Social Distancing is a luxury
Doctors, healthcare professionals, and governments are requesting the public to practice social distancing. That is the only way to flatten the curve.
But as someone that lives in a developing country with a per capita of roughly 4,102.000 USD, social distancing is a privilege.
In a country where the minimum wage is LKR 10,000 per month(approx USD 53.58), and a population of roughly 21.3 million, a good portion of the population cannot realistically practice social distancing.
A lot of people are daily wage workers whose families will starve unless they go out and earn a living for a day. I don’t about you, but if I had to choose between COVID-19 & social distancing or my kids starving, its not really much of a choice is it?
If I am a daily wage worker do I practice social distancing and let my family starve? Or do I risk it and go out and find work?
If I am living in a shanty similar to the one shown below, how do I realistically practice social distancing when I don’t even have proper sanitation? When there is a family of 5/10 living in a 100sqft tin can, what does social distancing even mean?
Do I have the luxury of worrying about the consequences of COVID-19?
Luckily for me, I am not one of those people. I work in the tech industry and have the tools required to work from home, get paid, provide for my family and practice social distancing. In short, social distancing is a luxury I can afford. Self-isolation is a luxury I can afford.
So what’s my point? Those who have the luxury of staying at home — #STAYTHE FUCKHOME. Flattening the curve is not the responsibility of all, but the privilege of some.
Perhaps if we who can, do, maybe just maybe, we can save the rest as well.
Stay Home and Stay Safe.