Coronavirus: A threat to national security – opinion

Just as some diabetics cheat and eat candy, there will be people who test the boundaries of social distancing and try to expand the lines of where they should and should not go.

By IRWIN J. (YITZCHAK) MANSDORF
Hasidic Jewish men gather for a morning prayer outside of a synagogue, closed due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, New York (photo credit: REUTERS)
Hasidic Jewish men gather for a morning prayer outside of a synagogue, closed due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, New York
(photo credit: REUTERS)
We are used to thinking of a security threat as something that is tangible, visible and easily identified. From missiles that trigger a siren to a burglar who sets off an alarm, these are threats we understand and have learned to deal with. But what of an enemy that we can’t see, can’t yet identify, one that, worst of all, hides among our friends, our co-workers and even our immediate families?
That is exactly what we all are facing in confronting COVID-19, the coronavirus.
In a strange and surreal sense, the world is becoming more united as we all face this common enemy. The enemy of Israel is also the enemy of Iran. It is an enemy that strikes all races, all religions, all political philosophies and all lands. It wants to attack Bernie Sanders no less than it wants to attack Donald Trump, and it is something that may yet be the reason Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz get to sit next to each other and exchange elbow bumps.
But beyond the temporary unity that may exist now is a reality that is difficult for many to grasp. This unfamiliar, unseen intruder is a threat to national security no less than the familiar ones we have been dealing with for years. It will disrupt our social lives, wreak havoc with our economy and, most important, will threaten us physically. The numbers of lives lost around the globe are no illusion, and provide evidence for what will happen if we fail to take the steps that must be taken.
While we wait for the much-hoped-for vaccine, we do have a weapon in our arsenal that may not kill the virus, but will surely keep it at bay till the cavalry arrives.
“Social distancing” is a term that all of us are getting to know quite well. In a nutshell, stay home and keep away from people as much as you can. And when you must be near anyone, keep your distance. Just follow the suggestions, and things will get better.
Sounds easy, but not for all. Medicine for years has been saying that smoking is bad, junk food is unhealthy and exercise is good. Yet, for some reason, people continue to do things that are bad for them and refuse to do things that are good for them. There is no reason to think that it will be different now. Just as some diabetics cheat and eat candy, there will be people who test the boundaries of social distancing and try to expand the lines of where they should and should not go.
If you are one of these people, you don’t understand or don’t want to understand what the fuss is all about. You may think it is overhype, panic or maybe even a conspiracy of some sort. While you keep away from people you don’t know, you make exceptions for some of your friends and most of your family, as though you could never get infected by being close to them. You will selectively consume information, ignoring what you don’t want to hear and perhaps distorting it to justify yourself. In the end, you’ll lose. You will cause harm to people you don’t even know for your few moments of social bliss.
The drive to be with other people, to be sociable, is quite strong. But the difficulty with social distancing goes beyond otherwise well-adjusted individuals. Some people are simply refusers, oppositional types who have a problem following the rules. We all know who they are. Others are deniers, who really do follow the rules, but only when they believe the rules are important or make sense. We have adolescents who know that they are not really in danger, even if they are infected, and overlook the danger that their developing social autonomy can lead to. We also have ideologues whose religious beliefs and practices may conflict with some of the guidelines authorities present.
THE TENDENCY of authorities to constantly repeat the same mantras of “wash your hands,” “keep your distance” and “stay home when you can” may lead to people becoming overanxious and fearful about what is being faced. While freezing up and being unable to cross the street even when the light is green is not what we want, frivolously ignoring red lights may be worse. We need to strike a balance between prudent awareness and discipline and paralyzing anxiety associated with gloom and doom.
There will be no way to achieve a perfect social distancing model. The refusers, deniers and conspiracy theorists will not be convinced by the evidence, no matter who presents it and no matter how many times it is repeated. Only you can protect yourself, and by protecting yourself you also protect others. And now is the time to act.
If that sounds familiar, remember the well-known verse in Pirkei Avot: “If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?“
The writer, PhD, a clinical psychologist, is a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs specializing in political psychology.