Within the past year, many areas of Tallahatchie County have experienced storm and/or flood damage. Yet there was no widespread panic, but rather a calm, prepared response to overcome those obstacles and return to a sense of normal life as soon as possible.
That same attitude will serve us well as we and the rest of the world deal with COVID-19. Yes, the novel coronavirus is officially a pandemic and has sparked nationwide and even local cancellations of schools, sporting events and church services.
The good news is that these measures are being taken, at least in Mississippi, before the virus reaches epidemic levels here. Prevention is always the best cure, and while it’s probably not realistic to think Tallahatchie County will not experience any cases of coronavirus, following recommendations and official warnings will narrow its spread.
Rather than being gripped by fear about what we cannot control, residents should focus on little things they can do that, in aggregate, can make a big difference in saving lives.
The first step is to avoid large gatherings. It makes sense that the more people an infected person comes in contact with, the faster the virus can spread. Also, because the symptoms can take up to 14 days to emerge after someone is infected, they could be spreading it to others before they even feel sick. So the best policy is to not interact with large groups unless necessary.
Second, good personal hygiene habits matter. The virus is spread through the air via water droplets when infected people talk, cough or sneeze. Those droplets can survive on surfaces like counters, desks and shelves, and another person can be infected if they touch the droplet and then touch their mouth or nose.
Those effects can be mitigated, though, by hand washing and disinfecting hard surfaces. Wash your hands often and do it for at least 20 seconds while thoroughly scrubbing. Be sure and dry your hands completely because moist surfaces give microscopic organisms a better chance of survival, and use lotion if your hands start to dry out because cracks in the skin can allow viruses in. Then sanitize your home by using disinfectants, typically simple bleach, as per the instructions on the packaging.
We’re confident Tallahatchie County can and will beat this challenge, just like it has done all the others. We just need to keep the faith, listen to public health officials with level heads and try to follow whatever advice and recommendations they give.
