Taking preventative measures to stop COVID-19 infection isn't just about protecting you. It's about protecting everyone who shares the same vicinity with you - anywhere you go.

Those who know me, understand that I would not typically share this publicly. However, people need to understand the seriousness of what we globally face at the moment. It's not all memes and zoom happy hours.

I lost my father on 4/7. He was at-risk, and immunocompromised after surviving cancer and subsequent chemo treatments in 2019. He made a single, required trip to a doctor's office for a scheduled white blood count as part of his continued recovery.

You may be fine if you get infected. That does not mean you can be cavalier with your shelter-in-place decisions without potentially fatal consequences to someone else you do not directly interact with.

The next time you want to step outside with little to no protection, or for non-essential errands, ask yourself who you love most in the world. Then ask yourself if you could say goodbye to them as they're unable to respond due to a ventilator, over the phone, without Facetime.