I spent an hour this morning talking to a relative who lives near California Ground 0. Unlike me, she keeps a clean house and is a frequent hand-washer. Unfortunately, her husband is much older, but fortunately, since she is fond of him, he is not minimizing the situation. Instead, once he identifies a problem, he tends to focus on what can be done to combat it, so that is a good thing. So, as a couple, they are working on protocols to control their exposure, while not totally destroying their quality of life.
We spent much of the hour discussing strategies and trading tips to minimize our exposure. I told her about the New York Times article about how to avoid touching your face and sent her the link.
How to Stop Touching Your Face
I am feeling less unsettled since we've done well on our own preparations. I have a fair amount of wipes but plan to stick to bleach water until/unless I get sick when the wipes will be handy. I am doing much better on handwashing, which is a handy habit at any age. I am also getting better about not touching my face when I am in public.
At this point, my main concern is my family of choice. I have three close friends in the "friends help you move, real friends help you move the body" sense. Two of them are older than me. Both have multiple companion animals. One still has two old horses that will need care if she can't provide it. My current goal is to stay healthy enough to help them if they get sick. And, of course, take care of my partner if he gets sick.
