“Before You Catch The Virus – Watch This” is some good advice, as motivational speaker Prince EA’s PSA to the pandemic-impacted world bears a strong and powerful message. The viral video begins with Prince EA dressed in a hazmat suit removing a gas mask, before giving a spoken word, slam poetry-style speech about some kind of “virus” that’s destroying the world. Of course, our first instinct is to assume he’s talking about coronavirus, as he lists off all the ways that this “thing” that’s “spreading like wildfire” is changing the ways we live our lives. The “thing” is keeping us inside our homes, shutting down countries, and selling out toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
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However, after convincing his viewers to be overwhelmingly afraid of the threat of COVID-19, Prince switches up on us. “Friends I’m not talking about coronavirus,” he says. “No, this is a virus even more deadly. The ‘F’ virus.” The “F” turns out to stand for “fear,” which Prince stresses lives through technology and the media and is controlling us. While this slightly corny message may at first seem to be leading to some kind of conspiracy theory about the “truth” about coronavirus, Prince’s message is actually about uniting the world. On a “love is more powerful than fear” type beat, Prince emphasizes the damage that senseless fear-mongering can have, and urges everyone to look at the ways that the world has been coming together (while keeping their distance) to stay positive. “We are waves from the same sea,” read a poem from Japan on supplies sent to China. Emphasizing the importance of social distancing and flattening the curve, Prince also emphasizes the equal importance of “being alert, not fearful.” Check out the video below and stay safe!