It now seems so stupid, but when I was a kid, everyone in my family used to tease my Mum about the emergency supplies she kept at our house. There was water, canned food, some other bits and pieces that would perish too quickly, and I remember we’d wind her up about stocking for the end of the World. What do you know that we don’t, Mum?

Then the earthquake happened.

My point is, yes, it is good to be prepared. I keep a bit of water at home, some torches, a few emergency supplies. But this morning, as supermarkets are apparently overwhelmed by people stressed out about Covid-19 Coronavirus, and many of us feel really stressed out about a looming threat we can’t see, I think it’s a good opportunity for us all to strike a balance between prudence and perspective.

What I mean by that? Well, for a start… don’t forget, the health authorities have been expecting covid-19 to show up in New Zealand. They all said that their models showed it was only a matter of time before a person here tested positive. Every day the virus has been delayed has given our public health authorities another day to organise. And say what you will, they’re not perfect, but compared to some of the countries where this has really blown out of control, I think we can all reasonably have a bit more faith in the competence of our officialdom.

We can also be grateful to the person who has tested positive for the responsible way in which we understand they’ve behaved over the last few days. They arrived home from a country where Covd-19 has quickly spread in the last few days. They wore a mask on the flight. They travelled home in a private car. They felt unwell. They didn’t go straight to the supermarket or a really crowded space and cough all over everyone. No, they called Healthline. On the advice they had, they travelled to the emergency room, wearing a mask, and they were placed in a negative air pressure room in isolation. Health authorities have the details of everyone they’ve been in contact with and everyone on the flight.

Now, all that being said… I get it. I understand why many of us still feel really anxious. This is clearly a really serious viral outbreak and no one can say with absolute surety just how bad it’s going to get. It looks very likely covid-19 will continue to spread around the World. I dare say the person here who tested positive won’t be the only one. And even though the vast majority of people who test positive for the virus only end up getting a cold, about three thousand people around the World have died.  

But if you’re feeling anxious, try and maintain some perspective. Channel your energy into prudence. Wash your hands thoroughly. Cough into your elbow. And don’t ever tease your mum for having a few emergency supplies.