Thread by @vmyths

Hear me out: this has everything to do with cyber.

1/5 Three decades of #computer virus panic leads me to predict #COVID19 will lead to a major reduction in U.S. food poisonings -- but only over the short term.

I've long hypothesized that many so-called "food poisonings"...

2/5 ...actually stem from unsanitary conditions AT HOME.

Somebody plops a greasy taco bag or a leftover container on the kitchen counter / table. That residue spoils.

Then it transfers to Timmy's Big Mac. He pukes & poops and his parents auto-blame it on McDonald's.

3/5 I believe the U.S. has grown so "fast-foody" that we've collectively lost our discipline for kitchen & dining room cleanliness.

Now, suddenly, panic has swept the U.S. Everybody hoards @Clorox wipes and, wow, actually uses them!

These wipes are closely related to...

4/5 ...the #antivirus "auto-update" button that people click relentlessly during a global #computer virus outbreak.

If we've learned ONE THING from decades of Internet #panic ... it's that people's digital hygiene is fleeting.

Likewise: their newfound kitchen & table hygiene.

5/5 I see so many #similarities between today's COVID19 panic vs. all the computer virus panic we've suffered over the decades.

And that's why I can predict the U.S. will see fewer "food poisonings" -- but only over the short term.

@threadreaderapp please unroll