Did you hear the one about the employer who at some date in the future looked at a job applicants resume and said, Theres a gap in your CV. What were you doing in 2020?

I was washing my hands, the job applicant replied.

Or maybe you saw the TikTok meme of a toilet next to a roll of toilet paper that is bigger than the wheel of a car.

Or the Facebook video Coronavirus Rhapsody, set to the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody, Queens signature song. The lyrics begin: Is this a fever? Is this just allergies? Caught in a lockdown. No escape from the family.

Maybe you saw the tweet that said, Due to quarantining, Im only telling inside jokes.

Or another tweet based on a classic joke:

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?

A: SOCIAL DISTANCING. STAY AT LEAST 6 FT FROM THE OTHER CHICKENS!

Those last two appeared on a thread started by Megan L. Ranney, an emergency medicine physician at Rhode Island Hospital and associate professor of health services, policy and practice, and emergency medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Ranney is more than busy these days, but she deems a moment or two of levity essential.

Should we laugh, or cry? is how Ranney began on Friday. Today I feel like we need the former. So I'm starting a thread of #COVID19 jokes, inspired by @jbauerme and my own kids. Please add on. Q: Why doesn't anyone in Antarctica have COVID19? A: Because they're ice-o-lated.

The thread took off, just as dark humor has across the internet and elsewhere during the coronavirus pandemic.

Which is little surprise. During these dark times, as in dark times before (albeit never so dark as now), laughter can prove to be, well, good medicine.

In the midst of this pandemic, we're surrounded by dire forecasts of the future, Ranney told The Journal. We're worrying about our kids and our parents and even ourselves. Although it's important to acknowledge our fears, sometimes it's also useful to distract ourselves! We're in a marathon, not a sprint and finding little moments of humor and distraction can help us keep going. Comedy is perhaps MORE valuable in times of fear, than in times of plenty.

Whether through social media or informal group text chats that coworkers have newly created, we are finding something funny about toilet paper shortages, work-from-home attire and a parade of conference calls, Michelle P. Taylor, director of outpatient, HIV services and the Opioid Center of Excellence at the Woonsocket-based Community Care Alliance, told The Journal.

Laughter creates a sense of social connectedness, making us feel less alone. The release of endorphins calms the spirit, mind and body, reducing stress and warding off anxiety and depression. Even better, laughter bolsters the immune system, a real advantage in the face of COVID-19. Gallows humor is an effective way of coping with a really difficult situation and demonstrates positive thinking, creativity and resilience.

Brandon Gaudiano, a clinical psychologist at Butler Hospital and associate professor at The Warren Alpert Medical School, said: Laughter might not technically be the best medicine to fight the coronavirus, but it certainly will make the social isolation and cabin fever stemming from this pandemic a lot more bearable.

Research shows that laughter can lower the body's stress reactions and lift your mood, at least temporarily. The coronavirus can't keep us from having fun, because we can still laugh and joke with friends and family while social distancing. Laughter's biggest benefit is that it helps foster social bonds, by allowing us to see the humor in our shared experiences, even the negative ones. That can help us all to stay connected even in times like this.

Why humor during COVID-19? Why not is more like it, said Jamie Lehane, president and CEO of Newport Mental Health. Laughter relaxes us, relieves stress and tension and releases endorphins that just makes us feel better for up to 45 minutes after a good laugh. Laughter decreases stress hormones like cortisol and boosts your immune system.

Another critical benefit of laughter we need right now is that it is an effective way to defuse anger. Being cooped up with family members where there are sometimes tumultuous relationships under normal circumstances is exacerbated when we are forced together for hours, days and weeks. Humor is a way to release some of the anger and reduce interpersonal conflict. Most importantly, it is a way to connect with others and feel bonded with each other.

We sure need this in such trying times.

How badly?

The answer might be found in Coronavirus Rhapsody, with lyrics by comedian Dana Jay Bein.

The video posted on Tuesday, March 24.

As of this writing, it had more than 5.2 million views, and climbing.

Freaked out by coronavirus? Heres some expert advice on how to lower the stress.

Questions and Answers about coronavirus.

TO OUR READERS: This content is being provided for free as a public service during the coronavirus outbreak. Sign up for our daily or breaking newsletters to stay informed. Please support local journalism by subscribing to The Providence Journal.

gwmiller@providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: @gwaynemiller

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Laughter is a medicine we need right now - The Providence Journal