Opinion: Covid-19 grips the nation
These are frightening times. Keep calm and please don’t panic. The country is in the grips of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was extremely distressing to visit the grocery store and discover its large cooler all but devoid of milk. A nearby chain drug store had only a few half-gallon bottles of milk on Monday. A visit to my pantry assured me I have on hand a variety of boxed and canned goods. Based on our eating patterns, if need be we can hold out a couple of weeks before we are out of food.
News reports show a run on the sale of toilet paper and bottled water. Toilet tissue and facial tissue such as Kleenex should not be thought of as interchangeable. Facial tissue should not be flushed down the commode, as it will clog the plumbing. Using toilet paper to blow one’s nose is a good way to irritate an already raw snout.
Conspiracy theories expounded on Facebook. It would have us believe that every time the United States prepares for a general election there is a major disease outbreak. It further states the Corona Virus in 2020, Ebola in 2014 and 2018, Zika in 2016, Mers in 2012, Avian Flu in 2008 and SARS in 2004. Other sites claim this assertion is false and made only to incite people’s fears. There are also many bogus claims circulating online outlining treatments to cure the Coronavirus. None of them is approved.
Schools are closed for at least a month and possibly until the fall. Parents will be notified when classes are to resume. Movie theaters are closed and many restaurants and bars have altered the way they operate or ceased doing business until further notice.
For the first time since the JFK assassination in 1963 the Las Vegas strip will shut down, according to The Associated Press. All Nevada gambling will grind to a halt on Wednesday. This includes casinos and slot machines placed in convenience stores and other retail locations. Casinos closing their doors are a sure sign the country is taking this crisis seriously.
It is tragic that while people need to rely on their faith the most to make it through this crisis, church services are being canceled. Good Friday is April 10 and Easter is April 12. It would be a blessing if the need for all these self-quarantines and isolation became unnecessary to enable church services to proceed as normal.
Many businesses are sending out mass emails announcing retail closures. Beauty specialty store Sephora sent its customers an email stating that all of its retail shops in the US and Canada are closed until at least April 3. Its online stores will waive shipping and handling fees until the crisis has passed.
Frequent hand-washing and avoiding contact with other people is the recommended procedure to keep from contracting the virus.
Pray for our country and its leaders.
May you have long days and pleasant nights, have a good weekend.
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Readers may contact Tami Jo Nix by emailing tamijonix@gmail.com or following @TamiJoNix on Twitter.
