I write about both prudence and restraint with regard to emergency preparedness. About the potential risk of man-made, technological or natural threats to our safety. Not about panic buttons that too many people leap to activate on the opposite side of apathy.
Right now, many people are either angry or scared to learn that more and more places are being closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The northern border will soon close to "non-essential" traffic. Public gatherings and events are being postponed, and businesses are being shuttered.
The public closures aren’t about a fear of everyone getting infected. They are about slowing the spread of the infection to those who are vulnerable. You can be a carrier of the virus even if you do not display any symptoms.
Remember, there is no cure at this moment. There is no vaccine. Even if you test positive, unless you have severe respiratory complications, you will be sent home to self-quarantine and treat the symptoms. This is still a very fluid situation and the health care system is still learning and trying to keep us current as changes and updates occur daily.
People are struggling to find their usual items. The cascading effect of panic buying has disrupted the supply of usually plentiful items like toilet paper and food. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has lifted the 11-hour workday restriction for truckers to speed the delivery of medical supplies. Preparedness has not only been prudent and fact-supported, but it also takes the strain off the public supply of support items in a crisis, while additionally reducing the strain on limited professional responders in an emergency.
Even well-intentioned people are perpetuating misinformation about COVID-19 on social media as we speak. There is price gouging, and there are scam donation organizations and malware-associated emails being sent out – using this pandemic as bait. This is why I keep steering people back to credible facts from credible sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Washington State Department of Health and the Whatcom County Health Department. The very first and most important question you should be asking about information you are seeing is: What is your source?
Panic comes from fear of vulnerability. Masks, gloves and hand sanitizer flew off the shelves long ago. Using a face mask to contain coughing is logical, but not as a prevention measure to avoid catching anything externally. Your eyes are still exposed to contact from infected respiratory droplets in sneezes and coughs – and secondary contact from various surfaces when you touch your face. Most people are not accustomed to wearing a mask, and either wear it improperly or constantly fidget with it, contrary to the point of keeping it untouched and sanitary.
Researchers at the University of Bristol studied the dynamic effects of coughs and sneezes and found the average sneeze or cough can travel at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. A cough can travel as far as 18 feet, and a sneeze up to 24 feet. These respiratory droplets (less than the size of the width of a human hair) can stay in the air for up to 10 minutes. Try not to touch your eyes, mouth or nose in public, so as not to introduce potential infection to yourself. Wash your hands thoroughly and often. Respect the calls for social distancing. Go shopping and run errands individually and with the same precautions. When you return home, sanitize doors, knobs and your hands again. Completely change your clothes and put them in the washer.
Regardless of what you believe, your life will be disrupted by this outbreak in a variety of ways, whether you like it or not. Seek and share accurate information during a time of heightened concern – as one of the best things we can do to keep rumors and misinformation from spreading. Remember that your kids will also sense your demeanor and likely respond in kind. Talk to them plainly, but not from a place of fear. Help others in need. Check on each other. Keep yourself and your household healthy.
Richard Martin is the director of the non-profit group NorthWest Emergency Preparedness (NWEP).
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here