Covid-19 crisis Stay home and be safe
I have seen this statement on many occasions - stay home and be safe. 

Many people seem to think that the corona virus is floating around outside looking for people to infect. The best way to avoid being infected is to "stay home".

I have a different view. The risk of being infected is low. Even if one is infected, the virus is likely to be mild. 

Over 5,000 people have been tested to have the virus. Only 23 need to be treated in ICU. The others are likely to be discharged from hospital or isolation centers without any fanfare. 

Indeed, it can be risky to stay at home. Have you heard about many people who have gone "bonkers" from being confined at home and have started to throw things from their HDB flats?

Some of the mental health consequences may not be so dramatic, but they manifest in other behaviors. Several elderly people rebel against the forced change to their habits - which disallow them to meet and talk to regular friends.

What about the many people who stay home and put on weight due to lack of exercise? Surely this can also be harmful to their health, if they already have high blood pressure or heart disease? 

Maybe the harm to the mental and physical health of many people outweigh the harm that can be caused by the covid virus?

Instead of asking people to "stay home and be safe", it is better to ask them to go out and have their regular exercise. They can put on a mask, if they have to meet many people. 

I often find well meaning people dispensing unbalanced advice. They think that the risk is only one sided. It is often multi-faceted. 

Tan Kin Lian

Vote - agree or not? 

 

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