WS Chronicle

By Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

The coronavirus has made us alter our lifestyles. If you have a job to go to each day, then you have been told by your employer to stay at home. How long you stay at home depends upon the coronavirus. If you listen to the President of the United States, you will be back to work in two or three weeks.

Some would say that is an optimistic timetable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention isn’t as optimistic as the number of cases keeps climbing each day. Neither is Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. He is much more measured in his comments. Steph Curry of Warriors fame interviewed him and admitted that he had flu-like symptoms prior to the NBA stopping league play because of COVID-19. Curry said that it was important for young people to understand the seriousness of the disease.

The number of cases continues to skyrocket. At the time I wrote this, there were over 142,000 confirmed cases in the United States. Surprisingly, the state of Louisiana is one of the nation’s leaders in new confirmed cases. Currently, there are over 3,500 known cases in the state with 151 deaths from COVID-19. The governor, John Bel Edwards, has issued a Stay-At-Home Order for residents.

New Orleans is known for its festivals and celebrations during the summer. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, originally scheduled for April and May, has been postponed for a later date. The Essence Festival, scheduled for July 1-5, has also been postponed to a later date.

Of course, the Summer Olympics were scheduled to begin July 24 in Tokyo, Japan. Last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cancelled this year’s Olympics until 2021. In my opinion, which is shared by many, there was way too much risk involved to have them this year. The Olympic Games are widely popular, but human lives are much more important.

Now the coronavirus is keeping us inside of our houses. We can only go out when it is necessary. Going to the grocery store and going to the doctor are really the only places that we should be going. We can’t visit family members and friends. That is a bitter pill for us to swallow. This is the difficult reality “we the people” are dealing with now.

We need exercise! It is permissible for us to go for a walk, ride our bike or jog around the neighborhood. If you have exercise equipment in your house, you have a distinct advantage and good for you! Many recreation and fitness centers are offering free exercise sessions. All you have to do is turn on your television and follow the instructor. Why not do it as it will be great fun and will relieve stress.

I have almost washed the skin off my hands, but I am going to continue to wash them and follow all rules and regulations set forth by the government. They are designed to protect us.

Don’t think you are immune from the coronavirus. Healthy people are contracting it and passing away. We read about these stories every day. Be wise and don’t play around with this COVID-19. We can’t play games with our health and well-being. When you talk to your friends, tell them to wash their hands and to keep them away from their face.

BREAKING NEWS! The President of the United States of America has just extended the social distancing guidelines until April 30.

Read Isaiah 40:31. “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

James B. Ewers Jr., Ed.D., is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School and played college tennis at Johnson C. Smith University where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired college administrator and can be reached at evers.jr56@yahoo.com.