Addressing the hysteria that began with the spread of the Covid 19 virus

Cheers and tears erupted on the campus of PRHS on Friday Mar. 13, 2020, as word of the school’s temporary closure began to spread among the students. Another announcement arrived Mar. 19, 2020, following multiple confirmed cases of the rapidly spreading virus in San Luis Obispo county, requiring the citizens of the county to “shelter at home.”

Each new announcement can infect the people of Paso Robles with fear and hysteria of- as well as of our entire nation and world – begins to infect more than the Covid 19 virus itself. Certainly more than 50 persons in Paso Robles are fearful of supply and health risks.

Its symptoms emerge as people frantically purchased every ounce of hand sanitizer and every package of toilet paper they could get their hands on.

Junior Lauren Corippo describes her experience at a grocery store in town only two days after the school closures, depicting empty shelves and “only two cans left” in the entire canned food section.

“People were crying saying that they aren’t going to be able to get enough for their families because everyone else was hoarding,” she said. “The chaos and panic isn’t going to help anyone.”

Corippo worries about the people’s methods of handling their concerns in quarantine.

Junior Grace Donohue explains how her father, who has health issues that resulted in a compromised immune system, cannot easily isolate himself as he should be able to. 

“He goes out to the store and he can’t buy the things he needs,” Donohue said. “So he has to expose himself to more germs by going out more than he should because people are buying everything in bulk.”

While these are unprecedented times and it is natural for everyone to be fearing for their safety and searching for a solution, it is important to remember that every other member in this community is in the exact same situation as well.