A Fireside Chat With Allyson
Friday, February 28, 2020 at 12:01AM Gather 'round children. It is time for a fireside chat with your glam mistress Allyson. I would like to suspend our daily conversations about glam and instead turn our focus to the coronavirus, also known as Covid-19.
I bring this up since it was discussed in the comments section yesterday.
Today, I would like to remind you to be extra vigilant about hand washing. Use warm water and soap and lather for 20 seconds. Sing the ABCs and you'll be good. Remember to get the tips of your fingers as these are often missed.
During a communicable disease outbreak it is best to avoid handshakes. Fist bumps work or better yet, just nod your head. It is fine.
Cough into your elbow or use a tissue. Immediately discard the tissue.
If you are sick, stay home. If your kids are sick, keep them home.
If you take public transportation, avoid touching elevator buttons, stair rails and the like. Pay attention to your surroundings and avoid gathering in a tight pack like on the subway. If someone coughs around you, turn away from them.
Carry hand sanitizer. Lysol wipes are great for wiping down door handles and light switches. Stock up on some bleach this weekend.
Since the supply chain will be messed up due to factory closures in China, it would be wise to grab some extra OTC meds you like such as Advil or Tylenol.
You do not need to wear a mask in public or otherwise.
Now - about concerts: will tours be canceled? If we have a massive outbreak of coronavirus in America, then yes, shows will be canceled. Will entire tours be scrapped? Perhaps but I highly doubt it. Life does go on. You have to use common sense. If there was a big outbreak in say, Cleveland, and you wanted to go to the Rock Hall next weekend would you still go? Probably not, that wouldn't be smart.
Have a plan to take care of yourself and your family members and we will all be okay. And please, wash your hands!
Reader Comments (15)
That said (I kid you not), I was (and am currently) scheduled to travel to Japan (Tokyo and Narita) next week. I say was/am because the event coordinator--it is a conference for people who live near train tracks and dumpster dive--has not yet officially said "nope." But I expect that he will any day now. Most schools over there are closing for a month; major tourist spots as well. Hokkaido just declared a state of emergency.
I was looking forward to visiting at least one of the three heavy metal bars in Tokyo! Darn. I was also looking forward to seeing some friends who live there. I hope and trust that they will stay safe and well.
But, circling back, Allyson is right. Avoid hysteria (the panic, not the album) and traffic in reason. Use the CDC and WHO as guides. If I could shame price-gougers on Amazon, I would. They are dealing in fear and robbing people for no good reason.
Be well everyone. There are bumps ahead. But there always are. We humans are a resilient bunch if we stick together and take care of one another.
I agree, there will be impact in the concert touring world. Today, Switzerland banned all gatherings over 1000 people, so that basically would cover most concerts.
Depending how this thing spreads, are people in general just going to avoid large gatherings (concerts, sporting events, movies) just because the risk isn't worth it? Will be interesting to keep an eye on.
And just to circle back: we (I like to write like I am not traveling alone everywhere I go!) canceled our trip to Japan. Things are just too fluid right now. The invited group went from 18 (after some cancellations earlier this week) down to two Saturday afternoon. And I have a personal acquaintance in Tokyo right now who is struggling to find diapers for her kid. There is a heady mix of cautious action and unreasonable paranoia going on.
I hope Badland's optimistic take is the right one. But I do send kind cosmic vibes to those most likely impacted by this virus: old people and those with compromised immune systems.
On the Metal side ...
Too bad you can’t go him! As I’m sure you are well aware, Japan is loaded with great 80’s Hair and Glam Metal. Like EVERY album and often with bonus and live cuts. Looks like you’ll have to wait but hopefully not too long.
Prayers to those who have passed or in danger.
But . . . real people are suffering because of this. Some because they are old or do have compromised immune systems. Some because of the same and also spotty detection methods. And some because they have to deal with people who are acting crazy, stockpiling stuff, and making it hard to find basic necessities (you know, like my friend who is having trouble finding diapers for her baby?!?!).
My friend's situation makes this personal. So I apologize if I am being a doink. But this is impacting people in a myriad of ways. So I again hope people are acting smart and not stupid.
Bkallday, my friend in Japan is also shh (shaking her head). The difference is, this situation matters more to her than to you and me. I trust you and I both hope all ends well for everyone impacted, regardless the reason.
also trust that you are with me in saying it is crying shame that people are dying from COVID-19, even if it isn't as bad as most are making it out to be. Thing is, that doesn't matter to people who have lost loved one . . . here, in China, in Italy, or wherever.
But I think you are pointing far too much to a fringe group of tinfoil hat wearing gargle goblins. That, in itself, is also part of the problem. Why give that sort of stuff air? It certainly seems that no one on this site is trafficking in such nonsense. Leave them alone. Let the blue glow of their out of date computers warm their hearts, as their minds are atrophied and glazed over like a bad donut on a good day.
And you jogged my memory too. I certainly remember Y2K (different sort of bug, but I get your point). My response? I went to London with three of my close friends. Spent the closing minutes of the century with 2 million Brits and others along the banks of the Thames, narrowly squeezed into position so that I could watch Big Ben (the clock, not the quarterback), chime in the start of a new century.
And so it did. Only thing that went haywire that night/day were the fireworks. It was like watching a series of barges fart sparklers. Then, with a light drizzle and some serious amounts of potent potables animating the crowd, I watched such a massive group of people amble home (generally in polite and good fashion), given that the subway was closed. Police, too, were well behaved and helpful. The only other odd fact about my London Y2K experience? In all of their planning and logistical prep, it seems that no one in the town thought: "perhaps we should rent some Port-a-Potties." So the evening also involved a fair amount of swinging (lads) and squatting (lasses), every corner potentially offering up a nice view of a person trying to squirt out a bit of their celebratory leftovers!