Mar 26, 2020 4 min read

The tone in our country has changed and will continue to change as we weather the storm that COVID-19 has brought.

But, we are resilient and we will get through this.

Changes in safety guidance and restrictions come daily, but in the simplest of terms, what we’ve all been asked to do isn’t terribly difficult: stay home to keep ourselves and those around us healthy.

“You need to ask yourself, do I really need to make this trip or am I going to put someone else’s life in jeopardy by making this trip? Am I going to be saving a life by staying home?” Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said earlier this week.

Answering those questions should make what each of us chooses to do easy.

We’ve all come to count on our ability to run to the store whenever we want something. Now, we must all take pains to distinguish between “want” and “need.”

The number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania continues to rise. On Thursday, an additional 560 Pennsylvanians tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing our state total to 1,687.

That’s a small fraction of the state’s population, but we must all endeavor to keep it that way.

Thankfully, more people with symptoms are being tested, and yes, that will lead to the rise in the numbers.

But the state is, according to Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, doubling its number of positive cases every two to three days.

If the spread does not slow, Levine and Wolf have both warned that hospitals across the state will be overwhelmed.

In light of that, we must carefully consider whether going out is truly worth the risk of exposure to ourselves and those around us.

We need to help one another.

Offer, if you’re able, to share what you have at home with those around you, especially if you have extra of in-demand items like toilet paper, disinfecting wipes or hand soap or sanitizer.

Pick up the phone first, if you must go out to the grocery store or pharmacy for essential needs. Call those in your circle of family and friends and offer to get what they need so that fewer people are out.

If you live too far away to do that, encourage them to call on a friend or neighbor for help, or plan in advance to have groceries or other necessary items delivered or done by curbside pickup. (Many delivery or curbside options cannot accommodate same-day service; however, new appointments open most mornings for the following day or days.)

To those who must go out and encounter grocery store or pharmacy personnel, please ask how they’re doing. Chances are, they’re stressed out. Thank them for being there, and please don’t get angry with them because there are item limits or they’re out of something.

As we take time to help those around us, remember to be good to yourself.

Indulge in something that will help bolster your mental well-being – maybe a walk, a video game or a long-forgotten hobby.

And, please, unplug from the news. The coverage is constant, and it needs to be, but that does not mean you have to monitor it with constancy.

While this is a time of great uncertainty, we cannot let COVID-19 consume every molecule of our lives.

As a country, a state, a county, a municipality, a neighborhood, a household and as individuals, we need to be united in stopping the spread of this virus and taking care of one another.

We will get through this if we all work together.