Coronavirus: Know the Facts

Instead of panic gather the facts and spread knowledge not a cold.

Yes COVID-19 is a pandemic an has affected over 124,518 people worldwide but, it is not a reason to panic. We need to understand the facts of the illness not just buying toilet paper in mass quantities.

“CDC is aggressively responding to the global outbreak of COVID-19 and preparing for the potential of community spread in the United States. ~ cdc.gov”

Spread Knowledge not Fear

So here goes my input on this pandemic, stop spreading ignorant fear! There I said it, some of you need to sit down and breathe into a paper bag. For us as society to contain this alongside the CDC we need to really understand the facts not the fear behind this new strain of a common virus. So, get out your notepads because I am going to give you facts not mass media hysteria. Of course, we should be prepared to be quarantined with normal household supplies but unless you plan on eating toilet paper, you can put back the six extra cases you bought. Because if you need to be quarantined you will need things like food and water. So, are we all calm and reading now!?

Coronavirus Facts

Coronavirus commonly known as CoV is a zoonotic family of viruses spread from animals to humans. We have seen prior cases such as SARS-CoV, which started from cats to humans in 2003. I am sure you all remember that pandemonium. It was also the cause of the cold outbreak in the middle east known as MERS-CoV, which was transmitted from camels to humans. So, let recap a simple basic here, Coronavirus has been around for quite some time. Yes, it even says so on your Lysol bottle, so the government is not “lying” about the virus being new. That is because the virus going around now is a NEW strand known as nCoV, novel coronavirus or COVID-19. You see viruses, colds and even flues mutate into different strands. So, while you may get a flu shot you end up with the flu if that strand was not included in the immunization.

The second set of facts is the symptoms which are fever, cough, shortness of breath and/or breathing difficulties. Simple enough eh, wait that sounds like every other cold…now what? Well if you suffer from any of these symptoms GO SEE A DR, don’t get on a plane or a cruise first. They will screen you, test you if necessary and set up a care plan to get better. I have Lupus and have been battling either a cold or allergies for over four months (that’s my terrible immune system not fighting it off). With this COVID-19 going around I went to the Dr and was put on antibiotics as a precautionary and told to rest, wash my hands, sneeze into my elbow and not go sharing my illness with my neighbors or friends. I thought was simple knowledge and I am seeing otherwise now.

Third set of facts wash your bloody hands! I mean we teach this to toddlers but apparently forget as adults. I went to Walmart the other day and needed new hand soap for my kitchen, I was running low because I use it several times a day. There were like 3 bottles left and they were tossed about as if I missed some huge giveaway. I shook my head and wandered off with ONE bottle of it. I thought I was like most humans and I have some in each bathroom and my kitchen sink, so I am confused as to why the new need for mass quantities of hand soap are. Oh, wait I know, we all took that hand washing thing for granted possibly, I am not sure, but it has me mind blown how now all the sudden we want to promote hand washing.

Back to the Basics

Can we all please go back to kindergarten for a moment, remember why we wash our hands. Let’s start doing that even when there isn’t an outbreak of a virus. Why we are on the hand-washing basics, who here has taught their toddler to sneeze into their elbow. I mean my 4-year-old granddaughter does it without being prompted because her mom who also suffers from a weakened immune system taught her that at a young age. In fact, she washes her hands after she uses the bathroom too.

Use hand sanitizer as well if out in public after touching door handles, rails, chairs, items on a shelf. At home clean with Lysol or bleach, and I get made fun of for my love of using bleach at home and not just some pretty smelling cleaner. Yes, I am aware of the shortage on those as well. Hey guess what you can make this stuff in your kitchen. All you need is 2/3 cup of Rubbing alcohol that is 91% or higher, 1/3 cup of aloe vera gel and you can even throw in some essential oils, so it smells pretty. You can also use things like Borax, I love putting that in my loads of towels, sheets and clothes. It is a disinfectant and pesticide so it covers all bases, you can also mix it with water and put in a spray bottle with some lemon. Which by the way, Lemon is a fantastic all natural antibacterial cleaner. Of course, Hydrogen peroxide, I use bathroom cleaner with that in it because well it too is a disinfectant and kills smells.

So now that we understand we do not have to panic if there are not Lysol wipes or spray. We can create our own and keep a clean tidy house while killing germs and viruses.

Have we calmed down?

Now that I have provided you with some facts on COVID-19, Coronavirus can we start spreading this knowledge and not the let’s crucify the sick and weak. If you are sick be an adult and go see a Dr even if you don’t have health insurance. I do not have health insurance and spent a whopping $75 at the local walk in clinic and downloaded GoodRx for my prescriptions. Let’s practice proper hand-washing skills (sing happy birthday while you wash your hands getting in between fingers as well) don’t touch your face after touching common areas in public, use disinfectants and antibacterial cleaners, you know have homemade options, at home to prevent spreading germs. When you are out in public bring your homemade sanitizer wash hands after entering a building. Stock up on essentials for a 14-30-day quarantine, and no 200 rolls of toilet paper will not help you survive that quarantine. Also, for those who say “Toilet paper is made in china” many brands like Charmin and Angel produce here in the US of A. If you can read the new s hype you can take two minutes to research where toilet paper is made. For those I have offended, I am not sorry…I simply want to share some facts as I have done my research to prevent myself at my best ability from getting COVID-19. Stay safe, stay healthy and share the knowledge!!!