“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”
— Marie Curie
I found this quotation on the back cover of a science book I happened to pick up. At first I was inspired. It felt like the universe had sent me a message of hope in this age of uncertainty.
And then I remembered a news clip I heard recently.
It was an interview with a woman from one of the U.S. states where churches are still open and people are still gathering in spite of COVID-19. The woman was adamant that COVID-19 could not touch her because she was “covered in the blood of Jesus.” For her, going to church was no different from going to Wal-Mart. The blood of Jesus protected her from catching the virus there too.
When the reporter asked if she wasn’t worried that she could be spreading COVID-19 to the people she encountered, she simply walked away.
People like this American woman make me afraid. Very afraid.
Stay home, folks. Wear a mask and maintain social distancing if you have to go out. And wash your hands properly.
This silent, half-minute video from Tara Parker-Pope at the New York Times will show you how. It’s definitely worth watching, even if you think you’re washing your hands correctly. (I was forgetting to wash my wrists, and wasn’t giving my fingertips and fingernails the attention they need.)
And don’t touch the faucet with your newly clean hands!