Aquemini

It's nice to read people discussing matters in a hopeful, yet honest and practical way. I believe the reaction process to be similar to that of grief (having experienced this a few months ago): first denial, then anger/ panic and finally acceptance and proactivity. Right now, cases aren't too bad in my area, but I'm still trying to encourage those I live with to engage in social distancing. Personally, I have been using music (especially paradise and UV) as a great form of escapism and a prompt for the imagination to wander beyond the current circumstances. This is an opportunity to take each day at a time and be mindful and appreciative of the small wonders in life i.e. the beauty of nature (even if it's only the view from your balcony or garden), spending time with friends (or being forced to make new friends, as Max suggested) and family, how hard those in healthcare/ food delivery drivers are working to serve the community. We can persevere and get through this. Back in 1918, resources and opportunities weren't available that are now. I pray that we can utilize these chances to prevent history from repeating itself. And, when we are on the other side of this (let us use definitive and not conditional language so that we tell ourselves and thus start to believe that this will come to an end eventually) the freedom of everyday life and normality will taste much sweeter having gone without. Sending healing wishes to all those who need them

I wish the US and UK would follow this example... I truly worry they might be the next epicenters. However, if you're in the middle of the Chihuahuan you should be fine! If you happen upon cacti, you might even enjoy Agave, Tequila or Nopales

Although this pandemic has swept us all of our feet (at least in terms of world preparedness), statistically speaking we were overdue a widespread highly infectious disease (or virus in this case), seeing as Swine Flu was over 10 years ago and (thankfully) Ebola didn't spread as quickly on as wide of a scale. The fact that this occurs in a time of great political turmoil is also food for thought regarding what qualities make a successful government and what will be the main factors motivating future voters to favor certain candidates over others. If anything can be gained from watching this devastation unfold on a global scale, it is that health supersedes all else (even economic gain) and that the harder, better, faster, stronger (great song by daft punk!) mentality of consumerism and materialism that has ruled supreme in recent years is not sustainable. If we want to truly enjoy all the good life has to offer, we need to take care of each other and our environment. Although they say tragedy inspires great art, coming together to try and value or neighbor's rights as much as we value our own generates even more inspiration- inspiration from the beauty of shared ideas as opposed to fragmented division and isolation. That's not to make this political- rather looking beyond who you voted for and seeing each other as all essentially more similar than we are different- could be the lesson of this testing time. After all, healthy workers are more productive and support the economy. So it's in mutual interest that we preserve our world and the people in it, rather than consign ourselves to believing it's too late to make a shift towards better times

Obviously the stock market is very important, but how exactly will this impact the lives of the general population? (I'm not very well versed in economics, all I know is the 2008 recession had something to do with the dot com bubble)

Dark Paradise vs Queen of the Gas Station

It will get worse before it gets better- but things have been getting better following the trajectory of cases in China.

The sooner you get advice, the best chance you have of recovering and preventing the spread. That being said, chest infections are still relatively common this time of year. I had one myself in October, long before we became aware of any of this. Although the Coronavirus is certainly concerning, it’s important to remember that 80% suffer mild symptoms and it only becomes deadly if it progresses to your lower respiratory tract. Honestly, beyond inquiring about getting tested and trying to limit outside exposure, the only thing we can all try to do is keep morale and envision a time when all of this is over. Many people talk of past epidemics such as the Spanish Flu (which was indelibly devastating), but let us remember that many still lived to tell the tale. The same goes with the fear of nuclear war in the 80s. The threat is very real, but so is the power of fear which often makes things worse (e.g. stockpiling soap so that not everybody can access it and therefore keep good hygiene practices). Believe it or not, there is an emerging field of research called Pyschoimmunology which is all testament to the influence of our psychological state on our immune systems’ function. Sorry to rant, I just wanted to provide a hopeful perspective on this. Trust me, I am worried too- I have my own health issues and am afraid to lose my only parent. However, all that we can do is be proactive and practical, take each day at a time and try our hardest not to delve down the rabbit hole of “what if?” Sending healing wishes <3

Times like these make me realize how much we take for granted usually. On the flip side, hopefully this will be over soon and we can count ourselves lucky for these luxuries and go about our lives with a newfound appreciation. That doesn't make up for all the lives that have sadly been lost and the economic hit that the most financially vulnerable will suffer. However, as Lanz said, change is a powerful thing so let's look at this time of change as opportunity for reflection and growth to create a better future