My recommendations during COVID-19 for what they are worth. Feel free to take them or leave them.

Do not think you are safe because you are young or fit. The virus does not care about you, your age, or your plans.

The virus is new. Novel. You do not have a natural or special immunity that will protect you – and there are questions on how much of and how long you will have immunity after infection. That topic still being studied as I write these words.

Homemade or purchased untested/unapproved concoctions, potions, poltaces, salves, ointments, crystals, flowery/fruity smells, and other “medicines” and will not fight or stop infection – but if they help you feel better and cope with the situation go for it – but also play by the rules as set by the infectious disease experts.

Your lifestyle, money, magic, religion, prayers, politics, status, belief it is all a conspiracy theory – whatever – will not protect you either.

This virus will happily shoot your plans in the foot if you slack off and give it the chance.

Choose wisely.
Do the right thing.

Protect yourself and your loved ones and everyone you come in contact with.

Listen to the health and science experts.

Follow their advice.

Stay home.

Social distance.

Do not shake hands.

Wash your hands – a lot.

Don’t touch your face.

Cough into your elbow/mask.

Wash your hands again.

Don’t touch strangers or other people outside of your core family group or their “stuff.”

When you have to go out, don’t touch things outside your home such as grocery store items – until you are absolutely sure it is the item you want to buy – then, buy it, bag it, and once you get it home – sanitize it before taking it into your home.

Sanitize your mail and packages before bringing them into your home (microwaving mail/packages will not help – but it may damage your mail or microwave.)

Sanitize the soles of your shoes before entering your home.

Sanitize your car where your groceries and whtever else your hands touched.

Stock up, but do not hord supplies.

Wear a homemade mask in public, avoid crowds and people showing signs of sickness, if you start showing signs of sickness – self isolate and call your doctor.

Are my cautionary science-supported preparations germophobic overkill?

Possibly.

But it is better to be overly safe, healthy, and prepared, than to be another statistic.

If and when the authorities open things back up it will be a good idea to keep taking all the precautions until the experts say we are in the clear – and then keep social distancing for a few more weeks just to be sure it doesn’t come back and we have to go through all this again.

Then, and only then will we be able to start to slowly go back to “normal” – although, our “normal” will probably never be the way it was before COVID-19.

Finally, when a vaccine is developed, tested and available – just get it…or you could take your chances and let Darwin decide – if you understand my meaning.

Protect yourself and others by listening to the experts, doing the right thing, and choosing wisely.

To do anything less, for whatever selfish reasons you can come up with, would be putting yourself and others at risk and will only prolong the suffering and loss.

No, dear reader, I have not been compromised by “the man” or by some outside influence/power wanting to control everything and everyone for some nefarious purpose.

In fact, from my point of view it is just the opposite – I feel more free than many of you reading these words and possibly choosing to accuse me of being corrupted by the system. Why, because I choose to not listen to all the crazy conspiracy theories, the bloated snake oil salesmen, con artists, hucksters, hot air spewing televangelists, and charlatans on the lunatic fringe out to take you for a ride with their only goal being to take your money.

I choose to accept the evidence, findings, and advice of science and I let that evidence be my decision making guide for my life’s choices. At least with science my decisions are based on mountains of evidence, evidence and facts that support themselves and are the basis of my decisions. Decisions based on facts that are supported by evidence – not by the heated claims of those out only to better only themselves or their special or selfish interests.

To base my decisions on the facts supported by the evidence and peer review process and to not be a part of the controlling cults of myth, money, and politics was one of the most freeing decisions I have ever made.

Choose wisely.