One of the late night threads. expect people will respond in wildly different ways to this, depending on where they are and how aware they are of the pandemic threat but... (deep breath, here goes) 1/n
This is a pandemic unlike any within living memory. If you are lucky enough to be spared so far, get ready. It will be coming to town so start #socialdistancing. Don’t sit down, get your coffee to go and leave large tips 2/n
If cases are taking off, the experience of Wuhan suggests they will not peak for at least a month. Maybe longer here. This is more serious than you can imagine. It might not feel like it is now, but it will 3/n
If you are sick (dry cough, fever especially. But also other respiratory symptoms) PLEASE SELF ISOLATE, and get your contacts to as well. Every transmission event we stop, helps 4/n
Also please do not seek testing until tests are readily available. The worst thing you can do is wander out, infectious, and initiate transmission chains. And if you are not infected, why would you go to a place testing it where you’re more likely to get infected?! 5/n
If you have respiratory distress, call your doctor. Please accept that what you think counts as ‘respiratory distress’ is relative. Data so far suggest most have mild symptoms, but that’s relative too. Your local hospital will have to choose who to treat and how. Help them 6/n
There are so many things you can do. Do your best to not become infected yourself. Help your neighbors, especially if they are elderly. Fetch them groceries and leave them by the door (teach them how to use venmo later) 7/n
This is gonna tear things up, and provide opportunities for new shoots to flourish. Look at the way teachers are learning (along with their students!) to work online. Businesses are cutting travel. In the long run, we will get through this and learn from it 8/n
But in the short term, please remember this is more serious than most people have yet realized. Don’t freak out at that. Help people get ready. Look after yourself, and others 9/fin
