This year’s Chinese New Year was the most memorable for people across China. For the two months, from the end of January to the end of March, the Chinese government used its strongest administrative powers in the world to ban 1.4 billion Chinese people from going to work and engage in social activities.
The Western media have criticized this as a human rights violation, but the Chinese government rejected that view. Everyone was very obedient, knowing that their lives were facing a serious threat from the new Coronavirus that broke out in the central city of Wuhan.
Now the tables have turned, and the pandemic is spreading (raging) around the world. Seeing frequent images of Westerners without face masks, many Chinese are asking: “Are these foreigners crazy?”
The COVID-19 outbreak is a global pandemic, and with that comes a lot of false information on the internet. Some high ranking politicians in America were heard saying:
“China just won the worst terror attack on America to-date. Without dropping a bomb, shooting a missile, firing a gun, or inciting violence, they just completely devastated and rendered our ENTIRE nation and economic system helpless and made our local and national governments bow in a cowardice submission to unnecessary fear and ludicrous panic… and they did it all with help and aid of OUR own media.”

FACTS

• Pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan, China was first reported to the WHO [World Health Organization] Country Office in China on December 31, 2019.
• The outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 30, 2020.
• On February 11, 2020, WHO announced a name for the new coronavirus disease as COVID-19.
• On March 11, 2020, WHO upgraded the status of the COVID-19 outbreak from epidemic to pandemic. 

On March 13, the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency.
This situation poses a serious public health risk and the federal government is working closely with state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, as well as public health partners, to respond to this situation. COVID-19 can cause mild to severe illness; most severe illness seems to occur in older adults.
Different parts of the country are seeing different levels of COVID-19 activity. The United States nationally is in the acceleration phase of the pandemic.  The duration and severity of each pandemic phase can vary depending on the characteristics of the virus and the public health response…

• U.S. COVID-19 cases include:
  • Imported cases in travellers
  • Cases among close contacts of a known case
  • Community-acquired cases where the source of the infection is unknown.
• All U.S. states are reporting escalating community spread of COVID-19.
• View latest case counts, deaths, and a map of states with reported cases.
• COVID-19 cases in the U.S.
  On March 16, the White House announced a program called “15 Days to Slow the Spread,” which is a nationwide effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 through the implementation of social distancing at all levels of society.
  Social Distancing and Lock-downIn the United States, COVID-19 cases top 370,000—now the most of any country in the world—and deaths surpass 11,000. Many states are acting to contain viral spread through mass closures of businesses and orders to stay inside the home. However, in the absence of a national-level order, such measures are not uniform across the whole country, and Americans can still travel from one area to another—potentially carrying COVID-19 from “hot zones” such as New York and Seattle to low-risk areas.
  Enforcing a large-scale quarantine would be legally murky, even if it’s what the country needs to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
  My son’s college is now closed until the end of April. My wife works as a nurse in a hospital that has one of the busiest emergency rooms in the country. People camp out at stores hours before they open, then run the shelves empty by mid-day.
  Every day, we’re flooded with more information in our feeds about this pandemic. And it’s all pretty scary the more you think about it.
  Wherever you are in the world, you’re hearing about how Coronavirus is rapidly spreading. I mean countries have shut down over this.
  First, let me emphasize that it’s important to take the necessary precautions. I’m not writing this to argue about that. But I do want to share something that’s going to be much worse and it’s spreading a lot faster than the Coronavirus.

It’s the FEAR.
And here’s the truth…
FEAR of the Coronavirus is deadlier than the virus itself
You see, when you are in fear, a reactive part of your brain called the amygdala takes control of your actions.
You enter into a fight-flight-freeze response.
(It’s what’s causing people to buy way too much toilet paper)
And when you are in this reactive state, your body starts producing a steroid called cortisol to help you handle the stress. And guess what cortisol does to your immune system?
It WEAKENS it!
We have bacteria, viruses, fungus and a whole array of foreign particles we are exposed to every day, but it’s your immune system that prevents you from getting sick. When we’re stuck in fight-flight because of worries or anxiety, our bodies are wasting a ton of energy because it actually thinks it might die at that current moment.
And all that energy that’s gone now makes our bodies weaker and more vulnerable.

Being afraid is literally making you even more susceptible to getting sick.
And guess what else happens when you stay in fight-flight-freeze mode?
You’re in a SELFISH, self-protective state.

You literally lose the capability of thinking or having empathy.
This is where the racism is coming from because people are so afraid and they’re only looking out for themselves. It’s what prevents us from thinking clearly and end up making matters worse, such as:

· The people who are in denial and go outdoors when unnecessary and put other people at risk.

· Or those who take up physicians’ time saying they think they have the virus when their symptoms aren’t even related. This takes time away from serving people who are actually infected and need medical help. How to Powerfully Boost Your Immune System
So, while taking proper precautions during these times, do the things that keep your immune system strong. By taking the steps to help your brain feel safe puts your body out of fight-flight state and into a rest and digest state, where your body is in recovery and ultimately maximizes your health.

So how can you do this?

·  Practice the act of shifting your focus to things you are grateful for.

