Coronavirus

Even though I totally support closing down the schools and canceling large gatherings, I feel the need to get up on my little soapbox about the levels of stupidity and greed I've seen.  I usually have faith in the human race but y'all are really testing me with the pandemic.

1) Educate yourselves.  What the food and health care industries call "universal procedures" is usually sufficient to keep any virus at bay. Wash your hands often.  Keep surfaces sanitary. Try not to touch your face - which is the hardest part in my opinion!  Viruses spread easily in large crowds - thus, the cancellations I mentioned earlier.  Learn the specific symptoms of COVID-19 so you don't panic at the sight of me sneezing.  (I have a head cold.) 

2) The store shelves are looking like something from TWD.  By all means, stock up on what you and yours will need for a few weeks if quarantine becomes necessary.  No one needs the entire paper products aisle.  No one needs enough disinfectant to fill a swimming pool.  Quarantine is not required unless you are infected, anyway.  Stocking up is a precaution.

3) DON'T BE GREEDY.  Taking advantage of others is bad enough when there isn't a crisis! I'm not a violent woman, but if someone offers to sell me a five dollar roll of toilet paper out of their van, I just might end up arrested for assault.  They'll be lucky if all they get is the sharp side of my tongue.  I have no sympathy for all of those "businessmen" who got "screwed over" when Amazon and eBay blocked the sale of those items. 

4) Stop with the conspiracy theories.  Nobody created COVID-19 in an attempt to overthrow any  goverment.  It's a new mutation of a viral strand that's always been around.  Viruses mutate - that's why they are so hard to eradicate.  Is it possible we're being manipulated into panic mode with malice intent?  Of course it is.  You know what keeps us from being manipulated?  See point 1. 

5) The golden rule applies, even more so in a crisis situation, and a pandemic is a crisis situation.  Be good to one another.  Share.  I don't have much to spare, but what I do have is free if you need it. Even when there's not a pandemic on.