It’s no secret that the global health crisis isn’t exactly under control in many places worldwide. As those numbers tick up, the chances of COVID impinging on your social circle become higher and higher- and, sadly, the chances that you will get it yourself, even if you’re following precautions. We simply aren’t as smart and virus-savvy as we thought we were, and our available safety measures against this brand new disease are fallible. Today we take a look at things you should know about COVID-19, but probably don’t- and why it’s OK, after all.

You think you know your bubble, but you don’t

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We’re all guilty of this. We think our ‘bubble’- the group of people around us we’re at threat from, and a possible threat to- is small. Maybe it’s you and your roommates. Or your siblings and parents. And if you’re all symptom-free, why not just hang out together, mask-free, and chill?

Hold up there! They aren’t all the people in your bubble, and you have no way to know they’re corona-free, anyway, as many people are asymptomatic. Each of those people close to you has their own bubble of people they interact with- you should be considering their colleagues, other friends, fellow students, even the people where they shop, as part of your bubble too.

Even the smallest bubble has dozens to hundreds of people in it. If even one of them is lax on safety, they’re putting you all at risk. Just because they are your loved ones doesn’t mean you’re safe from COVID around them.

The rules aren’t real

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Many of us are telling ourselves we are doing things ‘right’...but that has no real meaning in this unique pandemic circumstance. It’s a bit of a fallacy in how people think. After all, the leaders wouldn’t let us go into a place that wasn’t safe, would they?

Actually yes, they well could. 

 It’s placing responsibility for our safety on others, and that’s foolish. Those same leaders could have been thinking about the economy, political pressure, and other issues. Yes, our local and overarching governments have made ‘rules’, but some of those rules are still designed to let people close to each other in closed spaces, because those were the rules necessary to get gyms and salons working again. They aren’t the rules needed to keep you perfectly safe. Sometimes we’re acceptable collateral damage to the people in charge. And rules are fallible just like anything else. 

Let’s talk about safety measures

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You’ve probably noticed that advice shifted from ‘don’t wear a mask’ at the start of the pandemic, to the current insistence that it’s best we do. This isn’t ‘lies’ or ‘misinformation’...it’s simply that this disease is brand new, and science is still learning about it the same as the rest of us. We don’t know everything about the disease yet, and our safety measures are simply the best we can do with the knowledge we have

Which is, of course, not to say they don’t matter! Every layer of safety you use- masks, distancing, hand washing, interacting outside- reduces your risk. It just doesn’t reduce it to 0. Think of how we service our brakes, and wear seat-belts, and stay aware on the road, but can still have a car accident. The more of these layers of protection in play, the better. Even 1 or 2 will help. But none of them are infallible.

The people around you matter more than you want them to

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With all of this in mind, it’s important to note that your community matters. If you  have COVID hotspots all over the city, you’re in a lot more danger than if you’ve only had 1 case lately. The more virus that is present near you, the greater the chances of your precautions failing.

Surprisingly, you personally may be leaving yourself more at risk if your community hasn’t been touched much by COVID. It’s another fallacy in how we think. If you haven’t been touched by the virus, you’ve probably subconsciously convinced yourself your precautions are perfect. If cases start to rise in your community, it’s worth checking on that- it may just be a comforting delusion!

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But even if you are doing your very best at all times, some people will still get COVID_19 despite their care and attention. It’s not a reason to beat yourself up, or feel a stigma. Nor should you feel bad about unavoidable risks, such as having to go into work. We’re all simply doing our best in these difficult times. Remember that honest, open communication is a key part of supporting each other as humans, and the more honestly we talk about our fears and experiences, the more connected we will feel to each other.

While our precautions are fallible, and it’s important to remember that, all you can do is follow them to the best of your abilities and look out for each other. We’re doing our best, and that’s what counts most.