Okay, so this whole COVID-19 thing has me second guessing as to whether I should go to the Phoenix Atheist Conference in April .
My ex-husband, who is my business partner, is having to travel from Vietnam to the US in order to run the business while I would be away (which was also going to include some time spent in southern California). He will not fly via Japan, nor Korea, as he usually does; he will come via Melbourne, AU; but it will be more connection flights than what is typical.
And then there is the whole me being around a lot of people in one place--not only at the conference, but airports and planes.
I am not one to overreact; but I also want to be cautious enough.
As a former NBC NCO and an "at risk" person, I am becoming more of a hermit than I already am.
WHY?
Because in epidemiology there is a saying
"wasting money saves lives"
That is when dealing with any outbreak doing more saves lives, this is especially true of epidemics and pandemics and even more true with novel virus. Say some agent requires a level one response, but its novel, so we are ignorant.
It is better to discover down the road we need level three protocols with such protocols already in place, if we prepare for level one and discover level four, we did nothing to slow or stop the agent.
If we responded with level 6 and only needed level three, we saved lives.
So it is better to be overcautious than under cautious in the early stages, and as we learn more then decide.
IN ADDITTION
It is common in outbreaks for humans to have denial syndrome and the opposite panic.
BOTH can be worse than the outbreak. Denial can result in spread, and panic in open hostilities. So there is a very delicate balancing act which has to be danced, stifling a panic response and curbing a denial response in crowds, large populations.
Gov authority responses have to dance a dance between OVERREACTION (which will both save lives AND instill panic but curb denial)
or UNDERREACTION (which will furhter spread AND instill denial but curb panic)
Hence the F1 races will be empty, maybe the olympics, italy has closed the north just today.
I would put that off till next year myself.
Just yesterday I ordered a new "hat", which I will wear if I have to go public for both my own protection and to raise awareness of a viral contagion. Its a face shield I can wear and disinfect, as Corono 19 spread vectors are "primarliy" cough and sneeze particulate droplets, which have an unknown persistence in the environment. These travel 3-6 meters from a "source" (cough sneeze) amd float unseen in the air as microparticles much further up to 20 yards, which land on you or your clothes and everything, then you touch your face, rub your eye and wala, your it.
A simple face shield prevents most of that and curbs your instinctive touching of your face. Common in constuction, easy to clean.
This will likely be my public face for the next 15-24 months, as that is the timeframe for "effective" treatments and any vaccine. Right now its guess work based on sympoms presented.
This really sucks, I was really looking forward to hearing Andrew Seidel , the author of The Founding Myth, speak. If things should suddenly change for the better, I can make some last minute plans. So, for now it is still wait and see, with it looking more like putting it off until next year than going to this one .
@Joanne Z RE-read th book, lit looks to me like a viral bloom, the next month will reveal where its going, we are ignorant.
Best to be careful and prepare for the worst while hoping for the least.
I'm in Washington State. We are having a panic buy at the stores. People are really worried here. Its spreading south now into Pierce county. That's the next county over.
I wouldn't take a chsnce... they have no idea where this is going
Thanks for the input. My natural inclination is that it is better to "error" on the side of caution. Part of this is not wanting me to be the cause of exposing someone else to it if I should be exposed to it by my ex. I think the odds are low; but you never know.
I suggest you are over-reacting.
You may as well put your whole life in lockdown!
Well, not going to this event isn't really putting my whole life into lock-down. But, thanks for your input. So far I have one go for it (you) and one for not taking the chance.