Ever since the United States federal government declared COVID-19 a national emergency in March, we now have two national emergencies related to public health in the United States: the coronavirus and the opioid crisis. The fact that two health emergencies presently exist is of tremendous concern to our society. These fears have been amplified with a surge of COVID-19 cases nationally, a crashing economy, and most of all, the huge uncertainty behind the coronavirus crisis.

As the coronavirus crisis demonstrates, public health emergencies go beyond simply enacting policies: they require the general public to earnestly abide by rules in order to collectively make a difference. Each one of us plays a significant part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. From quarantine to washing our hands, it is necessary that we maintain proper hygiene. From working at home to conducting meetings online, we must remember to maintain social distancing and more importantly, avoid nonessential travel altogether. If we continue to conscientiously do our parts, we can at least prevent more individuals from becoming infected with COVID-19.

The power of the public applies to not just COVID-19, but also to other crises, such as the opioid crisis. As the other national public health emergency, the opioid crisis has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus and vice versa in many ways, such as incredibly long wait times for those seeking treatment for opioid use disorder. Alternative methods, such as conducting rehabilitation service and discussion sessions online, have also started being put into place to address these impacts. But in addition to these actions, the public can also lend a hand once the coronavirus is resolved and the focus is entirely devoted to the opioid crisis.

The extremely contagious nature of the coronavirus makes it more imminent of a threat to everyone than the opioid crisis, making it a current priority. Similar to COVID-19, though, the opioid crisis also affects the most unsuspecting individuals when it comes to developing opioid use disorders. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2 million Americans struggle with an opioid use disorder every year and around 47,000 lives were lost in 2018 due to the two-decade long opioid crisis.

Interest groups, such as the medical community, law enforcement and county administration, have been addressing this crisis with updated policies. Yet, what if the general public was as proactive with the opioid crisis? Since practically everyone knows about COVID-19, each and every individual has taken it upon themselves to combat the virus. On the contrary, the lack of awareness behind the opioid crisis has caused it to not be as extensively addressed by the public.

But methods to involve the general public can be expanded, such as erasing the stigma behind opioid use disorders by regarding them as treatable medical conditions instead of moral issues. By changing our perceptions and specifically, extending our support to our loved ones during these times, we remove the stigmatizing barriers and form an atmosphere in which individuals with opioid use disorder will feel more comfortable opening up with their stories and receiving help. In essence, our efforts have the potential to tackle not just one, but two public health emergencies.

The solution to all of these critical situations ultimately lies in the hands of the public. If we want to inspire greater change, we should all be aware of the circumstances, diligently play our parts, and work together to defeat the coronavirus and eventually the opioid crisis alike.

Neha Skandan is a rising senior at Moravian Academy and a former Bethlehem Press student reporter.