The coronavirus mass hysteria — and accompanying irrational behavior — is unlike anything I have witnessed in my 32 years as a practicing physician. The media, which apparently feeds itself on the collective fear and frenzy of the public it is supposed to enlighten, has made matters infinitely worse by choosing to give the lion’s share of airtime to misinformed politicians and frightened citizens, rather than to experts in epidemiology and infectious diseases. The resultant disruption of society’s daily routines and the collapse of the global economy is unfortunate, and will have dire implications for years to come, not the least of which is the question of how the community will react to future — and more realistically serious — threats.
Among the chaos, two questions come to mind: How many of the people who are now stockpiling toilet paper and hand sanitizer are the same people who stubbornly and ignorantly refuse to vaccinate their children? And how much safer would we all be if the individuals in charge took similarly drastic measures to curtail the more imminently dangerous pandemics of gun violence, climate change and distracted driving throughout our country?
Please be safe — as well as sensible and kind to your fellow humans.
Scott Zuckerman, Kamas