Flu Fears Curb Life’s Rituals

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/health/18flu.html?ref=health


"Yolanda Ray works in the kind of place where people “really love to eat and snack.” Colleagues are quick to tempt one another, she says, with homemade dishes and sugary treats laid bare for the taking on desktops.

Before the age of swine flu, the arrangement was fine. But now, employees at Rudd Equipment in Louisville, Ky., have new company-wide directives: No sharing of unwrapped candy. Cakes and pies must be cut and wrapped at home. Food needs to be served with utensils.

...

In offices, churches, hospitals, college dorms and schools — and even at yoga classes and in apple orchards — the fear of swine flu is turning age-old rituals on their head. What used to be O.K. is not anymore, as the flu has ushered in new standards of etiquette that can be, in turns, mundane, absurd and heartbreaking.

Students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., are being asked to refrain from playing beer pong, a communal drinking game, after an outbreak of illness that officials feared might be swine flu. Roman Catholic parishioners of the Diocese of Raleigh, N.C., have been instructed by the bishop not to shake hands at the sign of peace, and wine is not being offered for the sacrament of communion.

..."


I don't disagree that some practices indeed have benefit, but no shaking hands at church? I no longer practice, but we used to hug and give kisses on the cheek at the sign of peace. I certainly understand not offering wine at communion, of course. The hospital policies are probably wise, though frustrating from a mental health standpoint. On the other hand, canceling holiday parties and school social nights seems a bit much, to me. BTW, I work in a health clinic, and no one, not a physician, not a nurse, no one has brought up any concerns about people bringing in food for their fellow employees. And I say, thank goodness for that!

This is getting close to borderline biophobic.

wave. Still greet each other but from a distance. As for communion - individual cups takes care of that - we have been doing that for years.

It is also interesting that people no longer cough into their hand but into their sleeve - the hand touches people the sleeve usually does not.

Wonder what they are doing with drinking fountains in schools?

I really like them--- every classroom has one near the door and there are several in the cafeteria.

I think the drinking fountains are thoroughly cleaned every night, but maybe not during the day. They are also being diligent about cleaning desk and table tops, door knobs, etc. at night.

After years of working in a germ factory, I think these changes are wonderful. No longer do kids cough in my face and sneeze all over the tables. I worry a lot less about their handling materials that I then have to touch.

It's mid-October and I haven't had so much as a sniffle so far this school year! (knock wood!)

lax. Doctors and nurses are notorious for not washing hands. All sorts of hospitals have untertaken all sorts of wierd initatives to get staff to wash hands before after tending to patients and to no avail.


This is not a time to be lax about. There's other ways to express commaradie than sharing food. As for shaking hands, the UK undertook an huge study to determine how many people washed their hands after using a toilet. 62% of men don't wash their ands and 40 something percent of women don't! Those are big percentages.


The message most effect on men to encourage proper hand washing was "soap it off or eat it later"

This is such psyops horseshit . . . FUCK THEM, except that, too, might be unsanitary.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Lots of stories all cropping up at the same time, like poison toad stools, usually means someone is playing the Wurlitzer.

Don't be coy. You know what I mean.

But, that's just how I see it.

Does anyone really think that washing their hands like a manic-compulsive is going to ward off some sort of killer viral pandemic?

Give me a break. Pass the tissues, I feel a sneeze coming on.

First, no one is pushing washing hands, OCD style.

Second, are you saying you don't believe in germ theory?

Look, I remember the swine flu outbreak of '68. Recall being wretched ill for several days with a high fever. It was awful - wouldn't recommend it. But, what makes this any different?

If you can't trust your own experience and antibodies, whose should you trust?

Anecdote is anecdote.

The food thing is a bit over the top in my opinion. I had the flu and it was pretty rough. I am still recovering from the after effects.

I'm also phasing out restaurant eating until the season is over, and not doing public transportation.

Why don't you just hunker down in the bunker, and wait for the All Clear? Cheeze-itz.

I'm not getting it again. If I have to Howard Hughesicize my life to do it. I will.

Do you live alone? Not work? No friends? Have months worth of food and supplies laid in so you don't have to shop or go out? Then you might avoid contact with the contagion. Otherwise, just keep the ingredients for chicken soup on hand, and snuggle up with someone warm. That always makes me feel better. :pals:

for communion:

1) Tincture - dipping the host (or bread) in the wine glass, then eating it.

2) Serving little cups of wine (or grape juice) like protestant churches do. My last church, we had a mish mash of glass cups and disposable cups. And I mean these were little, designed to hold a swallow or two.

Either way, it keeps the cup clean from many mouths. Those would seem better alternatives than skipping communion altogether. :shrug: