When not deployed, service members and their units undergo traditional training to prepare for military duties. During this phase, servicemembers go through routine training and medical evaluations that maintain their personal and team readiness level.
They also take time to think about what enemies may be lurking around the corner. Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster says, “Our enemies are going to employ traditional countermeasures: dispersion, concealment, intermingling with civilian populations, deception.”
Like our enemies, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) uses similar deceptive tactics. The dispersion of COVID is widespread, and it tends to spread in clusters. The disease is a master at concealment, disguising itself to hide inside our cells and replicate. SARS-CoV-2 is intermingling with every population around the world. And its deception is magnificent. BBC Health and Science Correspondent James Gallagher put it bluntly. “In the early stages of infection, the virus can deceive the body. Coronavirus can be running rampant in our lungs and airways, and yet our immune system thinks everything is a-ok.”
As our numbers begin to climb across the country, I hope we can all join the battle and fight this together. According to the Centers for Disease Control website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html), we can win the war if our conduct includes:
- Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after being in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Avoid close contact. Inside your home: Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If possible, maintain six feet between the person who is ill and other household members. Outside your home: Put six feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others. You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick. The mask is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.
- Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
- Monitor Your Health Daily. Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other signs of COVID-19.
The principal mode of infection from SARS-CoV-2 is through exposure to respiratory droplets carrying the infectious virus. The best armament in this battle may likely be resilience. Resilient people are aware of situations, their emotional reactions, and the behavior of those around them, including the understanding that life is full of challenges.
