#StayTheFuckHome:A Movement to Stop the COVID-19 Pandemic

Our governments are failing us in preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and containing the COVID-19 pandemic. Slow reactions, public appeasement policies, and their urge to stabilize the economy are keeping them from taking the measures it takes to protect millions from this disease. It is time for us, as citizens of this earth, to take action now and do our part in fighting COVID-19.

Let’s put it bluntly: Stay The Fuck Home!

The Self-Quarantine Manifesto

With no well-studied treatment and a viable vaccine still being out at least another year, the only effective way to keep the coronavirus epidemic at bay is to give the virus less chances of spreading. The following list of actions, ordered from easiest to implement to most effective in the fight against the pandemic, should serve as a set of loose guidelines for people who wish to join the movement and take action, where the people in charge continue to neglect.

1. Don’t panic, but be alert.
2. Wash your hands often and practice good cough and sneeze etiquette.
3. Try to touch your face as little as possible, including your mouth, nose, and eyes.
4. Practice social distancing, no hugs and kisses, no handshakes, no high fives. If you must, use safer alternatives.
5. Do not attend concerts, stage plays, sporting events, or any other mass entertainment events.
6. Refrain from visiting museums, exhibitions, movie theaters, night clubs, and other entertainment venues.
7. Stay away from social gatherings and events, like club meetings, religious services, and private parties.
8. Reduce your amount of travel to a minimum. Don’t travel long distances if not absolutely necessary.
9. Do not use public transportation if not absolutely necessary.
10. If you can work from home, work from home. Urge your employer to allow remote work if needed.
11. Replace as many social interactions as possilble with remote alternatives like phone calls or video chat.
12. Do not leave your home if not absolutely necessary.

Please keep in mind there is no right or wrong amount of actions to take. Only take the actions that you feel comfortable with and that do not endanger your livelihood. Do not quit your job over this! However, keep in mind that every action helps.

Why it’s so Important

SARS-CoV-2 is a highly infectious and potentially deadly virus that causes a respiratory disease called COVID-19. You might know it under one of its many other names, including 2019-nCoV, novel coronavirus, Wuhan coronavirus, China or Wuhan flu, or just simply coronavirus. All of these refer to the same virus that this movement is trying to stop.

Over the past months and weeks, the virus and corresponding disease have been compared over and over to the influenza virus and the seasonal flu. Due to the overlap in symptoms and seemingly similar severity, this comparison comes naturally to a lot of people, however, looking at what we know so far about this new virus, the threat it poses to society is not easily brushed aside.

1. More Contagious Than the FluWith an estimated R0 between 1.4 – 6.49 and a mean estimate of 3.28^[1], SARS-CoV-2 is much more infectious and spreads much faster than the seasonal flu, which has a median R0 of 1.28^[2].
2. More Deadly Than the FluThe so-called case fatality rate (CFR) of SARS-CoV-2 is estimated to be at around 2%^[3], meaning that unfortunately, an estimated 2% of people getting diagnosed with COVID-19 will succumb to it. In comparison, the CFR of seasonal influenza is estimated to be around 0.1%^[4], this means SARS-CoV-2 is estimated to be about 20 times more deadly than the seasonal flu.
3. Possibility of Severe SymptomsAn estimated 15 – 20% of infected individuals suffer from severe symptoms that require medical attention^[5], including pneumonia with shortness of breath and lowered blood oxygen saturation.
4. No Treatment, No Vaccine, No ImmunityAs SARS-CoV-2 has only recently emerged, there is no well-studied treatment for COVID-19 and more research is needed, in order to treat infected people efficiently. Likewise, there is no vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 yet^[6] and the development of such vaccine will take a significant amount of time. With no vaccines and no prior and wide-spread immunity, anyone is a susceptible target for infection. While most infected people will only suffer from mild symptoms, this lack of herd-immunity can lead to severe illness in a significant amount of at-risk individuals.
5. Exponential GrowthDue to the lack of immunity to this new virus, the entire human population is the upper limit of possible infections. And although exponential growth always seems slow at first, it can lead to unfathomably high numbers in a rather short time. With the numbers of infected people currently doubling in a matter of a few days^[7], our medical systems will be potentially overloaded, which will lead to higher numbers of fatalities, due to people not receiving the care they need.

By joining the movement and therefore limiting possibilities for new infections, you are not only protecting yourself, but you are also helping contain and limit the spread for everyone else, especially those who are at higher risk to suffer severe consequences from this virus.

If you care about this cause, please share it on social media, via e-mail or just tell your friends and family about it. But please, just #StayTheFuckHome.

https://staythefuckhome.com/