COVID-19 Kills People. If you do not believe in it, reread the title!

Oleksandr (Sasha) Kondrashov

April 2020

This post is inspired after reading the blog of Confession of Funeral Director

It shocks me how many people still believe that COVID-19 is not real!

I often wonder how someone can listen and follow advice to inject disinfectant in their body, but apparently, some do both: listen and obey.  Unfortunately, in our society, there will be some who might only believe in COVID-19 when they or someone they know/love contracts it and dies.  No scientific evidence will be enough for them, because there will be one doctor, or 1 taxi driver, one nurse or 1 “I know everything” expert who will tell them that COVID-19 is a lie and even better “conspiracy” against their freedoms. It is sometimes frightening to observe what else will come up from the US President’s mouth, and it is even more terrifying to know that a large number of people will believe it is true!

It is easy to ignore millions of doctors, nurses, social workers, and other healthcare and human service professionals who ask people to stay at home. No, some will protest and only once they are sick and they hear how fluid builds up in their lungs, and they cannot breathe, they will beg with their eyes for intubation (a medical term that allows medical professionals to add more air into someone’s lungs). Maybe not, as some might claim, it is their freedom to die without medical supports, vaccination etc.

I don’t know what makes people not to be concerned about their health and even more important the health of others.  I spend time with students to discuss trauma, greed and ignorance as root causes of societal problems. Losses fuel the development of trauma, greed, and ignorance. We discuss how love, care and share can support people at times of loss, but I haven’t found an adequate response on what to do with those who cannot recognize their trauma, greed, ignorance or all of the above and keep causing harm to themselves or others.

What might help people who believe they are immune to COVID-19 to recognize that they still can cause harm to others? If fear of dying is not a concern, it is hard to think about what else makes people change their minds.

Maybe it is when they hear how their loved ones are isolated from family and friends when in ICU fighting COVID-19 or when they hear how so many die without their family by their side. Maybe it is when their family and friends will have to mourn without the community support of a funeral. I do not know and keep asking myself if learning the hard way by contracting COVID-19 is the solution for some people to start believing that the virus is real, and their action might cause multiple deaths without them might not even know it. Their ignorance might already infect many others, and the hard way of learning might not give the person a second chance.

Stay safe. Stay well. Stay home when possible. And keep educating those who still believe that COVID-19 is a conspiracy theory. COVID-19 kills people, and only when all recognize it, together, we can look for solutions that can restore the economy and protect societal health and well-being.