I am constantly amazed by the total disregard by large numbers of ordinary people to recognize the need to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The news channels have covered thousands of young people packed together on Florida beaches. If they became infected they may not have even shown symptoms making them perfect carriers of the virus when they returned to their homes all over the eastern section of the United States. But young people are not the only ones who are seemingly unaware or uncaring in this crisis of the need to safeguard the health and lives of others if not their own.

There have been countless news stories of people congregating in churches, overcrowding grocery stores, and even people crowded together on the National Mall to watch the fly-over of the Blue Angles which recognized the brave efforts of health practitioners and first responders. I recently drove by a nearby cemetery where I saw large group of people gathered closely together for grave side service.

Then the problem just hit even closer to home. A couple of days ago a young child whose family lives in our subdivision was tragically killed in a hunting accident. As you can imagine many of us in the neighborhood wanted to do something for the family. The president of the neighborhood association organized a candlelight vigil in memory of the young man in front of his family’s home. During normal times that would be a very considerate and thoughtful gesture which I am sure would bring some comfort to the grieving family, but these are not normal times.

A reply to the announcement of the candlelight service on our neighborhood webpage said at least 117 people are planning to attend so far, and I expect that the final total will be much larger. Another post stated that the city police have agreed to direct traffic due to the large number of people from outside of our neighborhood are also expected to attend. The service is to be held in a cul-de-sac in front of the family’s home. It will be impossible for such a large number of people to gather at that location without being unsafely close to one another.

I posted the following reply on the website: “I think this is a great gesture. How is that going to work with the current need for social distancing? We have a large number of residents in the neighborhood who are over the age of 65 and of additional risk from the virus.” The reply was that they would do their best to maintain safe distancing and that anyone who believes they would at risk should stay at home.

Now this is happening while our state is experiencing a limited reopening without regard to the CDC guidelines. Some previously designated “non-essential” business are now allowed to reopen provided safeguards in place. Many have chosen not to reopen yet. However, places where a large number of people would normally congregate such as schools, universities, churches, funeral homes, entertainment venues, etc. remain closed for obvious reasons. However, nothing is preventing private citizens from organizing events which might bring large numbers of people together.

There seems to be a lack of understanding that one does not need to attend such private gatherings to be put at additional risk by the large number of people being brought together in close quarters. All it takes is one infected person who is not yet, or will never exhibit symptoms to infect many others who will then take the virus back to their families, and perhaps even to someone at risk of dying or becoming very ill with the disease. In this case it risks an outbreak of the CIVOD-19 virus in our neighborhood where we have a greater than usual percentage of our population who are over the age of 65.

I totally understand the very normal need of people to gather together support the families who have be stricken by disaster. In particular it be heartbreaking for the families of patients dying alone because they can’t be  with them, and then they can’t even have a public funeral. Tragedy compounded by  by even greater tragedy must be nearly unbearable. However, we can’t afford to let our needs at times like this put others at risk of dying.

Are you seeing this kind of behavior where you live? If so this pandemic is going to take a greater medical, economic, and emotional on toll on our lives than the scientist and their modeling are predicting.

Cajun   5/3/2020