Coronavirus: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Franklin D. Roosevelt
 

We may as well have a dedicated Coronavirus thread at this point.

Susan H linked to an enlightening post by Immunologist Lisa Turner on FaceBook:

https://www.facebook.com/lisa.turner...01428415526260

Having lived many places, I've had the unusual experience of living through (and having to evacuate from) hurricanes, floods, wildfires and earthquakes. These events have led me to becoming very aware of the fragility of life, the need to be as prepared as possible, the suddenness of disaster, and the butterfly wing thinness of the veneer of civilized behavior. During the big CA earthquake in '94, my neighborhood was in rubble. We had no water or power or other services for over two weeks. The National Guard was patrolling streets with guns.

The gas and water lines were damaged. A local business was gouging by selling bottled water for $5 a gallon.

I am stunned at the news when a hurricane is an hour away and then folks decide to stock up on supplies. WTH?

Sure, not everyone has the disposable income to buy pallets of toilet paper ahead or even the room to store them. But, if someone buys one extra gallon of water each week for a year, they will have 52 gallons of water in reserve after a year.

You shouldn't count on the government having your best interests in mind. Pretend you are an Old West pioneer. They didn't have cell phones and FaceBook. They had to rely on themselves to be safe.

If you are prepared, the fear is diminished.

Or, maybe not? What do you think?

I agree with you. I've always stocked up on canned items and other non-perishables in the event of an emergency. I have enough laundry detergent, toothpaste and cough drops to last two years. I take public transportation and have seen people with gloves and covering their mouths and faces with a mask or scarf. When someone sneezes they look horrified. I have always washed my hands and think all people should be doing that not just because of the threat of Coronavirus. If you use the bathroom wash your hands. It's nasty if someone doesn't. Before I cook, I wash my hands. In my world, it's nasty to do anything else. Agree with you about the government not having your best interest in mind. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree with you.

That really is a sane and rational discussion of the coronavirus. What a wonderful antidote to the 24/7 hysteria I've been hearing.

Agreed...wish everyone would read it.

I am amazed by the number of people who don’t wash their hands or do a quick “pretend” wash and barely get their fingertips wet. I was at the casino a week ago and three women came in, went to the bathroom and “washed” their hands and left all while I was still washing my hands. I see it all the time and it’s the majority doing it not just a few.

The advice is to wash your hands long enough to sing "Happy Birthday."

When we get home after a trip to the store, etc., I use "Yankee Doodle."

:music:

I agree, it’s good to be prepared in advance. People can get ugly when they are afraid. Last year, two men got in a fight over bottled water at Walmart when word got out that a hurricane was on the way. It gets crazy.

My husband thought I was overreacting when I suggested buying a two-week food supply. However, I purchased it anyway. We live in a small town and both of us thought the virus wouldn’t come to our town -at least not for some time. Yesterday the first coronavirus death was reported in my county.

What makes me nervous about this virus is that it lives for 9 days on hard surfaces and is extremely contagious. Thinking of all the things a person with coronavirus can touch (even dvds at thrift stores) a week before I touch them gives me the heebie-jeebies.

So I am planning on stocking up on additional supplies soon. We might start spending more time at home until the weather warms up. My husband is a senior and I qualify for senior discounts at some places. So we have to be a bit more cautious.

It’s gross -especially when they’re at a restaurant.

I also hate it when I’m at a restaurant and see someone put their purse on the floor then go to get something out of the purse and pick the purse up and put it on top of the table. I never set my purse down on top of a table.

I'm not sure where you got your info about 9 days on surfaces. This is what the CDC website says:

In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets.