Preventing spread of coronavirus a matter of ‘social responsibility’

A JetBlue passenger who told the flight crew he had coronavirus as he exited the plane got him banned for life.

A Utah Jazz player joked about coronavirus at a press conference before touching all the microphones – and then tested positive two days later.

What can you do to make sure you don’t infect anyone if you get sick?

It’s all about doing the right thing. If you’re sick – and to avoid getting sick – stay home.

“Social responsibility right now during this extraordinary unprecedented time is critical,” said Dr. Corin DeChirico, chief medical officer at Healthcare Network in Naples.

“We have to really just take a few steps back. We may need to alter our life in some way – and it’s really just so we can do all we can to mitigate what’s happening.”

People at a local farmer’s market echoed that sentiment.

“I hope people, as this goes forward, really learn that this isn’t something to be cavalier about,” said Barbara Notaro, who is visiting for the season.

For Dorene Morin, the concern is personal. She has diabetes, which puts her more at risk for developing severe symptoms if she catches coronavirus.

“I’m coming here today; it’s open-air so I figured that’s a little safer,” she said.

People like her – and everyone else – are being asked to change their habits to mitigate the spread of the virus. That includes avoiding large crowds, which is why big events around the state and country have been canceled.

Medical ethicist Katherine Drabiak with the University of South Florida said it’s up to us to come together to do what’s best for our community.

“Think of this as your civic duty – to protect everybody else. Because what we don’t want to happen is for actions to become where they’re not voluntary,” she said.

“If we all listen to the recommendations listed by the CDC, we’ll be able to eradicate this thing or at least slow it down some so we can get ahead of it.”