Coronavirus: Howling at 8 p.m., how Americans are vocalizing pent-up energy during isolation

People across the country have come up with an interesting way to let off some steam while cooped up during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s called the howling.

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Every night at 8 p.m. local time, people come outside and literally howl to thank health care workers and first responders for their dedication while fighting on the front lines of the coronavirus, The Associated Press reported.

It is similar to applause and singing emanating from balconies in Italy and Spain.

But the howls and yelps are not just a vocal thank you. Some people are yipping just to reduce pain from isolation and their frustration from being tied down stuck at home.

Even children who are missing their friends are letting go.

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Colorado’s Gov. Jared Polis has told the residents there to let out their howls, the AP reported.

“There’s something very Western about howling that’s resonating in Colorado. The call-and response aspect of it. Most people try it and love to hear the howl in return,” Brice Maiurro, a poet who works at National Just Health.

Others say it is also a chance to take control of an otherwise uncontrollable situation.

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There’s even a Facebook group dedicated to the nightly howl, called appropriately enough, Go Outside and Howl at 8 p.m. It has members from every state in the U.S. and has gone international with people joining from 99 countries in the night song.