Even the Most Reliable Information Changes
How can we protect ourselves when the most reliable information keeps changing? First we were told that it wasn’t necessary to wear masks. Then we were told that it was very necessary. Conversely, first we were told to disinfect any “fomites” that we would need to touch; now we are told that the chances of getting infected from a fomite are slight (how slight?) and that we need not disinfect them.
Also, some of the reliable information we get is very imprecise. We are told to wash our hands “frequently.” What does that mean? It makes sense to wash them after touching fomites but aside from that, should we wash them because aerosol is landing on our hands? But if so, then isn’t it also landing on our faces?
We have been told that people who are jogging may exhale virus that stays in the air for a few feet behind them as they run. But now it is said that the virus stays in the air for long distances behind them.
And what about the guidelines that give specific numbers of people who can be present with each other? We are told we can be together (while distancing and wearing masks) in groups of fifteen or less, or in groups of fifty or less. Why is fifty a safe number? How is it better than sixty or worse than forty? They don’t say.
Currently we are told that the chances are that we will become infected if we are near an infected person (who may be asymptomatic) indoors for fifteen minutes or more. When will this information change?
Some People are Very Careful
I know a medical technician who goes nowhere other than to work and back home. She hasn’t had a haircut since March, and her hair is so long that when she tried to put it in a ponytail, it’s weight pulled her head back so far that it gave her a headache. (Now she is putting it in a bun; a very large bun.)
Others are Not
I read about a young man who, upon being hospitalized with the virus, said “I thought it was a hoax.” With over twelve million cases and over 250,000 deaths in the U.S. alone, where is he getting his news?
How Can You Protect Yourself?
In view of all this confusion, what is a person to do? I suggest that we 1) seek the available knowledge about how this virus behaves, understanding that this may change as scientists learn more about it, and then 2) make our own common-sense judgments about what we should do to protect ourselves. For example, it never seemed correct that we didn’t need to wear masks. Common sense would say that we should.
My complimentary Tool can help with this. In Step 3, wish for a new mental pathway dedicated to helping you find the sources of information you need. Once you and it have that information, it will cause common-sense solutions to enter your awareness.
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