After three years in the pandemic, everyone wants nothing more than to take their masks off. After all, COVID-19 is “no longer a global health emergency,” as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared. But while the pandemic might be coming to an end—or is perhaps even over—the struggles people experienced during it have not. After all, just because something has been resolved does not automatically make everything orderly. Should we so quickly give up wearing masks or staying at least a meter away from each other? So many people are still vulnerable to COVID-19. The logical conclusion is that, in the future, we can stop having to be so worried about getting COVID-19 if we continue to be cautious for the time being and do not disregard the protocols put in place to prevent the spread of this disease.
A single person infected with COVID-19 might not be significant—barely noticeable, actually, compared to the billions on Earth, but that person would have had some days to spread the virus to others as well, and the people infected would have around that same amount of time to do so. While the infected might tell others that they have COVID-19, we should still do as much as we can to prevent it from having happened in the first place. As the WHO director general quickly added later on, the fact that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency “does not mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat." All it takes is the right time and the right people for another surge to happen, and without masks or social distancing, the potential risk of infection would be even higher.
Some might argue that the Philippines, at this point, is ready to bounce back to the past “normal,” that COVID-19 is no longer as dangerous or deadly as many Filipinos have already been vaccinated or the COVID-19 strains are no longer as intense. After all, even if we contract it, the vaccine helps make the symptoms less severe by lessening our viral load, right? But the elderly, young children, or immunocompromised—even with the vaccine—are still more vulnerable than the average teenager or adult. It is our duty as Christians to care for others, even though they might not deserve it or we might not know them. In addition, the symptoms they experience might be stronger than one would typically have, and, usually, it lasts longer. Maybe we won’t be affected as much, but think about other people—our grandparents, our baby siblings, or our cousins. By overlooking the precautions that are in place to protect ourselves from COVID-19, we are putting them at further risk.
We should also factor in different comfort levels among people, as some are very conscious regarding masking at all times while others might be more comfortable unmasking, even indoors. While one may not agree with or approve of another’s actions, we should still respect them and strive to work together. For example, a person who strongly believes in wearing masks at all times should not scorn another person who does not, and a person who prefers not to wear masks can put one on for the duration of the conversation to prevent the other from feeling uncomfortable.
The pandemic might be coming to a close, but only if we play our roles as good citizens of the Philippines and as followers of Christ, who look out for other people. As the famous Christian adage goes, “thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Is our personal comfort more important than keeping our loved ones safe? Every life is precious, and we should try our best to protect each one. The WHO director general himself recommended that we should not just let down our guards regarding COVID-19. However, that also does not mean that we have to wear our masks or stay at least a meter away from each other forever, just as we slowly transition back to normal to make sure the number of cases don’t quickly rise again. We’ve lasted three years in the pandemic; how much harder can it be?
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