AOC Gives Good Advice On How To Avoid Catching Coronavirus

Did anyone catch this interview last week?

Last week, C-SPAN asked Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to remark on a congressional hearing she recently attended concerning the coronavirus. AOC stated that "we want to just make sure that everyone stays calm." She then goes on to say, that she knows "it sounds banal, but one of the key parts to preventing transmission, is washing your hands and not touching your face."

Personally, I think AOC should've also mentioned that folks should "do as I say and not as I do," because it's quite evident that she can't even follow her own advice. What a numbskull.

a reply to: shawmanfromny

Haw, haw, she said banal like b-anal.

Yep.

Our prime minister in my country did the same thing; saying too the people don't shake hands and what did he do right after?
That said, it's just hard really and shaking off this auto imprinted behavior just by that.
And really when you think hard, even washing your hands is not that safe! That virus is on your hand and then you touch the faucet first and infecting it doing so.. So you wash your hands and touching the faucet afterwards again!? not safe! Or what about the door you opened entering your house, it's still there after washing your hands.

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: shawmanfromny

Haw, haw, she said banal like b-anal.

The whole thing was just bānal, just really bānal. Lol.

a reply to: Pluginn

All of this is why I think this reliance on prevention has been piss poor advice. People touch their face (after touching all kinds of things) without even thinking about it. Expecting people to suddenly change these unconscious habits was never feasible or reasonable. And other habits and manners of things that risk contagion.

Of course we want to decrease our own chances of getting it, as well as the opportunity for others to spread it. But we can only do so much and those efforts will only go so far. At best, we can slow down the transmission rate. We can't stop it. And I think by the time officials realized it was a problem, they also realized that it was too late to stop it because it was already here.

What absolutely infuriates me is that we've been given virtually no practical advice or preparation. None. (But plenty of fearmongering by many) And I know that there are emergency plans in place for pandemics. Either those plans are not being followed or those plans are to gaslight the people.

a reply to: Boadicea

They do have plans for sure, in my country (which got leaked btw) the military comes in action (they got medical hospitals) and elderly houses will be used (ok sounds strange but ok). Also people over 80 in critical condition will not be helped (not logical in my eyes but ok (since they are the most likely to die from this virus). But it's some kind of protocol all over the world. But this virus is most dangerous for the elderly!

For me what absolutely infuriates me is that many people and the media (in my country) downplays it. Many many just say: It's just like the flu!
In China those people and the government took/take it really really seriously. Not over here, and my feeling in the US even worse. In China they even when not infected stayed indoors, whole city's put down and those people over there even doing so. Over here you got huge ego's and in the US stopping with work isn't even an option. At least in Europe you still get payed when you say; I feel sick and stay home. Also in the US many many got diabetes (because of overweight very often) which isn't a good thing when getting this virus (ok also here in Europe but not that badly) And look at the government; the most concern goes about the stocks and the economy. Hardly testing people or putting money or care there it seems.

Sure our PM said don't shake hands but really the only feeling I get they don't want panic and saying they got it under control. Sure I'm not panicking but I know older people are really in danger. And I Love my parents which are in danger when when they get this virus big time. They got a very big change getting a dangerous lung infection and their change surviving that isn't that high. But again many many people are just like; it's just like the flu, not my problem.

originally posted by: Pluginn
Yep.

Our prime minister in my country did the same thing; saying too the people don't shake hands and what did he do right after?
That said, it's just hard really and shaking off this auto imprinted behavior just by that.
And really when you think hard, even washing your hands is not that safe! That virus is on your hand and then you touch the faucet first and infecting it doing so.. So you wash your hands and touching the faucet afterwards again!? not safe! Or what about the door you opened entering your house, it's still there after washing your hands.

My 8 year old granddaughter has hand washing down to a science. Over the last year or so, she has informed me of proper bathroom hygiene and other public hygiene items.

