Why is the response to the water advisory different than the one to COVID? | Commentary
On Thursday, the city of Wichita issued a water boil advisory due to a major water main break. The advisory instructed citizens to boil water for one minute before drinking it or using it in food consumption and to dispose of ice cubes from automatic ice makers. It also provided directions for washing dishes and bathing. From what I have seen, people have listened and are taking the advisory seriously.
What strikes me is that I have heard no one call this a scam. I have heard no one say this is a violation of their rights. No one has sent me misinformation from untrustworthy news sources. No one has threatened to boycott my business for sharing information about boiling water for public safety. Isn’t that what we do when a government agency issues information about the health and safety of our community?
The same friends who texted me weekly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with memes and articles spreading misinformation about the virus, vaccinations and masks are the same people now texting me the advisory and asking if my family has access to clean water.
If we can all accept the fact that boiling our water is the scientifically right thing to do for our health, why can’t we all accept that masks and vaccinations can help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus?
Democratic leadership? Check. Information provided by the government? Check. For the safety of everyone? Check. Schools shut down? Check. Businesses affected? Check.
What changed?
The water boil issue is something everybody understands. You drink contaminated water — you get sick. You boil contaminated water — you don’t get sick. Bacteria. Got it.
This is the same concept as vaccines, masks and social distancing on a smaller scale. The only difference is if you choose not to boil water and risk getting sick, you are only affecting yourself. When you choose not to get vaccinated, wear masks or take precautions you put other people at risk.
We are not living in a Democracy, we are living in a Hypocrisy.
I know people who feel the COVID-19 pandemic is a scam will likely never get vaccinated, will reject wearing masks and will continue to spread misinformation. I have come to accept that, albeit a sad and terrifying fact. Due to the nature of the emergencies, one has been politicized while the other has been accepted as common knowledge and civic duty. The way I see it, they are both common knowledge and our civic duty.
If we came together on stopping the spread of COVID-19 like we have on boiling our water, we’d likely no longer be dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Boil your water. Get a vaccine. Dispose of ice cubes. Wear a mask. Take precautions. For goodness sake, do your civic duty.
Ryan W. Gates runs a healthcare marketing agency in Wichita and is adjunct faculty at Wichita State University’s School of Digital Arts.