Take Charge of Your Health - Stay Strong

We love being mentally strong,
but we hate situations that allow us to put our mental strength to good use.

-Mokokoma Mokhonoanaes

We Must Be Resolute

     This important reminder was written by Dr. Jonathan Smith, an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist focusing the dynamics of disease transmission, PhD en route at Emory University, Lecturer at Yale University.. Unlike many of the current articles now circulating, he doesn't predict when the pandemic will end, when a vaccine will be available, how to be tested, or even the missteps along the way. What he does tell us is what we can do now, and offers a clear rationale of why we must do it. 
 
      “We will see cases and deaths continue to rise globally, nationally, and in our own communities in the coming weeks. This may lead some people to think that the social distancing measures are not working. They are. They may feel futile. They aren’t.
 
     “We need everyone to hold the line as the epidemic inevitably gets worse. This is not my opinion; this is the unforgiving math of epidemics for which I and my colleagues have dedicated our lives to understanding with great nuance, and this disease is no exception.
 
     “Stay strong and with solidarity knowing with absolute certainty that what you are doing is saving lives, even as people begin getting sick and dying. You may feel like giving in. Don’t.”
  
     “While social distancing decreases contact with members of society, it of course increases your contacts with group (i.e. family) members...You should perceive your entire family to function as a single individual unit; if one person puts themselves at risk, everyone in the unit is at risk. Seemingly small social chains get large and complex with alarming speed.
 
     “People are already itching to cheat on the social distancing precautions just a “little”- a play date, a haircut, or picking up a needless item at the store, etc. From a transmission dynamics standpoint, this very quickly recreates a highly connected social network that undermines all of the work the community has done so far.
 
     “Until we get a viable vaccine this unprecedented outbreak will not be overcome in one grand, sweeping gesture, rather only by the collection of individual choices our community makes in the coming months. This virus is unforgiving to unwise choices.”
 
For the full article see: https://medium.com/@jpsmithalt/hold-the-line-17231c48ff17
( March 20, 2020) Thank you for reading. We know it takes dedication and intention.to stay well and are committed to helping you stay healthy.