Coronavirus—the latest threat to our well being

By now, everyone has at least heard of "Coronavirus," the latest threat to our overall health. And now it's invaded Eric's Planet. No, I haven't gotten sick from it, though apparently people who have chronic diseases are at higher risk of coming down with this illness. Type 2 diabetes counts as a chronic illness, and since I happen to have that, I'm at a greater risk of catching it, so claims the Center for Disease Control.

Am I worried? Nope. I have always been diligent about washing my hands, whether I've used the restroom or not. Throughout my life I've always kept myself clean regardless of whether I'm sick or well, peed or pooped. It's just plain old common sense. Mom and Dad taught us to wash our hands often, and I've done just that. I haven't gotten hooked on hand sanitizer and for the most part don't use it, as I feel that plain old soap and water get the job done just fine. The trick is in the length of time we take wash our hands. Simply rinsing our hands isn't good enough. Using soap and water and rinsing for at least 30 seconds is at least what it takes. And that's what I'll do.

People have been discouraged from greeting people with the traditional handshake. As long as I keep my hands clean, I haven't strayed from shaking someone's hand. Since I wash my hands often, I don't consider it a threat to greet someone by shaking their hand. So far, I've been fine and I expect that to continue. That said, I don't get offended if someone refuses to shake my hand. I understand that not everyone is comfortable. If they choose to greet me with a fistbump, a pat on the back or whatever, that's fine. We all have to look out for ourselves and others until this Coronavirus goes away, however long that takes.