• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Real Mom of SFV

Valley Girl at Heart

  • Home
  • About Me
    • Submission Process
  • Food
  • Fitness
  • Mommy Stuff
  • Pop Culture
  • Reviews
    • Books / Music / Apps
    • Local Events
    • Misc
    • Product Reviews
    • Social Good
  • Real Moms of the SFV

Thursday Thoughts: Keep Calm and Carry On – Coronavirus Edition

Posted on March 5, 2020 | Filed Under: Misc, Mommy Stuff | Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19, World Health Organization | Leave a Comment

On a scale of 1 to 10, from mildly concerned to super paranoid, how worried are you about Coronavirus (COVID-19)? Last Thursday, I was probably a 2 or 3 – somewhat concerned but I didn’t give it too much thought since it wasn’t in Los Angeles County (yet) and I practice good hygiene. However, now that there are 6 cases in LA County, I would say that I’m slightly worried at about a 5 or 6.

There’s a fine line between being careful and letting the paranoia wash over you (no pun intended) every time you read another news story. However, I find it reassuring when I read factual advice from organizations like the World Health Organization.

World Health Organization Travel Tips for Coronavirus

Even Barack Obama agrees! 😉 He’s basically telling us to keep calm and carry on, which is exactly the voice of reason that I want to hear.

Keep Calm - Barack Obama Tweet on Coronavirus

Let’s not kid ourselves though, the coronavirus is affecting business in a real way. Take for instance Expo West, a natural food products conference, which cancelled one day prior to opening day. Another interesting example is that the latest James Bond movie is getting its release date pushed out. When movie premieres get moved out, then the businesses that support those events (event planners, caterers, wait staff, limo drivers, etc.) don’t get utilized and people lose out on wages earned.

Probably the biggest industry that has taken a hit is the travel industry. As companies rethink their travel and expense policies – limiting or curbing unnecessary business travel and people postpone their vacations, it has a real trickle-down effect. United Airlines is tightening its belt due to the decline in travel demand.

It makes me wonder how far will people go to avoid coronavirus (COVID-19)? I’ve heard about people canceling their cruise ship plans, rescheduling their international vacations, and even contemplating whether they should push out their visit to a local theme park. Granted that same theme park was also the hot spot location for spreading measles among groups of people who visited during the same day, so rethinking the decision to go is not totally unfounded.

If you were supposed to attend South by Southwest (SXSW) later this month, would you go? If your high school or college-aged kid had tickets to Coachella, would you make him or her cancel? These are all valid questions and personally I think there is no right or wrong answer.

However, I do think some of the hysteria and racism that come as a result of misinformation is horrible. You’ve probably heard the story about people putting on the surgical masks when Asian people get on a subway. Did you hear about the person who linked BTS, the K-Pop group, to coronavirus just because they’re South Korean? That’s just plain ignorant. I mean, even Howard Stern thinks so!

Making ignorant and racist comments about certain ethnicities and their possible link to coronavirus is just plain dumb. This whole situation reminds me of the early days in the 80s & 90s when misinformation about AIDS and HIV was spread so rampantly. Not even certain government officials were clear on how the disease or virus was spread. During that time, the gay community was treated horribly. Now I’m not comparing who got treated worse, I’m simply saying that the false or inaccurate information is making people panic in ways that are not necessary.

Personally for me, all I can do is try to stay educated, use common sense, and have a sense of humor about things (just like Weird Al)!

Keep Calm - Al Yankovic Tweet

Am I going to reschedule my upcoming Spring Vacation plans with my family? No…unless something major happens in April. Until then…

Keep Calm Wash Your Hands Poster - Coronavirus

So tell me, what has your experience been like so far? Anyone you know have caught exposure to it? Have you cancelled your vacations or has your business or industry been affected by it? Sound off in the comments, I’d love to know!

Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received for this post. The opinions expressed in this blog post are 100% my own. All images are my own unless otherwise noted. 

sig

Related Posts

  • Facey Tarzana: The Newest Valley Location for Your Family’s Healthcare NeedsFacey Tarzana: The Newest Valley Location for Your Family’s Healthcare Needs
  • Friday Feels: 2020 EditionFriday Feels: 2020 Edition
  • Sender City Media Preview at Sender One Indoor Rock ClimbingSender City Media Preview at Sender One Indoor Rock Climbing
  • Wheeling Around with Dynacraft! #DynacraftFunWheeling Around with Dynacraft! #DynacraftFun
  • Thursday Thoughts: Self-Care Is Not SelfishThursday Thoughts: Self-Care Is Not Selfish
  • ScholarShare California’s 529 College Savings PlanScholarShare California’s 529 College Savings Plan
Spread the love

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Grab A Button!

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Badges

Recent Posts

  • A Haunting in Venice: Own It On Blu-ray/DVD
  • Lightscape: Reimagined for 2023 at the Los Angeles Arboretum
  • Dumb Money: The GameStop Story {Giveaway Contest}
  • Universal Studios Hollywood: Counting Down to the 2023 Holidays
  • Gran Turismo Races Into Homes {Movie Review}

Recent Comments

  • Rick Ollie on Dumb Money: The GameStop Story {Giveaway Contest}
  • Aaron Schriner on Dumb Money: The GameStop Story {Giveaway Contest}
  • Roger on Dumb Money: The GameStop Story {Giveaway Contest}
  • Kathy on Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas is a Delightful Holiday Special
  • Jennifer on The Places You’ll Go at The Dr. Seuss Experience!

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2023 · Design by Melanie Anne Creative · Built on the Genesis Framework

Copyright © 2023 · Real Mom of SFV on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in