So for those of you that don’t know I live in Shanghai, China as an English teacher. I know I know, I have no business teaching English least of all in an Asian country. But I do like having a job and being able to support myself. I also care and take care of my teaching and living community. I also have some health awareness and I am always on alert for infectious opportunities. The point of this introduction is not to discuss what I do for a living, where I live or my health status. But it’s to talk about the difference of alertness and awareness.
Were you aware or alerted about COVOID19?
Where were you when you first heard about COVOID19?
I was on holiday in South Africa when I was alerted about the novel coronavirus from official, global media outlets. It was early November in China when I was made aware of the ‘Wuhan pneumonia’ (that’s exactly how it was presented).
What did you think of the information?
The news of the ‘Wuhan pneumonia’ didn’t stress me out because it’s normal for me to receive health alerts and take precautionary measures. It helped me make executive decisions over my life and I chose to self isolate because the last thing I need is to get an infection or put others at risk.
When I first heard of global reports on what we know now as COVOID19, it has been a lot! Definitely because of over sensationalizing and a lot of fear-based reporting. From angles that highlight social, class and racial privilege perspectives or disadvantages.
What do I mean by this?
It’s as if news outlets want to highlight that there are vulnerable groups that will suffer the worst as a result of COVOID19. As if the media want us to wonder who is to blame for this epidemic/outbreak and simultaneously not hold first world countries accountable. It’s also as if the travel bans are saying that certain people are carriers and are to blame for COVOID19 and as a result should be discriminated against. Whereas certain people aren’t considered carriers and that their travel movements won’t spread COVOID19.
Travel bans and lock-downs
Yes, this disease is viral and it was first learned about in Wuhan, China. The Chinese government may not have initially acted on the knowledge of the novel coronavirus in its own country. However, they implemented their own travel restrictions, lockdowns and started self quarantining as soon as it posed a global phenomenon.
Most countries who soon followed with high numbers of novel coronavirus cases, outside of China seemingly followed suit with their own self-isolation measures. All except the European hotspot for novel coronavirus cases. Italy has not experienced any travel bans compared to Asian countries.
The Italian ministry must not have implemented any lockdown measures either. Because in the past week alone, there have been more cases sprouting out of African countries of foreign Italian nationals and travelers coming from Italy testing positive for COVOID19.
Come to think of it, South Korea did the exact same thing! South Korea banned Chinese nationals or any travelers who have been to China in the past 14 days but didn’t think to lock down its own citizens. Who ended up going on praying parades to Wuhan. Next thing we knew the South Korean city, Daegu had the highest cases outside of China.
The pattern between alert vs aware
So-called social and economically vulnerable groups are always alerted. Whilst groups that are considered socially and economically affluent are always notified and made aware.
Alert mode is fight or flight stressful. The aware mode is gentle and precautionary. Alert mode has severe, unsustainable effects. The aware mode allows receivers to make the best, self- sustainable decisions.
Why is news about certain groups and towards certain groups always an alert?
Why is news about certain groups and towards certain groups always an awareness?
During this very special novel coronavirus, COVOID19; I look forward to alerting and sharing information about privileged groups and being aware of marginalized groups and the joys and challenges that they experience. Let’s turn the tables and feed the wealthy and privileged fear. After all the wealthy and privileged can afford it!