26 Genius Ways In Which People Are Stopping The Spread Of Coronavirus

Events of a scale like coronavirus are known to reshape societies in fundamental ways. This is what happened during 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, or the 1918 flu pandemic.

Among many possible shifts, the current crisis could mark the end of hyper-individualism and resurrect our lost sense of community. Eric Klinenberg, a director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at NYU, believes that after the storm calms down, “we will be better able to see how our fates are linked.”

Most importantly, “in the long run, it could help us rediscover the better version of ourselves,” explained the professor.

Bored Panda contacted Sonja Trauss and asked her about the ways the coronavirus outbreak is changing us beyond recognition.

Sonja Trauss told us in an interview that for the several years, the US has been living in a bubble. “Food magically appears on the grocery store shelves, the mall opens in the morning, white-collar workers are absorbed into huge office buildings all day.” But the virus outbreak has stopped the seamless pace of our lives which “proceeded like a movie.”

At this point, coronavirus is revealing some of the limits of our institutions—medical ones in particular. All the unlikely scenarios have now become possible. Sonja explained: “It is possible for there to be too many patients. It is possible to run out of gloves and face masks.” She continued, “There will be patients dying in the hallways of some hospitals because there are only so many rooms and ventilators.” 

Many of us have been forced outside the comfort zone of our idyllic households. Trauss believes that “individuals are learning that it is up to each of us to issue, and follow, our own mini shelter in place and handwashing edicts.” We are all more aware that “there’s no potion a doctor can give that will fight COVID-19, living or dying depends only on our immune systems.” Our individual bodies have to stand and fight.“

Perhaps paradoxically,” Trauss said, “when individuals realize that no one is in charge, and therefore, no one else can save us, we begin to see more communal behavior.” We start to think of new solutions to unite. Trauss named some of the exemplary behavior: “people are making masks at home, checking in on neighbors, following the shelter in place orders to protect themselves and their families.”