1. Don't touch anything in public restrooms you don't absolutely have to. Use your elbow if you can, a knuckle if you must. Use your shirt tail or sleeve cuff to open doors, use your butt to open push doors if you can. Use toilet paper to lock and un-lock the bathroom stall door and to flush if you have to.

2. After you wash your hands use a paper towel to turn off the water if it is not automatic. If there are no paper towels, use the soap to wash the handle, and rinse it with your hand, then turn it off (YES, I have done this, often)

3. As you exit the restroom use the paper towel to open the door if you can't push it open with your butt. Toss the paper towel in the wastebasket behind you. If you don't have a paper towel use your shirt sleeve or any item of clothing that is handy and doesn't reveal too much to turn a door handle. (A few months ago she really gave it to me for opening a restroom door with my hands)


Other easy to do tips to keep virus' off your hands, mostly off your fingers that are most likely to transfer them to the face

Use elbows - they are great for punching elevator buttons and opening doors in public

Use the handicap door opener with your elbow or knee depending on the height and let it open a germ ridden public door for you.

Use knuckles for screens (like ordering in McDonalds, my MD has a check in screen similar to airport) Don't use your fingers. Follow that up with any nearby hand sanitizer or the hand sanitizer you carry in your pocket

Don't put your hand on a handrail, let your hand hover over the handrail in case you lose your balance or end up needing it. Most of the time a hover does the job. If you touch a handrail - get that hand sanitizer out of your pocket.

If you see someone sneezing, back up, and keep backing up. Nothing is worth standing in line for if the person near you is spewing germs. If you can, leave the area as soon as possible. Then wash your hands, then use hand sanitizer. But the airborne germs may be unavoidable. Leaving is the best idea, as quickly as possible if you are able.

I am friends with a state Surgeon General (retired). He said face masks are not very helpful for most people because they keep adjusting them with their hands, right next to their eyes, nose, and mouth which are the breeding grounds for the virus. He said most people have a better chance of catching a virus with a mask rather than without because they won't leave the mask alone. He said hand washing and hand sanitizer are the best method of prevention out in public.

Personally, I'm avoiding all buffets and potlucks, public gatherings including theater and movies, as well as restaurants with tables close together, I just made an online order for my groceries and will drive thru pick up tomorrow, I'll keep this up until the virus burns itself out or I get a vaccine. But the hopes for a vaccine are low. While at least one company has one, the permits to mass produce it normally take at least 18 months and rigorous testing on animals, then humans. Then the US alone will need 300,000,000 doses for the citizenry, and manufacturing that many doses takes time.

When you get in your car: I keep wipes in my car because of the grandkids. If I think I was in a germy area, I wipe down the steering wheel, and everything I touched getting into the car. Then hand sanitize.

You may think I'm a little nutty, but a few years ago I was in an airplane with an obviously sick kid, coughing, red cheeks, etc. across the aisle from me. The airline staff did nothing. A week later I was in the hospital and nearly died from pneumonia I got from the little germ factory due to his negligent parents taking him on a flight obviously very very ill.

Since then I have been very careful about catching a virus. It only takes nearly meeting the grim reaper in person from a virus to become a "little nutty" about avoiding viruses.


As for those, like my son-in-law who brushes it off, its just a flu. All fine and dandy if you are under 60 and healthy. Yes it is just a cold or flu for you.

Personally I don't want to die in my early 60's and my very active physically and mentally 86 year old mother doesn't want to be left to die because of her age either. If you are young and healthy, great - but remember this is killing those over age 60 mostly. Also remember, someday you will be over 60 and how would you like someone dismissing your wanting to avoid a virus that statistically (because you are over 60) has a decent chance of killing you, as being silly.

a reply to: The2Billies

You have one smart granddaughter! Just a heads up...not all elderly people who catch this virus, end up dead. It's just that MSM rarely posts anything about elderly people who recover from this virus, but there are videos and stories out there. As long as you're healthy (which seems to be the case for both you and your mother), catching the coronavirus past 60 isn't necessarily a death sentence. Stay cautious, but don't get too paranoid. Take care!

