By CJ Ross
Let me get right to it. The following are best practices on how to minimize our exposure to the virus for the time being until we have more of an understanding on how the virus will affect us. Some people will laugh at these suggestions and say we are panicking for no reason and its all hype. People are free to believe what they like. Please consider the following as we go about our daily lives.
1. Stop shaking hands. Period. You can nod your head hello. So many germs may be transmitted by a mere handshake. When the virus is under control, we can resume handshaking.
2. Stop kissing/hugging hello. When we meet someone we haven’t seen or go to a simcha, we do the traditional “Kiss Hello”. STOP IMMEDIATELY. ITALY has found a direct connection with how fast the virus spread there to the way many friendly Italians greet each other. Both the Italian and French governments have issued warnings to their citizens to refrain from greeting one another this way for the time being.
3. Get used to frequently washing your hands with soap and water several times each day. This will help keep your hands clean and greatly reduce virus transmission. If you cant find soap, use hot plain water.
4. Dont share the same cup with ANYONE. This includes family members. For the time being even Kiddush, should be poured into other cups so that each person gets there own and doesn’t sip from the same one.
5. Reduce and try to eliminate the number of times you touch your face (eyes, nose, mouth and cheeks). This can be difficult. Just being aware of it, can significantly reduce the chance of breathing it in or exposing your eyes to it.
6. Keep all inside doors in your home, work and school, OPEN when you are able to! Imagine how many times a day we turn a door handle? Now multiply that by all the other people who also use it! Call your Child’s school principal and and ask if they are keeping all doors open when able to. Have them choose one person in each class who will open and close the doors when necessary (using a glove or tissue of course). Doing this will GREATLY reduce transmission.
7. Stop kissing or even touching the Mezuzah (temporarily while we get a handle on this virus. When the virus is no longer a threat, we can all go back to kissing the mezuzah). This is not cancelling a minhag Chas veshalom. This is safeguarding all of our lives. When you touch a Mezuzah and kiss it, you are touching something that hundreds if not thousands of people have touched and you are BRINGING IT INTO YOUR MOUTH. This is the main way a virus is spread. You can stop for a moment and look at the mezuzah and think about the Kedusha. Many prominent rabbonim have come out with letters and psakim declaring that we NOT kiss the mezuzah for the time being.
8. Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow, when you sneeze or cough. Never use your hands.
9. Reduce or eliminate going to crowded gatherings where many people are concentrated in a windowless place. Consider opening your windows when the weather is permitting to get some clean air in (weather permitting). Many people get sick in the winter because we keep our windows closed and germs linger.
10. If someone is coughing or has a runny nose, remind them to get checked out. Many people aren’t even aware that may be coming down with a cold and aren’t thinking about it. Politely ask them if they have gone to the doctor to get checked out.
Lastly, Make sure you have the following items in your home. If you dont, GO OUT NOW and buy some. Don’t go overboard. Just enough to get you through a bad cold season will do: Tylenol, Advil, cough medicine, gloves, hand sanitizer and soap. If you have young children, consider getting Tylenol suppositories as well. DONT WAIT ANY LONGER. People are panicking and buying up more than they need, causing a supply issue. Make sure that if you or any of your children get a fever you will be able to treat it.
The author, a scholar of Latvian Orthodoxy, is a resident of the Shechuna and a not so frequent contributor to collive.com
Windows should be kept open in 770 as well. People should not kiss siddurim to avoid spread of virus. No one should be throwing dirty tissues on the floor. At a kiddush dont stick spoons from your plate into food meant for others (children tend to do this)
The coronavirus is just a democratic hoax to get Trump out of office. Don’t believe the fake news. Hashem is the only one who knows and protects us, not the CDC or AOC.
…If you look at the stats, 25,000 people died last year in 2019 because of the flu During the 8-9 months flu season. This means that between 90-100 people die EVERY DAY form the flu in the USA. Why the media does not report this as well?
There are big differences between Corona and the SEasonal Flu. The mortality rate of the seasonal flu is about .01 percent. So far, the mortality rate for Covid19 appears to be about 3.4% so it is vastly more lethal. It means that about 3.4 out of every 100 infected persons will die. That is a high percentage. Granted the risk is lower for young people, but it also is much higher for those over 65 or with other pre-existing health conditions. Also, the media does report a lot every year on the seasonal flu, including reports of deaths and encouragment… Read more »
mortality rate is determined by the amount of people who die from the virus divided by the amount of people who had the virus. no one knows how many people had the virus since one could have carried it and had no symptoms. There’s no one testing all humans. additionally people right now could have it and eventually develop symptoms but while calculating the rate they aren’t included. So the high rate for this virus comes from that only people who have symptoms are being counted. technically this virus could be less lethal than the regular strains of flu that… Read more »
the 3.4 mortality rate you refer to is a FALSE number. The people that have so tested positive for coronavirus is grossly underestimated. The overwhelming majority are rather mild (just a cough) and would never think or bother or want any testing (the same way many would not go to an ER or Dr for getting a “flu”). Many carriers of the virus are asymptomatic. Many will have atypical symptoms like abdominal pain (see recent NEJM article) and are also not being tested. It would not be surprising that the TRUE mortality rate of corona will be found to be… Read more »
Interesting that the author is seemingly not a medical professional, but seems to have compiled what I’d agree is a sensible list from what’s not out there.
And. I’m waiting for someone to show how to address this from a Torah or Tanya source.
disagree with #7
yes, how about we first stop touching money that has more germs on it before we tell people to stop touching the mezuzos that are there to protect us
How often do people use cash nowadays?
the children do
SO much of what we touch is touched by other hands. Think of your grocery shelf stock. Produce. Door handles. We’re just gonna hafta deal with the reality that we’re gonna come in contact with it, like colds, and hope we’re healthy enough to process and spit it out.
you are more likely to win the lottery then you are to contract the corona virus. more people kill themselves everyday then people who have died of the virus
I love the drama!! Relax people, only panic buy a little bit
Virus 🦠 will not spread if people will stay home with firsts signs of it, this is including flu etc, but not all are fortunate to stay home or keep kids at home because of loosing some working days or maybe not having any sick days at all ( not all have equal rights of sick and vacation days )…. I would say we all need to be calm and just use common sense…. School and yeshiva need to enforce a policy Of washing hands more often now and more often take kids to the fresh air and open windows… Read more »
If you suspect you have a virus, don’t go to the doctor, you will infect the doctor and everyone at the hospital. If you can’t breathe go the hospital but otherwise self isolate. There is nothing they can do for you anyways, so stay home. ( advice from a family doctor)
Nicely written,however need to point out that at this time there is no way to distinguish COVID19(this strain of Corona virus)from the common cold,or many other viruses out there.When the author suggests in point 10.to see your doctor,there is an inherent assumption that your doctor can tell you if you have COVID19.There is no rapid test available at this time!Unless there is another easily detected virus like influenza present,you will more than likely be sent home ,none the wiser,with perhaps a false sense of security.People with a mild cough illness should STAY HOME,and not mingle until better.People with a severe… Read more »
Thank you for clarifying!!!
that everyone is emphasizing what NOT to do and not stating what to do to boost immunity—-vitamin D. C etc adequate sleep and healthy nutrition for starters.
Disinfect 770 every day. NYC transit system is disinfecting all trains, subways,buses turnstiles, metrocard machines every 72 hours. Schools and businesses are getting professional consultants and services on how to do this. We are an international community and should follow proper preventative measures now.
not just 770. all shuls, public bathrooms. all mikvos.
if they disinfect every 72 houres that doesnt help bc of the amount of people that use it in beetween