COVID-19 and Personal Responsibility

We are in the middle of a pandemic. The numbers are everywhere and easily accessible. At this point in time the global death toll is numbering in tens of thousands and still climbing.

Governments around the world have responded differently, as expected. Some have been swift in following the guidelines given by the WHO, others have taken their time, perhaps underestimating the impact. Yet others have focused on the economic impact of COVID-19, or on the image they would present to the world. As ordinary citizens with minimal power to cause immediate change in policies, many of us feel doomed by the inadequate response. This is where our personal responsibility comes in.

By taking on personal responsibility, we do not absolve a government or a state of its bad response to a pandemic. However, we acknowledge that at this point in time, perhaps even alongside criticism and efforts to cause change at higher levels, we focus on dealing with the pandemic on a personal scale.

Mindset Change

The idea is simple. Every person has a responsibility towards others in their society. In an increasingly independent and individualistic world, it’s difficult to come to terms with a statement like that. It feels like an imposition, like something we have to be brainwashed into doing. However, the current situation is such that by taking personally responsibility for our actions had a direct impact on the spread of the virus.

A person who feels unwell whether diagnosed or not with COVID-19 must go into quarantine, that much most people agree with. But what of those who are healthy? They must recognise that that could easily be asymptomatic carriers of the virus, and should self-isolate as well.

It’s difficult to stay at home especially when you know you don’t have the virus. The problem with an ongoing pandemic is that we cannot with any certainty say how long an asymptomatic phase lasts, who the biggest carriers are, and how bad the effect of not staying in will have. These are all things we will see in hindsight, when years later studies are done. By then it might be too late for too many of our society.

Moral Dilemma

Imagine a person who feels fine goes outside. Imagine give or six of them do. They walk past each other, occasionally touch a doorknob, an elevator button, a table or any other surface on the way. And unbeknownst to them, they have been carrying the virus and left it to be transmitted to someone else.

Just because this is a crime that can never be traced does not make it more acceptable. By staying indoors even when feeling fine, people are making a choice to put other humans above them. They are taking personal responsibility in a society that values personal gratification over the social good.

It takes a specific type of person to have the moral strength to acknowledge they have the privilege to stay at home and still be comfortable with regards to work or food or just the daily necessities of life. The type of person who stays home knowing that  there are many who cannot afford to, or even aren’t allowed to. When we give thanks to those working in the front lines as healthcare providers, cleaners, workers stocking up what we need to survive; let’s have a moment of appreciation for all those staying at home and doing the right thing.

Liked it? Take a second to support on Patreon!