Jahnay B Week 7 DB

After thinking back to the COVID-19 days I noticed a big contrast in the way an outbreak was handled. In “Oedipus the King,” there’s a scene where the people of Thebes beg Oedipus to save them from the plague. They tell him, “You freed us from the Sphinx, Oedipus, our king; and in your care we find ourselves lifted from the surge of death” (Lines 62-64). This shows how much they rely on Oedipus to solve their problems, without taking much action themselves. In contrast, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a big focus on people taking responsibility for their health and stopping the virus from spreading. Public health campaigns encouraged things like wearing masks, washing hands, and getting vaccinated. While not everyone followed these guidelines perfectly, there was a big effort to teach people how to be responsible and safe.