Joaquín Beltrán
“The reality is that it is much easier to end the pandemic in a few weeks, than it is to try and live with it for countless more months… potentially years.”
Wow, how our world has changed.
There are times in the middle of the day when I’m doing some work and this recurring thought visits me, “wow, how our world has changed…” I think about this when I think about the times I could be in the same room with my friends and family who I haven’t seen in months. I think about this when I hear about friends who have lost loved ones, some who have lost both parents because of COVID and are expected to stay strong and move forward. I think about this when my friends who work at hospitals tell me that stroke victims aren’t coming in because they fear exposure to COVID and never get the immediate treatment that would have reversed the damage. I think about this when I see local businesses shutting down and hear of people in our communities who are facing eviction. I think about this when I remember all the coffee shops and restaurants I would visit multiple times a week and the fact that I haven’t been to one for the last six months.
In many ways, I think about how good we used to have it; to be able to enjoy each other’s company, hug each other, dance, sing out loud, make new friends, all without having the fear that we could be carrying the virus or that if we caught it from someone that we could pass it onto the people in our lives.
This new world is not necessary, in fact, a world where we can shake hands, give big hugs, or just be in the same room with each other with very little risk of transmission is very possible and we can get there very soon. The reality is that it is much easier to end the pandemic in a few weeks, than it is to try and live with it for countless more months… potentially years. We know what works to prevent transmission: wearing masks, contact tracing, isolating the sick, accurate testing with quick results, and quarantining travelers from outbreak areas are necessary to make this happen quickly and we need everyone on board to do it.
Let’s do all we can to end this pandemic.
If you’re already doing that, thank you, and if you can do more, let’s start today. Hope to see you all soon and share in some celebratory hugs.
Joaquín is the creator of the advocacy tool Speak Up America which has scaled EndCoronavirus.org advocacy efforts across the United States to end the coronavirus pandemic.
Speak Up America is an Alexa skill that connects you straight to your elected representatives without the need of looking them up, finding contact info, or dialing — you receive a call from their office straight to your phone.