Editorial: An obligation to others in time of coronavirus
Unless you're a hermit, it will be hard to stand alone if a coronavirus outbreak hits our suburbs. Rather, it will take a cooperative effort to keep as many people as possible safe and healthy.
That's the message behind the detailed tips and instructions being distributed by health officials and medical experts as ways to keep the virus under control.
With two patients in the suburbs who've recovered and two others who appear to be recovering, the virus might have only a small foothold in our area, if we're lucky. More likely, additional cases will surface as numbers continue to grow nationwide.
For us, now is the time to get ahead of it. And that really entails not just looking out for yourself, but looking out for the community.
Coronavirus typically spreads in tiny airborne droplets from coughs or sneezes or by lurking on surfaces. There hasn't been a lot of study involving this virus, but some coronaviruses can stick around for nine days on hard surfaces, the Journal of Hospital Infection reports.
Your role in keeping the virus out of your home, workplace, school or other group settings is pretty simple: Wash your hands every time you enter the building, before eating, after using the bathroom and many times in between.
Wipe frequently touched surfaces like light switches, countertops, phones, keyboards, doorknobs and handles at least once a day with disinfectant.
Stay home if you're coughing or sneezing and cover your cough with a tissue, then throw it away, or cough or sneeze into your arm rather than your hand.
By doing these things, you're not just looking out for yourself, you're helping keep others safe, including the elderly, those taking immune-suppressing drugs or people with respiratory conditions, who are more likely to suffer severe illnesses.
The same philosophy applies to stocking up.
Having bleach wipes and sanitizer in the hands of all your co-workers and neighbors will do you a lot more good than having an oversupply stacked in your basement, unused. Buy what you need - and then stop, so the shelves aren't empty for others.
As for masks, hoarding by healthy people deprives health care workers who are doing the brave, compassionate work of caring for patients and who genuinely need the protection.
Spread facts, not rumors, and show calm and empathy, not panic.
By taking such steps we protect the health of everyone we come into contact with, as well as our own. That's our obligation. Now is the time to embrace it.