Essential Workers

At first glance, the term essential worker harkens thoughts of firefighters, cops, nurses, doctors, National Guard, and perhaps utility workers. Most people don’t think of themselves as `essential’ in a pandemic situation. And for the most part, folks are happy for that. They believe their day job, not being crucial to the continuity of society, gives them a pass. They can sit at home and let someone else do the dirty work.

But like it or not, during a pandemic, everyone can be an essential worker. And for our collective survivals’ sake, we’d all better start thinking like that.

When a rising river threatens a town, every able-bodied person fills sandbags. The fact that you work for a donut shop, or load cartons in a warehouse, or sell shoes for a living is no excuse to ignore the threat, and depend on others to do the job.

Estimates are that 40%-50% of the workforce will be out during a pandemic, just based on those who are sick, or tending to the sick. No one really knows how many people will simply refuse to show up to work due to fear, but that number will be very high. I’m guessing 70% to 80% total absenteeism. And that number could be low.

The 30% that remain will not be enough to maintain essential services. Not without help. And that is where volunteerism during a pandemic will become essential.

Now, I know that many will balk at the idea. Expose myself? Maybe bring the virus home to my family? No way! Let some other `fool’ do it.

An understandable reaction. And one that many people will share.

But if all of us abdicate our social responsibilities during a pandemic, it will decrease our chances of survival, both as individuals and as a group. There are far deadlier things during a pandemic than the virus.

If your town descends into anarchy, due to lack of electricity, water, food, medical care, or law enforcement, will you really be safe in your apartment with your bag of rice? Can you fight off all those who would take from you what they want? Can you even survive, long term, under those conditions? Strip away the romanticism, the survival fantasy aspects, and look at your situation closely.

Can you survive for 18 to 24 months on the food in your pantry? Can you cook or heat your dwelling without electricity? Can you obtain potable water for you and yours? Can you deal with any medical emergency that comes along, without outside assistance? And if the answer to these questions is `yes’, can you defend your stockpile against all comers?

If you can truthfully answer `yes’, you are one of only a small handful of people who are that well prepared. Damn few will make the cut. And those folks will require a lot of good luck along the way.

But if you answered `no’, then you’d better start thinking about how you can mitigate the effects of a pandemic in your community. Otherwise, you and your loved ones are toast.

Sorry, I know it’s not what you want to hear. It’s easier to hunker down, and pretend that things will work out. Let some other poor bastard go out and die, trying to help the community.

The truth is, during a pandemic, we’re going to need all the help we can get. And even though it involves personal risk, volunteering may be your only salvation. Hunkering down is like being an ostrich, with his head buried in the sand. You are blissfully oblivious to other threats, but your ass is stuck up in the air, completely exposed.

What then, can you do? If you aren’t trained as an EMT, or firefighter, or nurse, what can you contribute?

Glad you asked.

If you can answer a phone, drive a truck, carry a box of supplies, walk down your street and knock on doors, stand in as a security guard at the local hospital, cook a meal, read a story to kids, do laundry, make a bed, haul trash, repair a vehicle, comfort the sick and dying, or bring coffee to exhausted emergency workers you can be essential.

There will be no lack of things to do, large and small, during a pandemic. For every Doctor, nurse, or EMT out there dealing with patients, there must be a dozen support personnel cooking meals, delivering water, handing out supplies, answering phones, and maintaining their equipment. There are no small jobs in a pandemic.

You don’t have to come in close contact to infected people to save lives. That nursing home down the street. You know, the one where your favorite aunt lives since she busted her hip? How long to you expect those folks to last if 70% of the staff is out? Can they even feed the residents? Probably not. No unless someone volunteers to come in and help in the kitchen.

Don’t feel like going out, and risking infection? How about offering your home as temporary shelter for kids who are orphaned by the pandemic? Or taking in the kids of an EMT or nurse who will be on the front lines, just for the duration? Or maybe you can just boil up a big pot of rice and beans, and leave a couple of quarts on your sick neighbor’s doorstep. Ring the bell and run like hell, if you want. Damn little chance of infection, but you could save a life.

No, it won’t be easy. And yes, there is risk involved. But dead is dead, and it doesn’t matter what killed you really. A virus, or a collapsed and desperate society. Fail to take away the trash, fail to dispose of bodies properly, or human waste, and H5N1 will take a back seat to cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. Abandon your neighbors, and they will show up at your door, ready and willing to do what they must to survive another day.

Individually, none of us can defeat a pandemic. But working together, we have a chance to mitigate its effects, lessen the damage, and leave something worth having for our kids and grandkids.

A fool’s errand? Tilting at windmills? A wildly optimistic viewpoint?

Perhaps.

But when your back is against the wall, and no other viable options remain, sometimes all you can do is sound the charge and throw yourself into the fray.

It beats dying alone.