·  Take some time to think about the things you have that others don’t. Once you realize you have so much going for you, fight the beast… fight the coronavirus. Get up, walk, breathe deep, get some fresh air, walk in the sunlight, take an extra dose of Vitamin C with Vitamin D and Zinc.  Coronavirus wants to get you weak, makes you tired, hurts your body… it wants you on your back and lay down to take it. Don’t give-in… fight it and you will defeat it.  You will recover if you take a stand and fight.   

·  While you are fighting the beast, try thinking about all those people in the frontlines that are working their asses off to contain this pandemic.

Whatever it is you do, take notice of things until you actually feel grateful.

Doing this immediately gets you out of the fight-flight state.

And practice empathy. Spend time connecting with your loved ones that you are home with. Laugh with them. Tell them you appreciate them.

Spreading that joy to others boosts their immune systems as well…

· Spend these next few weeks as if it will be a long while before you have this rare opportunity to connect with your loved ones at home, or just have this alone time to recharge.

•  And share your love with those who are getting ill, because this thing is bigger than just us.

Turn off the News and Turn on Your Personal Connections
The statistics that you are seeing all over the media are not necessarily 100% accurate.

For example, the mortality rate would likely end up being much higher as we continue gathering data… especially, because of all the untested and unconfirmed death cases out there.

And if you’re really curious about the data, search for science-based discussions from credible platforms rather than other than the news. But limit that as well, so you can take your mind off of this subject for a moment.

With that said, take proper precautions:

·    Practice proper hand hygiene.

·    Avoid large gatherings.

·    And implement social distance.

·    But don’t do all this out of fear.

·     Do it as an act of service where you actually are preventing the potential deaths of more people.

And instead of the news, watch something entertaining that makes you laugh and smile. Or perhaps break out that board game you used to love playing. Or get some sun! Going for a walk outside for fresh air (nature’s powerful disinfectant) and getting some vitamin D. Take at least 1,000 milligrams of Vitamin C, and Zinc, B-6, and B-12 to boost your immune system. Maybe pick up an old hobby you haven’t had the time to do until now.

Whatever it is, being less concerned and afraid is what will help you make the best decisions and make your immune system stronger.
Why Feeling Brave during Scary Times is Easier than You Think.
For those of you who read this and feel like its cliché advice because this is hard for you to implement.

I want to take a moment to provide some food for thought…
“Our brains do not know the difference between imagination and reality.”

So how does this apply to you?
If you’ve been anxious, worried, or afraid with all the uncertainty that exists around us, it means you can choose to be courageous, bold and confident simply by imagining what that would feel like. This means, how you feel is YOUR choice and you have a lot more power over your feelings than you think.

Think about it… 

If I had a brain scan hooked up to you, I can see what it looks like when you have a thought about something.

You’d see a pulse of electrical activity occur at that moment. And that electrical activity stimulates the release of chemicals called neuropeptides that will communicate with your body to produce a feeling.

So the thoughts you have determined how you feel.
So if you’ve ever thought about someone you loved and then you felt all bubbly inside, that’s what’s happening.
Or if you think about scary thoughts about all the bad things that can happen to you, then you feel your heart pounding along with the fear that comes with it.
And if it’s proven that we can make changes occur in our brain simply by imagining it, then it means we can get out of the self-protective fight-flight state by imagining things that make us feel good instead of afraid.

It’s your decision.

How to Activate Your Brain’s Superpowers And Body’s Immune System
There’s one part of your brain (prefrontal cortex) that has all of your amazing capabilities such as your decision making, critical thinking, and creative skills.
However, research shows the best part of our brain is turned off for about 70% of our adult lives.
When we are in the selfish fight-flight state, we turn off this amazing part of our brain known as the prefrontal cortex. And when your prefrontal cortex is off, you prevent your immune system from operating at its best. It’s also what makes you feel stuck and unable to figure out the best solutions for yourself especially if you’ve been taking a hit financially.
And worst of all, you do not have the capability of having empathy.

So that means if you’re with your loved ones and you’re feeling afraid for them, you can try to justify it all you want, but the person you’re really focused on is yourself.
So while people are behaving like this is the apocalypse, spend the time to help comfort those around you who are genuinely afraid.
Meet them where they are at and acknowledge that yes this can be scary, but do what it takes to brighten them up. Not only will you make them feel better, but you actually make their bodies stronger.
I promise you, it will go a long way. More than ever, this is a time to stand together.

So let’s make empathy and connection even more contagious than fear. Life is a journey and we all travel alone with encounters with many fellow travellers. It’s the harmony and unconditional love we hope for in all our encounters. For harmony to exist and unconditional love to grow; we must first recognize that…“For everything in this journey of life, there is a right-wing and a left-wing: for the wing of love there is anger; for the wing of destiny there is fear; for the wing of pain there is healing; for the wing of hurt there is forgiveness; for the wing of pride there is humility; for the wing of giving there is taking; for the wing of tears there is joy; for the wing of rejection there is acceptance; for the wing of judgment there is grace; for the wing of honour there is a shame; for the wing of letting go there is the wing of keeping.” 
It has been a fabulous journey so far and by letting go─ things, people, power, and places─ we still get to keep the memory in harmony… and find happiness in our unconditional love.
[Curated content based on excerpts from posts, blogs, media articles, and sponsored research]