Advice from a retired SF officer locked down in COVID-19 ravaged Italy.

The real problem with COVID-19 is two things, people that think they are the experts writing opinion pieces and two the lack of evidence based data. The data is just not out no matter what people want to believe and the best way to avoid getting sick with COVID-19 is to do the same common things that keep most of us well. I have taken care of some of the sickest people in the last 12 years to include H1N1 when it was as bad as COVID-19. It however did not get widespread media coverage and panic. Some of the things I have done for years is use hand sanitizer like it is going out of style, soap and water, I don't like to touch door handles in public and will use a tissue coming out of the bathroom, sleeves of my ACUs to turn door handles, don't like other people's pens, and regardless how well I know you, a hand shake is followed by hand sanitizer when you are out of sight. Fresh air is still better than stagnated air. There have been times I have taken care of some nasty bugs and showered at work, another time I had a bloody patient while wearing navy blue uniform where I disrobed in the garage. My scrubs with a clean patient never makes it past the first room in my house and similar to the mud rooms of past, it gets changed very quickly. None of this relaxing on the couch in my work clothes, that is just nasty. Things we have done for decades by those of us that work with sick people still work with COVID-19.

".. the US thus far refuses to learn from the Italian experience..". That is incorrect. What might work in one country, may not necessarily work in another. The US is about 32.5 times LARGER than Italy. And Italy has just over 60 million people compared to over 331 million. Trying to lock down the entire US is damn near impossible.

LTC Eugene Chu Interesting article and comment re: not taking action. “””In my former professions, the best course forward often demanded some sort of action. This unprecedented circumstance is the near mirror opposite. Remaining at home, while limiting all outside human-to-human contact is the safest and therefore best path to follow.”””