Coronavirus: The virus that has changed our 2020.

What’s the big deal about Coronavirus?

Lately, it has been mass hysteria on social media about the dreaded global pandemic Coronavirus outbreak. It has been very interesting watching everyone’s response to the news and how quickly it seems to be spreading. The two extremes I’ve seen the most is that of panic or nonchalant rhetoric to quiet the panic. I want to know which side of this you are on? Let me know on the Love Marliceia Facebook page.

My Personal Opinion

We Have to Keep Everything in Perspective.

Anytime there is a new disease that threatens the existence of mankind, shows signs of economic upheaval, and affects the way we move on a day to day basis there is a legitimate reason for concern. I believe this is a time for us all to be alert and aware of all that is taking place which ultimately does alter our day to day lives. Frankly, I don’t sit on either end of the spectrum that I mentioned previously. It is my belief that people have a right to feel how they want and they don’t deserve to be ridiculed for how they feel.

We need to take the time to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. Many of the things I’ve seen mentioned pertain to these four areas: Childhood Hunger, Small Business Shutdown, Major Sports Cancelled, and Financial Crisis. I will briefly discuss each of these below.

For the Children

Childhood Hunger

We cannot assume that parents don’t want to spend time with their children instead we must take into consideration the undue hardship this must present for many. These issues include feeding children when funds are limited, having someone to watch the children while having to work, and ensuring educational retention while away from their normal curriculum.

Many parents rely on the fact that their children get two square meals a day at school to help them combat the lack of finances they have to ensure their children are well-nourished. Children alike rely on this same stability that the school provides. As a matter of fact, these may be the only meals some children receive.

I absolutely love the way the celebrities and communities are banning together to ensure these children are getting meals every single day. I specifically watched Steph and Ayesha Curry’s Instagram video stating that they are providing healthy meals through their “Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation” in the Oakland, California community. I’ve seen many individuals in my own community offer to purchase food items for households that need assistance in feeding their children and frankly, this is what community is all about.

Working Parents

The fact of the matter is when the school shuts down, jobs often do not. There have been many employers that are allowing their employees to work from home, but let’s be honest. How do you expect parents to work and care for their children at the same time? That is impossible without a nanny or parent or grandparent to assist. Moreover, taking off 3 weeks of work is just not feasible because those same parents have financial obligations to fulfill.

I personally feel that when facing a global crisis, work should be the last thing people should have to think about. More companies need to consider alternatives that are conducive to the current situation. Hopefully, this will spark the conversation and policies will be put in place for such a time.

Educational Retention

Repetition is what keeps children and teenagers alike excelling in school. It takes homework and test to see what has been learned and committed to memory as time goes on. My question is what can be done to help the children once they return to school?

I know for me learning is a process. You don’t always get on the first try and whatever is not utilized or practiced consistently is often lost. It is my desire that our children be remediated upon their return to the normal school curriculum without a period of evaluation involved that would affect their semester grades. Now, is this the best way? I wouldn’t say that. This is just my initial thought due to the circumstances.

There are some educators that have released online programs to help parents keep their children actively learning during this time of absence from traditional schooling. I will be updating some of these links and or articles to my Love Marliceia Facebook page throughout the week, so be sure to like the page and turn your notification on so you won’t miss them.

Small Businesses Are Suffering

Fulltime Entrepreneurs are in a Nightmare

I’ve learned of several businesses that have lost significant amounts of income due to event cancellations or postponement. If this environmental issue is not resolved fast, some could even go out of business.

Just recently here in Birmingham, AL two major events have been postponed. These are the UNCF Gala and the Natural Hair and Health Expo. There are a lot of moving pieces that go into major events like these, but the biggest is the vendors it takes to put on these events and the ones that pay and prepare to put their businesses out there to the world.

I’ve seen talks of some organizations banning together to help offset some of the financial loss that these businesses are indeed experiencing. I plan to provide more information on my Facebook page of how you can tap into the resources that are being provided as a small business owner throughout the week.

No March Madness!

NBA shuts down!

It was breaking news when Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz was reported as testing positive for the Coronavirus with his teammate Donovan Mitchell following shortly behind him. Many more players were diagnosed with the virus after this from various teams across the states, which caused the NBA to cancel the season until further notice.

The MLB, PGA, and other sports around the world have stopped play amid the COVID-19 outbreak as well. This has adversely affected many arena workers’ livelihoods. It has been an awesome outpouring of love from team owners and players alike taking on the financial burden for these workers by donating thousands upon thousands of dollars to keep them afloat.

Read more on this in these articles: CBS Sports and NBC News.

Financial Crisis Causes Major Downturns

The Stock Market Takes a Dive but Flights Really Fly

The stock market took major nose dives once the global pandemic surged. Many investors went immediately into panic mode and insisted that this may be the time that the stock market does indeed crash. Fortunately, this is not the case. If you know anything about investing, you know that it is a risky business and that almost every time it falls, it also rises again. Many times the rise is even more massive than the fall.

When things like this happen, it allows more people to buy into companies at an extremely low rate and then maximize once the stock market rises again, which is awesome. I know this has to be a scary time for investors, but if I have learned nothing else in my accounting and finance background, I’ve learned that what goes up must come down and vice versa.

Check out the latest on the stock market in these articles: NRP and NY Times

Get Your Travel On

I told Facebook that with these flights as low as $56 dollars roundtrip to places that you can normally only get to for $200 or more set the tone for me to catch flights and not feelings all 2020. Lol!

Now, don’t go purchasing flights that will occur in the next two months because we are uncertain of how COVID-19 is going to affect us in the near future. However, I was able to take advantage of a November flight to Miami that I needed for a cruise and it was only $99 roundtrip. I was so excited. Of course, I also paid for the $19 cancellation just in case, but I’m assuming the world will be back to its normal balance by then.

Go ahead and catch these deals on Expedia and Travelocity. My advice is that you read all the policies of what is included and not included. Read the specifics of the cancellation policy so you know what it covers before purchasing it so you won’t be upset or in shock if you don’t get what you were expecting.

My Advice for Dealing with This Crisis

Preparedness Over Panic

Now is not the time to panic, now is the time to prepare. This is my mantra for times of uncertainty such as these. We live in a very crazy world and things are bound to happen that we are not necessarily expecting or prepared for. However, panicking does not put us in a better position, it puts us in a very disadvantaged and worrisome state that does not allow for sound logic.

The CDC has done an awesome job of informing us of how we should be taking precautions as it relates to COVID-19, which is a new strain of the respiratory virus that seriously affects the lungs. You can find the CDC’s instructions here.

In addition to that, I have personally been telling people to sanitize their homes for our in-state quarantine and be sure to start doing things to naturally boost their immune system. Yesterday, I actually provided a list of different herbs, supplements, and teas that will help with keeping you healthy not just for this crisis, but throughout the year and for years to come. Check my list out here.

In closing, it is my deepest belief that we will make it through this global crisis and come back stronger than ever. I would encourage everyone to pray, be proactive in taking the necessary precautions, and band together with their communities to help others in need. Also, remember revitalization takes time, so patience is key.

Until next time Lovies, stay motivated and encouraged and heed the warnings and instruction given, your life may depend on it.