The stories of “healthy” young people suffering greatly, or even perishing from this Coronavirus are presented as both heartbreaking and terrifying. But to me, even as one of these “healthy” high-risk young people, this is not the time for sorrow, worry, or fear—all emotions which serve to suppress the immune system. This is the time for introspection, compassion, and community—human and microbial alike.

Until this moment, I had always considered myself to be a relatively healthy individual, with a robust immune system… I was dead wrong. Suddenly I was “high risk” for a severe coronavirus infection.