You’ve heard what to avoid doing during the pandemic. Here's what you should avoid saying.

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It’s probably safe to assume that you’ve heard the tips that everyone needs to practice to stay physically safe during the COVID-19 pandemic — wash your hands, stay six feet apart from others, self-quarantine if you are feeling ill, wear a mask if you’re going outside. Oh, and wash your hands. But the mental and emotional health of people during this virus is also urgent and a significant thing to keep in mind. The way we discuss the pandemic will undoubtedly impact people’s mental health and, in a larger scale way, the way it is discussed defines who we are as a society and our humanity.

As the Queen of England said in her address on April 5, “If we remain united and resolute, we will overcome it. I hope in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge.”

The following advice, based on the advice of public officials, psychiatrists and other experts will help you think about the right ways to talk about the outbreak and its impacts on our world.

Avoid Downplaying the Amount of Deaths

You may have taken to reassuring yourself that “only” a small percentage of people who are infected with the virus will face fatal results. A few weeks ago a Columbia University doctor who specializes in cardiology at New York Presbyterian, who prefers to not be identified, deconstructed some of the issues with nonchalantly waving these numbers around: “The issue is people don’t understand statistics. You have a 0.2% chance of dying if you’re under 30. But millions are exposed, of which tens of thousands will get infected; that means hundreds of young people will die.”

Young to middle-aged people are also getting the coronavirus, despite the common idea that non-elderly folks are immune. In fact, patients between the ages of 20-54 compose 40% of hospitalizations, according to the CDC, as noted in the New York Times.

As of April 5, the United States has already lost over 8,000 people to COVID-19 and is predicted to lose up to 240,000 more precious lives even with shutdowns and shelter-in orders in place, according what the White House reported to Business Insider.

Needless to say, the fatality rate of the virus is certainly nothing to downplay.

Stick to calling it “COVID-19” or “the coronavirus”

For some time, President Donald Trump as well as some of his staff members and colleagues referred to COVID-19 as “the China virus” and the “Wuhan virus.” These blatantly xenophobic and racist titles come with major consequences for Asian communities.

In fact, a couple of weeks ago an FBI intelligence report predicted a surge in hate crimes towards Asians as the pandemic worsens.

Boro Park Jewish Community Council CEO Avi Greenstein who governs a region of Brooklyn is quoted in an article by The Jerusalem Post that the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn has also been experiencing some unwarranted anger and blame.

“The vast, vast majority of our community are abiding by guidelines,” Greenstein says. “But since we dress uniformly in a certain way, sometimes different things stand out, as opposed to when you would see thousands of people celebrating in concerts or bars and parks that are full.”

Nina Curran, a second-year student at New York University, says that being a Chinese-American in the current social climate means being unable to leave home without fear. She says with frustration, “my mom -- who was born in America, has not been to China in 12 years and does not have the virus--is afraid to leave the house by herself. My Korean hairdresser and her sister were both separately attacked on the LIRR and in Penn Station just because they’re Asian.”

Curran continues with a call to action, “Please be kind to your Asian friends and neighbors during this time and, if you can, support Asian-owned businesses because they’re [the businesses] hurting the most.”

Remember that high productivity levels can’t be expected

Wait. You haven’t spent your quarantine becoming the next top chef, writing the next King Lear or becoming a musical genius? Guess what? Most of the world hasn’t. That’s okay, even despite what others may be telling you or what you may have been telling yourself.

Chris Bailey, a productivity consultant and the author of Hyperfocus: How to Manage Your Attention in a World of Distraction, is quoted in a New York Times article saying, “It’s tough enough to be productive in the best of times let alone when we’re in a global crisis. We have much less attention because we’re living through so much.” It’s difficult to make productivity a primary focus when you simultaneously need to focus on getting through a global crisis.

In other words, the standard of maintaining or increasing productivity during quarantine is unrealistic. Expecting it is immoral. Try to avoid filling the minds of others with the idea that they should accomplish an overload of things while indoors.

Dr. Jud Brewer, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist specializing in anxiety and habit change, writes that what’s important to focus on right now is that you’re incorporating rituals and mindful moments into your lifestyle in order to help you “stay mentally healthy, calm, and connected as we navigate our new world order.” These rituals range from breathing exercises to short moments of mindfulness to cuddling. Each of these practices are both relaxing and scientifically proven to improve your emotional and physical wellbeing.

Show Love to Healthcare Workers

If there’s one group of people we can deem to be our heroes right now, it’s our healthcare workers. Gov. Andrew Cuomo consistently expresses admiration and appreciation for these individuals and calls citizens to do the same. Gov. Cuomo said at a March 24 press conference, "[Our healthcare workers] are doing God's work… You want to talk about extraordinary individuals - extraordinary. When you see them on the street, when you see them in a hospital, please, just say thank you and smile and say, I know what you're doing."

Some healthcare workers, too, have requests from average citizens: stay home and show empathy.

Sydni Lane, a registered nurse in Iowa, took to Instagram to describe the breaking point she had faced that day of “exhaustion and defeat” and her response to countless people then saying, “Isn’t this what you signed up for?”

She responds, “Just no. I signed up to take care of sick patients, yes. I did not sign up to be unprotected by their sickness. I did not sign up to be yelled at by angry patients because our government failed to be prepared. I did not sign up to risk mine and my family’s health and safety because people wanted to go on their vacations after they were told not to.”

Saying thank you to healthcare workers is not only the least you can do for them, it’s also the least you can do for yourself. Various studies, including one done at Harvard Medical School, prove that practicing gratitude improves happiness and health. It seems there are an array of reasons to show gratitude to healthcare workers with either a simple “thank you,” a virtual card or through applause as many New Yorkers are doing each night.

Another request from healthcare workers? Do what it takes to flatten the curve. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) assure that by staying indoors and social distancing as much as humanly possible, people can help ensure that COVID-19 doesn’t spread any faster than it already is.

Or, as Lane writes in another post, “Dear America, I stay at work for you. Please stay the f*ck home for me. Love, Syd, your ER nurse.”