The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is ongoing. As everyone is aware, the disease can be fatal. It is deadlier than any other disease at this time, too. Many people infected with COVID-19 suffer severe illness. There are many symptoms of this virus. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, fatigue, and a dry cough. Other symptoms may appear too, but they are usually mild and develop gradually. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, many people around the world have passed away. If it is so fatal, why is the world ineffective in combatting it? The answer is that we still cannot do anything to eradicate it. Many countries, especially in Europe, have conducted a few experiments, but none has worked sufficiently. Also, many countries around the world are working on developing a COVID-19 vaccine. However, there is still no specific treatment for COVID-19. Since the virus first appeared, it has fundamentally changed our daily lives, and, as long as this situation continues, people must be more careful. There have been many ups and downs in the severity of the crisis, differing by country. When the spread of the virus appears to have stabilized, people loosen up a little and only become serious about preventing the spread of the disease once confirmed cases start to rise again. However, everyone should continue to be careful as there will be no end to the crisis unless we do. These days, the world is becoming more serious about fighting the disease; therefore, people need boundaries, and a whole new level of restrictions and rules should be considered.
The most fundamental idea that the South Korean government is now considering is whether gatherings, meetings, or other events, should be limited to a maximum of ten people. If introduced, numerous routine activities, such as attending school, will not be possible. Working from home and online classes are options, but it is not always easy for people to work from home, for teachers to teach online, or for students to study online. Besides, the self-employed who own diners, restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, gyms, etc., suffer huge losses. However, the government’s idea is not bad even though it results in many hardships because it will have a significant effect on the spread of the virus if people maintain their efforts for a few weeks.
As there are people who have to be around others, preventing everyone from eating out or hanging out outdoors is impractical. Rather than not allowing anybody at all to eat out or hang out outside, allowing some diners and cafes to open that have separate rooms for only a few people is better. This may negatively affect some stores’ finances or might be unsatisfactory for people who own small-sized stores, but if people have a place to go that is spacious, allowing for social distancing, some customers might be willing to pay a higher price, and this is the best way to enable people to hang out outside.
Wherever people go right now in South Korea, they are required to wear their masks. This is essential. As shown by the COVID-19 incidents that have happened, people can see the importance of wearing a mask. Once the spread of the virus became a little more serious, people’s QR codes started being required or one had to write personal information on a sheet. However, this only confirms where someone has been and is only useful after an outbreak of COVID-19. To prevent COVID-19 in the first place, temperature testing should be essential everywhere. These days, only a few restaurants and expensive places do this. Everywhere should be equipped with a thermometer. This is the least that can be done. People have to be extra careful as it is a scary virus; there are even some asymptomatic carriers among the infected. Thus, now the most effective measure is the mask.
However, no matter how serious the situation is, some people do not follow the restrictions. If penalties and fines were to be applied, such people would be more likely to obey the rules. This would be like following a law. If this policy was implemented, those who do not adhere to the rules would face penalties, meaning that they would at least try to avoid being caught or simply stick to the rules and behave. The impact of the virus on our everyday lives is huge, so people should not be reluctant to wear a mask. People should not simply wait for a vaccine to be developed. They should think of the ways that they can minimize their risk of contracting or spreading the virus and how they can help tackle the crisis. Considering the number of people a person encounters and how much damage and danger can result, people should be more careful in going about their daily lives. Considering babies, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and the infirm, and to reduce the number of people who will die and suffer in the future, people must follow rules, starting with those who read this article.