Summary
‘Why Americans are numb to the staggering coronavirus’ is an article written by William and Brittany. Despite the high Covid-19 death toll, Americans have thrown caution to the wind. As evidenced in the article, during a certain burial ceremony, most of the people in attendance did not adhere to the covid-19 protocols. Neglecting covid-19 regulations seems to be the new norm in America. No one is alarmed by the extensive spread of the coronavirus and the increasing death rate. Each day, experts monitor the progressive spread of the disease in the USA. Yet, Americans remain adamant about the covid-19 regulations. Americans are used to the high death rate and have not taken hid of rules and regulations put in place to prevent the virus from spreading further (Wan and Brittany np). According to psychologists, whenever there is a high death toll, the brain develops numbness towards the disaster. For instance, many people die and out of the numerous deaths, there is no face or name attached to the deaths. In this particular pandemic, the death toll is covered by close friends and family members. In the end, the impact of deaths is not felt across the population. In simpler terms, failing to attach names to individual deaths makes the high death rate normal to most Americans. Also, due to a high death toll, it is difficult to develop compassion when there is no name attached to them. Thus, the larger the number of dead people, the harder it becomes to attach compassion to the deaths connected to the covid-19 virus. Therefore, the more the deaths, the less compassion which later translates into failing to adhere to the covid-19 protocols.
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According to William and Brittany, death is the new normal in the USA. The progression of the disease is being tracked daily. Everybody has been affected by the disease. Yet, Americans are still not shaken. The general population is growing numb to the covid-19 pandemic. One of the reasons for this observation is the high death rates being recorded and announced with each passing day (Wan and Brittany np). Day by day, the increasing death rates make it hard for people to develop empathy and compassion towards the people who have lost loved ones in the pandemic Also, the government cannot attach a name to each death hence making it hard for people to become sensitive towards the victims of the pandemic. For instance, Americans are no longer wearing masks while attending public functions.
An alternative reason for the numbness is the economic hardships that emerged due to covid-19 protocols. Since covid-19 became a global pandemic, most people have been forced into isolation (Wan and Brittany np). Numerous livelihoods have been affected due to the covid-19 virus. In my personal opinion, living an isolated life for more than 8 months is bound to spark some negative psychological impacts on the majority of people. For example, the majority of Americans lost their jobs due to the pandemic while others were separated from loved ones. Also, the sudden change from social life to isolated life makes it hard to come to terms with the difficulties surrounding the pandemic. Most of the people are bored of staying at home and the government is not giving them enough money to cater to their needs.
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Thesis statement
An increase in the number of deaths results in a lack of empathy. Consequently, the financial hurdles stemming from the covid-19 pandemic have left people with no option but to resume normal life without any fear of the impending situation the pandemic created.
Introduction
Covid-19 has disrupted the entire world due to the isolation and financial hurdles it has caused over time. Its origin is said to be Wuhan China. Due to the nature of the disease, it forced people into isolation and quarantine centers to prevent it from spreading further into other regions. The government was forced to stop economic activities and force people to stay home so that they could minimize the spread of the illness. Also, schools closed and children were forced to attend online classes. The change in lifestyle and the urge to resume created dissatisfaction with the current life. Hence, with time, most people numbed from the issues revolving around the illness.
Even though the death toll was high, people were more concerned about their lives and survival than adhering to the covid-19 protocols. It is vital to note that the announcement of a vaccine and the arrival of a new covid-19 strain has created more tension on the ongoing tension (Wan and Brittany np). Some people do not want to remain in isolation for the rest of the year and opt to break the covid-19 guidelines stipulated by the ministry of health.
In summary, the Americans have numbed themselves due to the financial hurdles created by covid-19 and the high death toll which denies them a chance to singly isolate each death and sympathize with the loss. Since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, the government shut down public spaces to isolate people and prevent the illness from spreading wider across the nation. Rising cases of covid-19 tend to lose meaning to the members of the public.
Work cited
Wan, william, and Brittany shammas. "Why Americans are numb to the staggering coronavirus death toll". Washington post, 2020. Online. Internet. 14 Feb. 2021. . Available: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/12/21/covid-why-we-ignore-deaths/.
