Ben’s post made me think I should add an addendum to a post I made a few days
ago about my great, great niece taking an interest in looking through my
telescope. When my young visitor left, Alison used Clorox wipes on the scope,
tripod, and every surface in the house she or my nephew had touched. A couple
of folks suggested that I should try further to interest her in birding. I
would like to, but the matter of her not having any equipment of her own is a
serious problem right now, for safety’s sake.
I am apt to be seeing more of her because of school being out. I’ll just have
to be as careful as I can with each encounter. If she does take a real interest
in birds, guess I’ll have to buy her some binoculars.
Frank Lyne
frank@xxxxxxxxxxx - near Dot in Logan County, KY
On Mar 30, 2020, at 10:31 AM, andrew melnykovych <estiles74@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Amen.
Andrew Melnykovych
Louisville, KY
On Mon, Mar 30, 2020, 10:38 AM Ben Yandell <benyand@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:benyand@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
I am glad to see that people are still getting outside to bird. I intend to
do the same soon. Why lock yourself indoors? (Unless ordered to do so.)
Some things to keep in mind, however. (Yes, I know you're sick of hearing
about this.)
Kentucky's known COVID-19 cases are currently doubling every 2-3 days. (Put
that in a spreadsheet and play it forward.)
We don't know about actual cases, but the trend is likely similar, and the
numbers are no doubt MUCH higher. Kentucky is on pace to accumulate tens of
thousands of cases by mid-April, if it hasn't already. And by June ...?
Kentucky state officials are doing a good job of following expert advice
(unlike those in Tennessee or Indiana, at least initially).
I applaud the cancellation of meetings by our birding groups.
Please follow the recommendations of CDC and state officials about social
distancing, hand washing, etc.
6 feet is a recommended MINIMUM separation from others. Ten feet is better.
And actual contact (handshake, etc.) is obviously an effective way to spread
this virus.
If you're traveling in a car with someone, you're not maintaining the
recommended distance.
Coming into contact with 20 people 2-3 at a time is still contact with 20
people.
Your most likely route of infection is from your hand to your eyes, nose, or
mouth. We are all like blackbelts in karate now: our hands are deadly weapons.
The virus does stay active on boxes, handles, envelopes, scopes, etc. It
isn't known how often these items create infections. (We use gloves and wipe
down or quarantine incoming items.)
Sharing scopes has always had some (small?) risk of such joys as
conjunctivitis for both lender and lendee. Personally, I flat would not do it
for the next few months at least.
Most people only think they know how to wash their hands, use gloves, etc.
When washing your hands, SOAP and TIME are key ingredients in inactivating
the virus.
Having no symptoms is not the same as having no disease. People who seem
completely healthy can still carry the virus, and "silent spreaders" are
likely behind most of the community-acquired infections.
Not to be a nag, but I keep hearing the defense: "but no one was sick." I say
again: healthy-looking people can transmit the disease.
Even a negative test is not proof of lack of disease. Some studies have found
as many as a third of negative tests to be "false negatives" due to the
timing of the test, adequacy of the sample taken, etc.
This is not "just the flu." (As if the flu were a harmless disease.) And it
doesn't kill just old people. And even if it doesn't kill you, being
hospitalized, intubated, etc., is no picnic. And if medical care is swamped
with sick people, it won't be as available to cover other illnesses,
accidents, disease management, etc.
I know that many people still don't take this pandemic seriously. They are a
risk to themselves, and they make it tough to slow the spread of this
disease.
Avoid them like the plague.
I see no point in panic, but if you aren't scared, you're misinformed.
Ben Yandell
Louisville
P.S. No symptoms is not the same as no virus.
