When You Realize You Are High Risk for Infection [OPINION]

My job keeps me pretty much in the know about what is going on and when the news is breaking at the speed of sound, such as in the case of the coronavirus outbreak, your mind is so occupied you sometimes forget about relating to the information you are processing. That is until it finally hits home.

Around 3 a.m., while laying in bed trying to solve the world's problems, it suddenly occurred to me that I am at high risk for this thing because somewhere along the way and without me realizing it I turned 62 years old and I have heart disease. Yowza!

Granted, I'm not elderly but I am "older" with "underlying conditions," just like many of you are. Are you taking this thing seriously? You should be. I should be. Until now I'm not sure that I have been. Up until now I have been coming and going pretty much as I please, never really giving a thought to it. But that has to change.

Perhaps the government restrictions on our movements are a good thing in that they decide for us to stay at home – or at least away from crowds.

Some are skeptical about all of these precautions. They believe we have gone overboard by rolling up the sidewalks and shuttering the windows, but do you really want to put it to a test? I'm not so sure I do.

So for now, at least, I think I will do what I am told and lay low. I will make the trip to the radio station each day to do the show until I told otherwise and then turn around and head back home. After all, I've got too much yet to do to get sick.

Many of you or maybe your parents are in the same boat as me and perhaps have not let the enormity of all of this sink in yet. Now is the time.

We'll see you around real soon. Be safe and stay healthy.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.