If you’ve opened your phone or walked outside at all during the past few weeks, you know already that COVID-19 is a worldwide issue. It’s been spreading since the very end of 2019, according to The New England Journal of Medicine. In the span of a few short months, the virus has exploded around the world, resulting in large gatherings being banned all over the globe, a worldwide shortage of sanitation products and, as of March 10, more than 4,000 deaths, reported CNN. Along with these precautions, the stock market has seen its worst day since the 2008 recession, and schools have shut down and begun to rely on online courses in order to combat the rapid spread.
If this all sounds bad to you, congratulations; you understand the gravity of the situation.
The State University of New York, however, has not yet given a satisfactory response to the outbreak of the virus. With more than 170 cases in New York State, it stands to reason that students returning from spring break will bring back COVID-19 to campuses all over the state.
Several New York schools have already taken the necessary precaution of closing campus, either immediately or at the beginning of spring break, such as Columbia, Hofstra, Syracuse, Barnard and more, according to CBS New York. With the technology available, and the terrifying statistics, it’s downright irresponsible to continue as if operations are normal and there’s not an overwhelming virus becoming more deadly each day.
Some people roll their eyes at this kind of reaction. I get it; as young people, we’ve spent our entire lives with information overload and it can be easy to wave your hand at a virus that’s not affecting most of us directly and say it won’t affect you. It only affects people with compromised immune systems or old people, right? What’s the real harm?
To that, I say, have some compassion. Just because the majority of Americans aren’t immunocompromised or elderly doesn’t mean those lives don’t matter. In that same vein, it’s important to note that despite some common beliefs, COVID-19 is not the same as the flu.
Though many symptoms present themselves similarly, and young people will be affected pretty much identically, regardless of whichever they catch, the global mortality rate of COVID-19 is 3.4 percent. The flu, on the other hand, is sitting at .1 percent. In places like South Korea, where more than 1,100 tests have been administered, the mortality rate is as low as .6 percent, but in the United States, where on average only seven tests per one million people have been performed, the rate is as high as 5 percent, according to the New York Times. This uncertainty is reason enough to take every precaution available in order to stave off the spread of the virus.
At the end of the day, there’s only so much anyone can do to prevent something as pervasive as COVID-19. New information is emerging every single day, and by the time you’re reading this article it might already be out of date. Hopefully, by that time, it’s a moot point and SUNY has officially decided to join many New York institutions in moving to online courses. The sooner this happens, the better—as many students need to make arrangements to live off-campus for an extended period of time, cancel flights back to campus and more.
But no matter what, if you’re in the position to make a change, as SUNY is, you have the responsibility to make the safest decision, no matter the inconvenience. If moving classes online is even one iota safer, then SUNY has the responsibility to do so.
Maria Pawlak is an English major freshman who wants everyone to please wash their hands!