Panic in Overdrive?

I was recently reading a fascinating article by Amy McKeever, published on March 17 2020 in National Geographic.  It is relevant to our situation today.  The reaction to the outbreak of COVID-19.  I have quoted from the article throughout this blog.

Firstly we note ‘ “Panic happens when that more rational part of your brain [the frontal cortex] gets overrun by emotion”.

How does uncertainty fuel panic? “If we’re deluged with information and messaging during this pandemic, why are some people hoarding toilet paper and hand sanitizer during this pandemic while others are dismissing the risks and packing into bars?

Humans are notoriously bad at assessing risk in the face of uncertainty—and we’re often bad at it in different ways that cause us to overestimate or underestimate our personal risks.”

“Horney, who trained rapid response teams during the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic says reducing uncertainty is key to ensuring that our interventions do work.

Coronavirus is not a complete unknown, she notes. Public health officials also know a lot about coronaviruses from dealing with SARS and MERS.

“A lot of the things that are happening are the typical public health measures that we take to control outbreaks; it’s just happening on a much larger scale,” Horney says.

So, the message I got from this great article was Stay Calm, be vigilant and aware of the risks, but do not panic unnecessarily.  Take needed measures to keep safe. Be sensible. Be kind to others. 

We have put together a little ‘Self Care Pack’.  We thought that those who might be in isolation or who simply needed a little pick me up, may enjoy a gift box filled with yummy goodies to brighten their day.  We hope you enjoy this too!