Someone on Facebook was pushing an unsourced rumor that breathing hot, dry air would kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It doesn't. It could be dangerous if tried with very hot air. Don't do it.
I keep seeing absolutely bogus talk, things that do more harm than good, that encourage misuse of essential supplies -- it's all just trash. If CDC or your state or city Board of Heath (or equivalent) didn't say it, it's probably nonsense. Whatever you think about inducements to innovative thinking in modern Red China, with 11 million sick and/or gravely worried people in Wuhan and more in the rest of China (not to mention South Korea), if there was a way to MacGyver this virus to a standstill, someone would have done it already and they'd be getting awards from a grateful planet right now.
Politicizing this illness doesn't help, either. The politicians are going to do so anyway. They've been busy sniping at one another, especially if they were already campaigning. We don't need to play along. We can play red flag/blue flag later, once we get through the worst of this.
TV and online news from reputable outfits is not lying to you about the virus. Yes, CNN loathes the current Administration, but even they -- and all the other ABC/CBS/NBC/etc. a little to the right of them and major newspapers on either side -- are working hard to get the facts out. Some of them can't help but snipe and snap (New Yorker is still so consumed by Presidential Derangement Syndrome that they're just about useless) but the majority are working past that.
And your local news, TV and what's left of radio and newspapers, look, they're not paid well enough to put up a wall of lies even if they wanted to, which they do not. These are earnest strivers, some of them a bit wet behind the ears but working hard. I have an inside view of this. They're knocking themselves out to gather, assemble and present the news about this crisis and how people can deal with it. They're just as much at the mercy of experts as any of us -- but at present, they have good access to large body of genuine expertise and they are doing whatever they can to share it with you.
Pay attention and survive. Don't share whacky, unsourced nattering and misinformation. Be kind to others. Get through this.
Update
4 days ago
3 comments:
I know what you mean. It is hard to know who to actually trust,in many cases, even if you are not trying to get caught up in the craziness of the moment. I went to my area big box W. store yesterday, and was surprised at the various types of things that had sold out, while some of the items were in abundant supply. Spaghetti sauce, of nearly all types, were sold out, but they had tons of tomato products, if you were capable of making your own sauces from canned tomatoes, tomato paste,tomato sauce, etc.
Pretty much, the farther away from packaged convenience foods, to where you actually had to do more than just open a can, were all in stock. But things that were simply open can, heat up, were in lower supply or sold out. Toilet paper was being stocked even as I was there, with a few people picking up a lot of it. It was not on my list, so I didn't buy any. The meat counter was sold down,but we buy meat at a local butcher shop, normally. So I didn't buy anything, other than a package of hot dogs, to put in the freezer.
Hopefully, eventually calm heads will win out, and politics will fade, like they normally do. And maybe some people may even learn from this. I see that a few people who are not gun people are buying guns, which I don't think is either good or bad. I hope that they also are encouraged to get training. And those who panic and buy toilet paper and hand sanitizer, will become prepper types, at least having a week or so of stores on hand in the future.
And it goes without saying,that what should be normal cautions about washing your hands, not coughing on people,etc, need to become ingrained.
Went by Wally today and it looked like everyone wiped the place down to the bare walls in eggs, cleaning supplies, TP and canned anything. did not need anything but I thought couple soup cans would be nice while I do not need to shoot my way out of the store.
Nuts
I live in a very small mountain village. I still go to our local coffeehouse every day, buy a cup of coffee, and then drink it outside. They lost over $30,000.00 last year due to the power shutoffs. (I am in No. CA.) I get my social time, see my friends, and support the lifeline of this community.
I go into our local market, and buy a few things every day. The store is next to the coffeehouse. No panic buying, just getting a few things, every single day. I am trying to help these businesses stay alive.
Unfortunately, people are driving here from Santa Rosa, over an hour away and a place where there is the virus, to stock up on supplies thinking that we have more. That and they are coming from all over they Bay Area thinking that they can be social, and there is no virus up here. They are renting out homes up here. We have not had any verified cases so far, partially because we are so isolated. We have already lost several businesses due to the fires and power shutoffs last year. I am really hoping this community is going to survive.
I have a full fridge and freezer, and my pantry looks good. Some things we are learning to do without. I am actually ok with that. I have a warm, dry place to live. I have my husband, and friends that I chat with at the coffee shop. Outside and 6 feet away. I just got over a case of the flu that was almost as bad as the virus. (Yes, it was the flu.) I really worry about our elderly folk up here.
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