Careless Spring Breakers Ignoring COVID-19 Warnings: It’s Time to Go Vegan
Where are you while you’re reading this? If you answer anything other than “at home practicing social distancing and never touching money again without washing my hands at least eight times” and you’re not a part of the essential workforce keeping society afloat during the COVID-19 outbreak, we have a problem.
This leads us to the giant banner reading, “Tofu Never Caused a Pandemic. Go Vegan. PETA,” that we just flew over beaches from South Beach in Miami to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Despite the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to practice social distancing, thousands of people gathered for spring break to party as though a pandemic isn’t spreading through the human population.
PETA wants to shake up spring breakers who may have their heads in the sand when it comes to realizing the risks inherent in factory farming animals for food. Not only is tofu cheaper than meat, it also is packed with protein, contains zero cholesterol, and lowers a person’s risk of suffering from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and numerous other life-threatening health issues. Slowing down the coronavirus by practicing social distancing is key—and our banner points out that we can all help prevent such pandemics in the first place by not eating flesh.
Filthy meat markets threaten the health of everyone by providing a breeding ground for deadly diseases like SARS, bird flu, coronavirus, and others.
According to the CDC, “Approximately 75 percent of recently emerging infectious diseases affecting people began as diseases in animals.” Plus, health conditions such as cancer and heart disease are also linked to eating animal flesh. PETA urges people to combat pathogens and ailments at the source by going vegan.
COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China, in a “wet market”—one where live and dead animals are sold for human consumption. Health authorities confirm that influenza viruses and coronaviruses are zoonotic (transmissible from other animals to humans)—and farms and markets crammed full of stressed animals are breeding grounds for such deadly maladies. Some influenza viruses originated in chickens and pigs.
Are you under quarantine or self-isolating? If you’re stuck indoors, it’s still easy to help animals from your phone or computer.
Even if COVID-19 weren’t affecting every waking hour of our lives, animals are still individuals who shouldn’t be abused or killed for food. They cherish their own complex, interesting lives. This pandemic is a unique situation, but we’ll never stop advocating for dignity and respect for animals.
PETA’s action alerts make it possible for you to take action for animals with the quick click of a button. Even if you’re quarantined or working from home, you can help countless living, feeling beings, and it only takes a minute:
