This is like nothing weve ever experienced before.

It isnt all hype. It isnt an exaggeration. Coronavirus has arrived and soon we will feel it in full force.

Sometimes life in a small place has its value. In moments like these when entire cities are shutting down, it can feel like a distant problem. For the most part, up until now, Citrus County is moving forward normally with caution but as normally as possible. Cities like Seattle are reeling from the complete upheaval of life. Schools are closed. The vast majority of major businesses have transitioned to a remote platform.

Places that are usually bustling are ghost towns. I stumbled across a website the other day that showed places with typically huge crowds. They had posted pictures of these places just one month ago compared to today.

It felt surreal.

That was just a picture. I wasnt even there. And it was eerie.

Even if Citrus County isnt feeling it yet, it will. And given the nature of the demographic of the area, we should be fully prepared to walk through this as a community using caution and wisdom.

Obviously, we need to engage in the personal hygiene guidelines being laid out for the general population. Wash our hands. Use hand sanitizer. Wipe down surfaces. And the one thats probably the hardest to manage use the practice of social distance.

Thats disruptive especially for those who dont feel sick, who havent been traveling, who arent around people who show symptoms. But in all reality, we need the disruption. Disruption is the necessary evil that helps contagion decrease. It doesnt eradicate it. But it definitely slows its progress.

And slower progress of the virus is what is absolutely essential.

This is, of course, an introverts dream. Stay home. Work in pajamas. Dont talk to anyone. Communicate via the written word. What could be better?

But in all truth, we need community. We need one another. And so this will test the foundation of our relationships and the strength of our bonds as a community. Were blessed to live in an age of technology. We can still see family and friends face-to-face without risk of perpetuating the problem.

We should make use of those tools. Theres no reason to socially isolate when we can communicate in other ways.

So what does it look like to be a good neighbor in the days of corona?

Practice caution. At this point, there isnt really a risk of overreacting. The risk is far more dangerous if we under react. Do all of the things that our health officials are telling us. Dont shrug off the need to sing Happy Birthday while washing your hands.

Keep distance. If we do it well it wont last forever.

The reality is that if we get to the end of all this chaos and it feels like it was for nothing then it was successful. The point is for nothing to happen. We want to stop the movement of the virus. The best measure of success would be that life just goes back to normal.

We need to be extra aware of how this virus affects the senior citizens in our communities. Read what there is to read. Get good information. Be conscious of all the ways that our normal behavior can negatively impact the people around us who have chronic illnesses and compromised immune systems.

Being a good neighbor doesnt change just because were facing a new challenge. The foundational understanding of being a good neighbor follows the same rule: think of others; care for others; and treat our neighbors they way we would want to be treated.

The Golden Rule still applies in the age of corona.

Cortney Stewart is a 2003 graduate of Lecanto High School. She has bachelors degrees in political science and international affairs, a masters degree in intercultural studies and is currently working on her Ph.D. in international conflict management. She most recently spent two years teaching and training students, teachers and government officials in Baghdad, Iraq. Email her at seeingbeyondccc@gmail.com.

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Be a good neighbor in the days of coronavirus - Citrus County Chronicle