profitable experiences.
A popular variant of this is seen in young people who say, “I’ve got nothing to worry about, because COVID-19 is just bad for old people.”
Denial of disaster is normal. When you’ve lost your job and livelihood, can’t pay the rent, and fear entering a grocery store might kill you, lots of folks just want the whole thing to go away.
Sorry, it’s not going away.
Yet the denials of the reality of COVID-19 have proven remarkable, creating its own propaganda industry.
This is all new. People know we’re guinea pigs. Things have to open up. But how do you do it? What trade offs are worth it?
We do want to know the results however, how many cases and deaths will ‘normal’ haircutting cause? What are the risks of flying in a plane?
Without coordinated testing, isolation, tracing and tracking, you won’t know the answers. Unless, perhaps, it’s too late to stop a raging epidemic.
