There are no signs that the spread of COVID-19 is going to end any time soon. Now labeled a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the coronavirus is dramatically changing our daily lives. With the entirety of Italy now under national lockdown, it is imperative that we take action to better protect ourselves, even if it means changing what we know as normal.

Many experts look back at the spread of the Spanish flu in 1918, a disease that killed 50 to 100 million people worldwide due to lack of precaution. They have argued for stricter actions to be taken or risk having the health-care system greatly overwhelmed. 

“We would like the country to realize that as a nation, we can’t be doing the kinds of things we were doing a few months ago,” stated the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, during a White House briefing.

What kinds of things are he referring to? Not shaking hands or hugging, for one. Instead, bump fists or elbows. Keep your hands away from your face and wash your hands for 20 seconds after sneezing, coughing, and before and after eating. Avoid dining out. In Italy, attending restaurants has become more restrictive, and perhaps the U.S. will follow.

Travel, of course, has become more restrictive. President Trump has instituted a travel ban barring travel from Europe to the U.S. for 30 days. He has not addressed the lack of testing kits that could help prevent the virus from spreading even more in the U.S. 

Sports have been heavily affected as well. Two players on the Utah Jazz basketball team have tested positive for coronavirus, leading the National Basketball Association to suspend its season. NCAA games will continue, but only be open to small audiences consisting of limited staff and family members. That means no more March Madness. The cancelations of sporting events have led other sports associations, such as the National Hockey Association, to reconsider hosting their games.

There’s been a closure of universities and schools in response to the virus as well, such as Grinnell University, the Ivy League, and several New York and New Jersey schools. UCs and Stanford have canceled in-person classes as well, transitioning to remote learning for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Fauci has stated that a nationwide school closure isn’t appropriate at this point, but rather, it would be much more helpful to target certain areas with confirmed coronavirus outbreaks. However, former Homeland Security adviser Thomas Bossert stated, “Administrators, students, teachers and parents need to get busy figuring out how to continue the education of our children while contributing to this community-wide public health effort.”

AHS has been preparing for possible school closure in response to the virus as well. In a letter sent to parents and students, AUSD stated its plan for a pandemic “includes the ability to continue to offer our students an education remotely if schools need to close,” in large part thanks to Chromebook access for teachers and students. Currently, there has been no further information about the possibility of this actually happening.

Governor Gavin Newsom has called for a moratorium on public gatherings of 250 people or more until the end of March, asking that large events be canceled or postponed. This means that any Hollywood film or TV premieres, festivals, large screenings, or Emmy campaign events will not use large audiences. Additionally, major Los Angeles-based late night shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Late Show with James Corden, and A Little Late with Lilly Singh may temporarily go audience free. Shows like Ellen have already done so. 

One of the greatest concerns aside from health during this pandemic is how to encourage people who don’t want to risk losing a paycheck to stay home from work. The thousands of workers whose lives depend on travel and air service could have their jobs at risk due to the restrictions. Vice President Mike Pence, who has been assigned leader of efforts against coronavirus, said people shouldn’t feel forced to work if they aren’t feeling well or are at risk, but there is no real solution yet. Administration officials are pushing for a payroll tax holiday and President Donald Trump made a trip to discuss this with Senate Republicans, but there are still no clear ideas as to how to solve this issue. 

Remember to wash your hands frequently and prevent touching your face. We need to stay vigilant and aware in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.

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