Shared from the 3/21/2020 The Augusta Chronicle eEdition

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Here’s how we win over coronavirus

Our nation is facing a crisis that requires us to become civic-minded, very quickly. As someone who has taught about World War II in my classes for many years, it seems clear to me that our current public health emergency requires a similar “wartime” mindset. Here are five wartime slogans that we can bear in mind today, as we embrace our civic duty.

1. Keep ‘Em Fighting! World War II posters urged civilians to support the troops by accepting rationing. Today, our “soldiers” in the fight against COVID-19 are our doctors, nurses, and other health care workers. They need us to help “flatten the curve” of infection. That means slowing the rate of transmission so that hospitals and other health care resources are not overwhelmed by a huge spike in cases. We can keep our “medical troops” fighting through our everyday actions of social distancing, hand washing and other sensible measures.

2. Is Your Trip Necessary? We’re not worried about gas rationing or troop movements, but we do need to limit travel in order to slow the spread of disease. We can use social media and other online tools to stay in touch. Limit travel to necessities, and stay home as much as possible.

3. Food Is A Weapon. Cooking wisely can help stretch food resources and keep us all healthy. By planning meals carefully and wasting no leftovers, we can minimize grocery trips. And cooking at home is safer than ordering out, although buying online gift certificates for later use is a way to still support restaurants. Don’t cook? This is a great time to learn.

4. Careless Talk Costs Lives. Nazi spies aren’t a problem — but passing along rumors and misinformation is still a concern in our current crisis. Think twice before sharing social media memes about Covid-19, particularly those with supposed medical advice. Practice good information literacy and prefer trusted sources, such as the Georgia Department of Public Health, rather than the friend-of-a-friend on Facebook.

5. United We Win! Perhaps you feel confident you will not get badly sick, but there are many people with compromised immune systems who may. Adopting a mindset of good and cooperative citizenship is as vital now as it was in wartime. For many of us, this is as simple as staying home and washing our hands as much as possible.

Now is the time to think of others, and exercise extra patience if we can. As another wartime slogan urged, do your bit! That’s how we win.

Ruth McClelland-Nugent,

Grovetown

The writer is an associate professor of history at Augusta University.

See this article in the e-Edition Here