Okay, I’m jumping on the bandwagon. It’s just inescapable.

I’m inundated everyday on the news about the coronavirus and its spread all over Japan. Everyday, new cases are reported. The worrying thing is that it’s affecting even those who had no direct contact with people from China’s Wuhan province.

There’s a lack of masks in Japan and all around the world. People are stocking up on alcohol gels and sprays. I worry about the medical professionals who have to deal with this on a daily basis. Japan already has a lack of doctors, but this crisis is going to overwork an already over-burdened system.

Yikes. It’s enough to make a person crazy.

Surprisingly, though, I’m not panicking–even if I have hypochondriac tendencies. I just don’t want to get sick and be incapacitated again. I think this has something to do with my bout with the flu last month. I hate feeling unwell. And the worse thing is the recovery process–trying to get back up again.

However, I’ve adopted the stance that if I get sick, I get sick. In my line of work, I am in contact with a lot of germy children armed with all kinds of bacteria and viruses. In one week, I’m in charge of close to 100 kids–so multiply that by the people they come in contact with. Think about that. It’s a miracle that I’m not sick every week.

With that said, I do my best to stay healthy–physically and mentally. Recently, I’ve upped my intake of vitamin C and fresh fruits and vegetables. I’m getting more sleep and relaxing as much as I can.

Mentally–I’ve turned off the news. I don’t want to be hearing about it every day. There’s just no point. Maybe during the weekends when I’m not so busy, I’ll turn it on just to get an update. I’m also reading stuff that makes me happy or keeps me in a positive mood.

I don’t want to waste precious time and energy worrying about something I can’t control.

But, I am worried about the overall effect the coronavirus has on the Japanese and the global economy. Right now, it’s hard to tell because we’re still in the thick of it, but I’m guessing the impact will be huge. For Japan, the loss of inbound Chinese tourists have already created a loss of income for many businesses. Plus, the country has pinned a lot of their hopes on the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer. I hope this coronavirus pandemic dies down before the start of the games, but it’s not looking good.

I’m also concerned about the spread of this disease to the developing world. Right now, much of the news is coming from the first world–the silver lining is that these countries have the resources to deal with this epidemic. However, when we move into the less developed world, we’re talking about poor people who are already struggling to meet their basic needs. This is just going to break them.

Like everyone else, I just want this to be over. But we’re still in it for a couple of months. Experts are claiming the peak will be in April–which means we still have a few more weeks of hysteria hitting the airwaves.

Anyways, I hope everyone stays healthy and safe.