Northeast Ohio couple from coronavirus cruise ship: ‘Don’t panic’

“I felt no different than normal. I had a slight cough in the morning," Leo said. While he didn’t notice any significant symptoms, he said doctors also found he had pneumonia.

The couple had taken a cruise, where hundreds of passengers ended up infected with the coronavirus, including Leo. He had no idea. “They tested everybody over 80 (years old). Other than that, he was just tired and getting a cough. Nothing serious," Diane said.

fox8.com...

AN 81-YEAR-OLD Italian woman who contracted coronavirus has recovered after spending a week in hospital.

Her body reacted well to the antiviral treatments and she remained determined throughout her stay in hospital

Her nephew added: “My grandmother has proven that it is possible to recover from coronavirus. We can’t wait to hug her.”

www.express.co.uk...

That part of washing your hand and not touching your face to protect yourself is so funny. The virus is in the air when you are close to a sick person and it is all over the place, on your hands, clothes, and face, even in your hair. As soon as you wash your hands, you hang them on your side and they touch your pants....Duh.... go through a door into a store, heat blows toward the door to stop cold from coming in, it blows the virus around everywhere if it is present.

They do not want people to stop spending, they do not want businesses to close down. They do not want everyone panicking because of the fearmongering going on. Most people will not get a bad case of this, it is not something they should worry about. And remember, never stop taking antihistamines quickly, it can cause you to die, talk to the doctor if you are taking these meds, don't just stop. I know two women who died because the doctor took them off too fast, immune system blockers need to be gradually be reduced, never go cold turkey without doctor supervision.

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: shawmanfromny

Haw, haw, she said banal like b-anal.

Come on she only infected herself 10 times... She is young so no problem..

By the way some people are into b-anal...its 2020

If she keeps flicking her hair like that, Joe Biden will show up. Maybe that's what she wants, now that her sugar-daddy, Bernie Sanders, is going down the tubes.

originally posted by: Pluginn
a reply to: Boadicea


For me what absolutely infuriates me is that many people and the media (in my country) downplays it. Many many just say: It's just like the flu!

This blowing it off as if it's less than or equal to the flu? It's probably going to be the thing that gets me killed. I'm in a very at-risk group.

I was at the store yesterday to stock up on meds to hold me for three months. The b****** behind the counter coughed in my direction. On a 5-day countdown now, hoping he just has allergies or a cold.

a reply to: rickymouse

So really, even if you don protective gear when out, you need to get those clothes into the washer and shower asap. And always treat your hands as if they're covered with something deadly because, like you said, it's still probably throughout your environment.

It's not that hard to do (hand awareness about cross contagion and keeping them away from your face). Post Transplant beat it into us. If you get scared well enough, the learning curve is pretty darn steep.

BTW, I made your soup! It was AWESOME. (heart)

a reply to: Pluginn

I sure understand the worry for your parents. I am worried for my husband's parents as well. My parents have already passed, but my inlaws are close to 90 years old, and they are in good health, but this virus is the biggest threat to the elderly. That's for sure. I'm glad because she's a nurse, so at least she knows how to take good care of them. But we'll be keeping a close eye on them until this passes.

If this virus follows the nature of other viruses, hopefully it will die out as the weather warms. We're close to spring already with summer just around the corner. That's my best hope at this point. I think the vast majority of us will make it through just fine. Including our parents.

Let's hope and pray so, eh?

a reply to: shawmanfromny

Thank you. I know it isn't a death sentence for those over 60. But I just had major shoulder surgery after ripping out tendons while helping a friend move. My Mom is a healthy 86, even teaches computer classes at the Senior Center.

Actually, the majority of deaths in the US are people in their 80's so far. Statistically, ones chance of dying from the virus grows exponentially after the age of 60.

Having contracted a pneumonia virus that nearly killed me a few years ago from a snot nosed kid who should not have been on an airplane - I know what a virus that attacks the lungs can do.

