This is War

I've already made the comparison between this global pandemic and a world war. This weekend, I started noticing others were, as well. New York's Mayor de Blasio said, "This is the equivalent of a war already." States are looking at bringing in the Army Corps of Engineers to help retrofit existing buildings into medical facilities.

I read an article this weekend about the attitude in Italy, which is now fully locked down, and some of the slogans and things that were being used online. One roughly translated to this, which I've since seen going around US social media:

More troubling, there have also been so many comparisons and breakdowns of this situation by country, that it's becoming like a competition or war in that way, as well. Comparisons among the first three hot-spots, China, Italy, and Iran. Comparisons between the spread of cases among European countries. So many comparisons between Italy and the US, as we seem to be on Italy's trajectory if we don't take drastic measures now. Countries shutting boarders and banning travel between them (which, I agree, people shouldn't be traveling around at this time), and countries sending exchange students and visitors home (which seems cruel, if you're sending them into a worse situation than the one they left). A friend is hosting a German exchange student, who is being sent home this week to a town under quarantine.

At this point, the entire planet is in this together. We need the same limited supplies to test and care for the sick, and as we've seen, you can't lock down the spread of this disease. I wish we were more unified in fighting against it, and less competitive. Just because you eradicate it in your country, doesn't mean someone won't come in from somewhere else and reintroduce it. If nothing else, maybe this will make up for the lack of medals to compare if the Olympics aren't held this summer...