The novel coronavirus shows how connected our world is today. What started in one city in China has now spread to 26 countries on 3 other continents. If this doesn’t show that what affects us some affects us all, I don’t know what will.

I have several friends in China from my time when I lived there; one of my best friends lives in Beijing, and I actually worked in Wuhan for a month back in 2012, so I have contacts there too. It has affected the lives of several people I know. This outbreak is real and serious.

So it’s important to stay informed and prevent the spread of the disease. And maybe this outbreak will convince us to think more holistically about our planet. We are all human, we can all suffer from the same infections. We can also all work together to ensure our planet thrives.