Analyzing the Pandemic - Social Responsibility

This morning's local CBC radio morning show (Daybreak Kelowna) carried an interview with an entrepreneur who is now recovering after picking up the virus on a ski trip near Golden, BC.

" 'Selfishness has repercussions': Dragon's Den star recovering after catching COVID-19 on ski trip Lane Merrifield ‘frustrated’ and ‘angry’ to find out fellow skier had been overseas days before group trip."

Apparently, one of the other guests at the lodge had been to Angola just before the ski trip and was exhibiting some symptoms (which he hid), until he wasn't able to go out skiing and one of the man's children notified lodge staff that he was showing symptoms and that he had traveled recently.

The man was helicoptered out and other guests were notified.

"Selfishness has repercussions, and I think this gentleman decided to ignore all warnings, ignore all requests and just do what he wanted to do."

"He was adamant that either it's no big deal or maybe it couldn't happen to him or people are making much ado about nothing," Merrifield said.

The result was that seven others from the trip tested positive for the virus. Merrifield described his illness as pretty severe, although he didn't need to be hospitalized.

"It's taking awhile for my body to kind of come back from this one, unlike a cold or typical flu," he said."  He noted in the interview that all of the ski trip participants were in excellent physical condition with no underlying medical issues.  They still came down with the illness, hard.

"Merrifield urges people to heed warnings from health officials in regards to COVID-19 and staying home.

"Now's the time to be as selfless as we possibly can be and help each other out.""

It's worth repeating that it's been a directive from public health officials here in Canada for quite a few weeks that IF you have been out of the country, you need to self-isolate for 14 days after you return.  Following that advice would have prevented this outbreak from happening.

Merrifield also noted in the interview that he had parents in their 70s and was very concerned about what could have happened had he visited them before he knew he had been exposed.