Everything we do before a pandemic will seem alarmist. Everything we do after will seem inadequate” - Michael Leavitt
In the last 24 hours I’ve had a constant stream of people contacting me all asking the same question; should they suspend their massage practice because of COVID-19? In short, the answer is yes, they absolutely should. At this point most people are responding to me with a sigh of resignation indicative of them already knowing this and just needing to hear it from someone else. But for those who are still rationalizing continued practice, or those who are wobbling on the fence, I offer some thoughts for your concerns about financial instability and your question of are we possibly over-reacting.
Regarding Over-reacting - a few thoughts
• Aren’t people just overreacting?
No, people are under-reacting. I mean, sure, buying all the toilet paper in stores and getting into fights over it is definitely over-reacting, but in general too many people are not taking this disease seriously enough. In the last 24 hours 386 people died in Italy from COVID-19. They are stacking coffins outside of mortuaries because they don’t have room inside for more. The U.S. is a week or two behind Italy in the disease progression and we don’t have any accurate numbers regarding infection rates here because our country is barely testing for it. People continuing to hang out in groups, massage clients, shop unnecessarily etc. are all under-reacting.
• I am young and healthy, so I’m not worried
Do you have any elders in your life or your massage practice? (If your answer to this is no, then I highly recommend that when this is all over, when it’s safe, you do your best to make friends with an elder; go to an elder care facility, or adopt the old lady who lives down the street). If you do have elders in your life, or asthmatics, or heavy smokers, or immune compromised folk, or you work with those who are houseless, or you are friends with someone who has people from any of these groups in their life, or you are friends with someone who is friends with someone who has people from any of these groups in their life, then it isn’t about you. People with no symptoms are capable of carrying and spreading the virus to others and unwittingly killing them.
• Let’s just all get it so that we can become immune and get it over with
Okay, for starters, a lot of people will die with this approach. Plus, there have been cases of reinfection. It’s not known how long antibodies to COVID-19 last, so there is no reason at this point to think that letting it sweep through a community will prevent future infections.
• Everything is going to be fine, there will be a vaccine soon
Experts are saying that we are likely 18 to 24 months from a vaccine. And that’s if everything goes extraordinarily well.
• A gazillion people die every year from the flu so why are we so worried about this?
COVID-19 spreads 2 to 3 times faster than the flu and is at least 20% more deadly than the flu. But even more importantly, we don’t have the resources to handle it. We don’t have enough ventilators in the hospitals; not even close. We don’t have enough doctors (and many will become sick themselves). We don’t have enough hospital beds. We don’t even have enough masks and gloves. We prepare for the flu outbreak every year; we are not prepared for this pandemic.
The only way to stop this virus is for all who can to practice extreme social distancing. That’s it, that’s the only way.
Regarding Money - I know, this is how we make our living
A few weeks ago my teacher was here from Thailand, teaching in-depth contemplations on the Buddhadamma from which Thai medical theory stems. At one point he said that it’s best when healing arts practitioners have another job for income and practice healing arts on the side, whether or not they accept money for their medicinal work. He said the reason is because healing must be our primary motivation for this work and that being dependent upon healing arts for money always brings ethical complications. These are not his exact words, but it’s the takeaway I had from his teaching.
I am seeing the reality of his words unfold before my eyes right now as massage therapists continue to work despite every medical and scientific expert in the world saying that the ONLY way to stop the spread of this disease, a disease that is killing people, is to avoid all non-essential contact with one another. I saw a massage therapist write about doing a session the other day on a client who coughed throughout the session, and then the therapist continued working on others. Because they needed the money. When we place money above the health and safety of our community we can no longer say that we practice healing arts. When we knowingly risk spreading a deadly disease in the name of income we can no longer say that we practice healing arts. When we fail to stay updated and educated about the realities of a pandemic, we can no longer say that we practice healing arts. If we aren’t really practicing healing arts, then we may as well get another job. I know this sounds callous, but can you imagine having to tell all of your clients that you exposed them to COVID-19? And by extension exposed their grandparents and their immune compromised friends? For most of us this comes too late; we should have considered what else to do long before being put in this situation. But we weren’t expecting a global pandemic. Now we know, now we can plan for the next one (and there will be a next one). For now we just have to do whatever we can to get by without hurting anyone. There are a lot of people offering help; accept help. Hopefully there will be some sort of government financial assistance. Hopefully landlords will extend grace periods on rent. Hopefully we will all find our humanity and be kind and take care of one another. For us massage folk, that starts with suspending practices.
I know that the financial impact will be real and difficult for a great many people, not just massage therapists, and I am saddened by this. I’ve talked to more than one person in tears today. I know that people will lose a great deal of income. People will lose jobs. People will possibly lose houses. People will lose security. But what we are trying to prevent is people losing lives. I’ve been extremely poor most of my life. As a child there were times when we lived in a 15 foot trailer without plumbing or electricity. As an adult I’ve lived well below the poverty level more years than I have lived above it. This is all sucky, and I don’t wish it on anyone, but it’s mostly survivable. For a great many people COVID-19 is not survivable. We have to think differently for awhile. We have to think of survival in literal terms. We can get past this.
We can all think outside the box. I know yoga teachers who are offering classes via zoom. I’m wrapping up creating an online ethics class that was always intended to be partially a fundraiser. The first fundraiser I see it being is one to aid to people struggling due to COVID-19. I’ve cancelled my upcoming class and am figuring out how to teach it another way; which won’t be easy with this class. Those who can help others must help others. Those who need help, must accept it from others. We are living through something that we have never seen before, but we are kind and we are smart and we will figure out a way through.
If, after reading this, and all the other things you are reading, you still intend to keep your massage practice open, please disinfect after every client. Air out your room after every client (they are now saying that it can be shared through the air, not just in fluid droplets). Have clients bring their own linens. Wash your hands and don’t touch your face. This isn’t enough, only social distancing is enough, but it’s something.
Thank you all for all of the care you put into your practices, for all of the kindness you show the world, for all of your perseverance and optimism. Stay rooted in love. Trust. We will get through this.
-nephyr jacobsen
