March 18, 2020, still wash your hands!

Here in Ohio we are more or less shutdown (barring what the governor says at his 2:00 conference).  Nationally we've seen the NBA cancel, the NCAA tournaments cancelled. NHL cancel, the MLS cancel, MLB postpone opening day, and the E3 conference cancel.  Most schools have closed switching to on-line delivery of lessons.  Bars and restaurants have closed, going to carryout or delivery options only.

Despite this, I'm still seeing some social media posts that refuse to believe the severity of this crisis.  As of this post, Ohio has 67 confirmed cases in 16 counties (like here).  The naysayers point to these numbers as proof that the measures taken in Ohio are disproportianate to the cases.  What they seem to be missing or unwilling to accept is that those low numbers of infection are due to the extreme measures taken by the governor.  (And no, postponing the March 17th primary to June 2nd doesn't deny your constitutional rights.  If you are bothered by this, maybe next time get your dead ass into the Board of Elections and vote early!)

I saw another post pointing out that the Chinese coronavirus hospitals are closing (link here). So see coronavirus is already over they conclude.  There are several things wrong with this conclusion.  First and foremost, we know China withheld critical information at the beginning of the outbreak.  What makes these social media experts feel that China is now telling the truth?  Perhaps China is closing the hospitals simply for the optics to prevent their economy from collapsing.  The other problem with FB expert posts concluding the worst is over is perhaps the Wuhan situation has already burned through everyone it can kill, the rest are now carriers.  Finally, just because Wuhan is apparently recovering that doesn't mean the rest of China is.

Let's just say the news about Wuhan is accurate and truthful, that doesn't mean we should drop our guard.  Yes people are losing wages.  Yes I know you're already tired of spending this much time home with your spouse and kids without any distractions (the release of Black Widow and several other blockbusters have been pushed back MONTHS!).  Yes I know that suddenly toilet paper and hand sanitizer have become black market gold.  Take this time to relax and realize by staying home you and your family are helping to prevent coronavirus from spreading.

Here in Dubtown, a positive side of the shelter in place protocols has been a significant decrease in the homeless population roaming our streets aimlessly.  Also people do seem to be much more focused on helping each other and local businesses so there are some good points to remember as well.

Take this time to read.  Watch or take some on-line courses.  Get outside and breath some fresh air.  Stop worrying about what China or other countries are doing and focus on this one.  And while you're at it, don't forget to wash your hands!