This Icky Sick

Apr20
by on 20April20 at 2329

So many articles and so much excitement about COVID-19.

Based on the numbers that I’ve seen so far, I have and continue to compare this disease to the Flu. Am I saying that it isn’t anything to get excited about? NO! What I am saying is that “The Flu” is a very nasty bug that we have never treated appropriately and that if we gave the Flu and the “Common Cold” the respect they are due, we might actually kill these nasty bugs.

My husband just pointed me to a beautiful example of a country that has given this sickness an appropriate level of respect (Thank you!). I went to the CDC’s global map for the COVID-19 outbreak. Lo and behold, Taiwan isn’t even listed! And wait… I found multiple articles that tout Taiwan’s success and specify that there are political reasons that prevent Taiwan’s inclusion in the map. Wow. Seriously, this is too important to be trying to use it as a platform for throwing people’s weight around or swinging the next election.

What are they doing that every other country isn’t? It’s simple. Every citizen is wearing a mask. Every single solitary person is wearing a mask. The government has allotted 3 masks per week per person, to be picked up at their local pharmacy. And yes, they have a national database for their pharmacies to make sure people aren’t getting more for free than they have been allotted. The people who are working in food production (for example: restaurants; fast food and fine dining), they’re wearing masks AND gloves.

Restaurants

Please. If you run a restaurant (fast food or fine dining), please require your people to wear a mask and gloves. You can be a major roadblock to this disease. You don’t have to wait for the government to get a clue and mandate them.

Private Citizens

  1. Well, as previously stated, wear a mask, when you leave the house.
  2. Don’t go to a restaurant that doesn’t require the people handling the food to wear a mask and gloves. (Don’t just let your favorite restaurant go out of business, insist that they set the example for others.)  
  3. Parcels: Don’t bring anything into your house that you don’t have to. Leave the boxes outside and get rid of wrapping paper and box stuffing immediately. Then clean (wipe down) anything that you’re keeping.   
  4. Bills\Mail: Keep only the (usually) one page required for paying your bills and the return envelope (if you even need it) long enough to pay the bill. You can scan a copy of your bills using a scan application on your phone, to send a copy to your computer. MS Office Lens is a scan application that I use and like, but there are a lot of scan applications out there. Then you can get rid of the rest of the paperwork.  
  5. Wash your hands frequently. 
    1. Before you handle anything inside your vehicle.  
    2. After you get home and after you’ve finished cleaning up anything you brought home with you. 
    3. Especially when visiting anyone in a “fragile” condition, such as the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions. 
    4. And, of course, anytime you visit a bathroom. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Please pass it on.