So once one hits 60, your chances of dying from CV are statistically fairly low, but exponentially higher than a 40 year old's chance of dying. It is the 20-40's who seem to be saying "get over it" the odds are low, don't be paranoid.

They don't realize one day they will be 60 and when someone says to them, this new virus really only kills those over 60 but at a low rate, way way more than 70% live. Your just being paranoid. My answer is YES I'm being paranoid, what if I told you that the new virus out only gives old people a cold because they likely had something similar as a child. But for those 40 and under, well statistically you'll be fine, even though the vast majority of deaths are in the under 40's and children, and the death rate is only 200+ times higher than the flu.
The under 40's would totally freak when told what is true of this virus for over 60's.

This is accurate: Only 0.2% of the population who get the flu die. With this new virus 4% of the population who get it will die (more than a 200 times higher rate than for the flu) and most of them will be over 60 with the majority of them in their 80's, or have another medical condition in addition to their age. They don't give out the odds for the 60-80's because that would scare this population silly if the vast majority of deaths are 4% of the entire population, and in the US this age group makes up only about 16% of the population. The odds for that group dying must be way higher than for the younger age groups, NO ONE is printing those odds anywhere, which tells me it is not to frighten people.

Again, I AM doing all I can to avoid getting it because I nearly died from a pneumonia virus transmitted to me in public, on a plane when I was healthy and under 60. Right now I am not healthy after injuring myself helping a friend move and being post surgical with what the surgeon told his intern was the worst case he had done successfully, any worse and he would not have even attempted it.

So, I'm being what I feel is justifiably paranoid.

And with my 86 year old Mom, well what are her odds, even healthy, since I heard that the majority of deaths in the US so far are actually the over 80's. Her odds are exponentially higher than even mine if she catches it.

Good thing about being a Senior, you can isolate yourself if you need to while this is happening. We don't have to go to work.

Thanks for the encouragement.

I think it is prudent for us (as Seniors) to self isolate as much as possible until the virus has burned itself out in the country.

Our only gatherings right now are our Senior Sunday School class (60 members, all seniors), and to our Senior sewing group (25 members), we don't go to our mega church services. Mom teaches 8 seniors this semester at the senior center. All of us are very aware and already taking precautions. No one in those groups attends with even the sniffles, this has been our protocol for as long as I have been in the group. People in those groups thank others for staying home with sniffles and not feeling up to par. The retired Surgeon General of our states prison system, in our state I mentioned earlier is in our Sunday School Class and is an advisor currently on our state's task force for CV. He is an expert in viruses, for many, many years he was the only MD who would treat AIDS patients for miles and miles around. Anyway our last class he spent over 20 minutes talking to us and giving us prudent advice. He was the one that said forget the face masks.

Right now, it is just barely getting started in the US. We can hope good weather will help, but there are no assurances of that at all.

But again, I'm not chastising you at all, just restating what I think is a case for seniors especially to be justifiably worried and to self isolate as much as possible until this blows over, and it will.

originally posted by: rickymouse
That part of washing your hand and not touching your face to protect yourself is so funny. The virus is in the air when you are close to a sick person and it is all over the place, on your hands, clothes, and face, even in your hair. As soon as you wash your hands, you hang them on your side and they touch your pants....Duh.... go through a door into a store, heat blows toward the door to stop cold from coming in, it blows the virus around everywhere if it is present.

They do not want people to stop spending, they do not want businesses to close down. They do not want everyone panicking because of the fearmongering going on. Most people will not get a bad case of this, it is not something they should worry about. And remember, never stop taking antihistamines quickly, it can cause you to die, talk to the doctor if you are taking these meds, don't just stop. I know two women who died because the doctor took them off too fast, immune system blockers need to be gradually be reduced, never go cold turkey without doctor supervision.

Telling other people not to bother washing their hands is irresponsible.

Do you know how germs spread?

Nurse friends of mine say many of them are putting neosporin in their noses and reapplying to help stop viruses from traveling up their nose. I just heard this - from a NURSE. I'm not sure about how much that will help, but I'm for trying anything that won't hurt you that might help in a time like this at my age and current health status.

Take some time to learn about how viruses spread. It it far more from touching where people who were sick were, than from getting it airborne. Yes you can get it airborne - but more people catch viruses from where sick people touched.

I'm sorry for your friends. But am appalled you put down hand washing - please read up on virus transmission.

As you pointed out, going out in public is an airborne risk, so self isolating like me, my mom and other seniors are doing is a good thing to do. But there are times we need to go out, then our ONLY option is to wash our hands and be diligent about it.

originally posted by: The2Billies

originally posted by: rickymouse
That part of washing your hand and not touching your face to protect yourself is so funny. The virus is in the air when you are close to a sick person and it is all over the place, on your hands, clothes, and face, even in your hair. As soon as you wash your hands, you hang them on your side and they touch your pants....Duh.... go through a door into a store, heat blows toward the door to stop cold from coming in, it blows the virus around everywhere if it is present.

They do not want people to stop spending, they do not want businesses to close down. They do not want everyone panicking because of the fearmongering going on. Most people will not get a bad case of this, it is not something they should worry about. And remember, never stop taking antihistamines quickly, it can cause you to die, talk to the doctor if you are taking these meds, don't just stop. I know two women who died because the doctor took them off too fast, immune system blockers need to be gradually be reduced, never go cold turkey without doctor supervision.

Telling other people not to bother washing their hands is irresponsible.

Do you know how germs spread?

Nurse friends of mine say many of them are putting neosporin in their noses and reapplying to help stop viruses from traveling up their nose. I just heard this - from a NURSE. I'm not sure about how much that will help, but I'm for trying anything that won't hurt you that might help in a time like this at my age and current health status.

Take some time to learn about how viruses spread. It it far more from touching where people who were sick were, than from getting it airborne. Yes you can get it airborne - but more people catch viruses from where sick people touched.

I'm sorry for your friends. But am appalled you put down hand washing - please read up on virus transmission.

As you pointed out, going out in public is an airborne risk, so self isolating like me, my mom and other seniors are doing is a good thing to do. But there are times we need to go out, then our ONLY option is to wash our hands and be diligent about it.

Impressive, I learned something, neosporin does increase the innate immune system to fight viruses. Now why didn't they check this out before telling doctors a few years back that antibiotics do not help viral infections.

www.the-scientist.com...

Thanks for the information, I always check to see if what people say has some truth to it, I do not automatically believe the information that healthcare spews because I have researched this kind of stuff a lot. I had just figured if you kill bacteria and fungi, it would free up the immune system to focus on the viral infection, but it appears to be more than that.

It is good to wash your hands before you eat and refrain from rubbing your eyes with hands that may have viruses or troublesome microbes on them. But washing your hands everytime you touch something is not needed, our skin puts out chemicals that kill viruses and microbes of many kinds, washing it off can make the microbes dig right in and survive when the chemicals would kill them on contact. Now everything has it's time and place, use reasonable precautions. If you are working in a hospital or place that has lots of sick people, sure, wash your hands more often. If you are in your own house where this virus is not present, then worry more about other kinds of microbes than this one. I wash my hands before eating and after going bathroom, if I was hanging around the hospital all day, I would wash them more often.

I saw a few people wiping their hands with some sort of wipe today at the store, every time they picked up something and put it in their cart. That crap they put into those wipes gets absorbed into the skin and can cause all kinds of problems if you do it too much.

The life expectancy is dropping now, my daughters will probably have less life expectancy than I do. This is a problem we have created, we add too much chemicals to our foods because our society fears getting sick. All those chemicals, over fifty thousand approved in the USA, can have side effects in some people. Now that is a lot of possibilities of someone having a side effect.

What difference is there if the virus is sitting on your hand vs your arm or your face? What about in your hair?