Dear Dr. Fauci: My neighbors stopped self-isolating and are now stumbling slowly down the street. They're not practicing social distancing, and not looking very good. What should I do? I am washing my hands often with soap and hot water.

Comments

[Martinned]

I know it's not the proper libertarian answer (as prof. Somin already said, this is not a great moment for libertarianism), but report them to the police: https://www.lbcnews.co.uk/uk-news/coronavirus-police-power-arrest-patients-isolate/

[Ridgeway]

Woosh!

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

Par for the course for Martinned.

[jph12]

https://reason.com/2020/03/15/tired-there-are-no-libertarians-in-a-pandemic-wired-there-are-only-libertarians-in-a-pandemic/#comments

[Dr. Ed]

You wouldn't even have to go that far -- most (all) states have laws permitting the involuntary confinement of the mentally ill, with the standard being "risk to self or others."

Well, as they are clearly posing "a risk to others", they can be arrested and confined for the public good. I'm not saying that this is "right", merely that it "is" -- and is routinely done.

[Dan Schiavetta]

The kind of calls we would get when I was running a crisis center in town. We would have called the police.

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

And another loud WHOOSH.

[JohnW in Md]

Braaaaaaiiiins!

[Boomer]

Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaains!

[Jerry B.]

Well, you sure can't shoot them, since the government has used its emergency powers to confiscate all firearms.

[mpercy]

Head shots.

[Doug Huffman]

MYOB. Shun icky people.

Shun droolers, smokers, spitters, drunks, unclean, tattooed, pierced, unkempt, stumblers, progressives, credulous, unabled ...

[Joshua]

You don't have to use hot water. Recent studies indicate it does no good and can irritate the skin - making it more susceptible to infection.

[Doug Huffman]

Physical and chemical effects are relative to the absolute temperature K or °R

[tekcoyote]

You can’t use water hot enough to damage the virus—you’d scald yourself. Soap acts as a detergent to lyse (disrupt) the virus membrane, rendering it a non-virus. You just have to wash long enough for it to happen—a minute with a reasonable soap concentration should do the trick.

Alcohol does the same thing plus it denatures the viral proteins. Each way: finis virus.

Warm water is more pleasant to use than cold, so you’re more likely to wash long enough. Over about 115 degrees F, it no longer feels good, and the absolute temp difference, vis a vis killing viruses, isn’t enough to say grace over.

[Doug Huffman]

Alcohols are defined by the -OH hydroxyl functional group. Water disassociates to hydroxyl -OH and hydronium +H/+H3O. Why is not water as effective a denaturant as alcohol?

[jdgalt1]

Is it just me, or does this sound like the zombie apocalypse?

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

{captainobvious.jpg}

[mydisplayname]

Dear Dr Fauci: I notice that "sanctuary" jurisdictions have a statistically higher incidence of communicable diseases like COVID-19. How do we protect ourselves from "sanctuary" jurisdictions both now and in the future?

Dear Dr. Fauci: I notice that the Washington Post is maintaining a chart detailing the number of COVID-19 cases per nation but is sorting the list by number of cases rather than by percentage of population affected. This has the (perhaps unintended) effect of concealing the true weaknesses of health care systems once touted as exemplary.

Nation | Cases | Pop (M) | Pct
------------+--------+---------+----------
Italy | 24,747 | 60.48 | 0.04092%
Denmark | 1,739 | 5.60 | 0.03104%
Switzerland | 2,200 | 8.57 | 0.02567%
Norway | 1,256 | 5.37 | 0.02340%
Iran | 13,938 | 81.16 | 0.01717%
Spain | 7,844 | 46.66 | 0.01681%
South Korea | 8,162 | 51.47 | 0.01586%
Sweden | 1,032 | 10.12 | 0.01020%
Austria | 860 | 8.82 | 0.00975%
France | 5,437 | 66.99 | 0.00812%
Belgium | 886 | 11.40 | 0.00777%
Germany | 5,813 | 82.79 | 0.00702%
Netherlands | 1,136 | 17.18 | 0.00661%
China | 81,020 |1,386.00 | 0.00585%
Britain | 1,395 | 66.44 | 0.00210%
U.S. | 3,744 | 327.20 | 0.00114%

[Longtobefree]

The Washington Post has NO unintended effects.
The list is quite deliberate.

[Sarcastr0]

This is some tin foil. Reminds me of Rush and the Clinton conspiracies. No coincidences, no unintended consequences! The other side controls wisdom and fate!!

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

This is some tin foil.

No. This is paying attention and recognizing patterns of behavior.

[Sarcastr0]

Says every conspiracy theorist.

You want the data like this they have the data like that. Must be a secret agenda.

Don’t be crazy.

[Sarcastr0]

Let’s keep this partisan.

Sheesh.

[Spooner]

Based on your comment, you shouldn't be allowed to be within 500 feet of any statistic.

[SKofNJ]

Remember that scene in "To Kill A Mockingbird," where Atticus shows his prowess with a rifle? (Just kidding.)

[Longtobefree]

Since you are still self isolating (aka hiding in fear), there is no cause for government action.
Stay calm and fix bayonet.

[Sarcastr0]

Who would ever fear diseases?

Also given the stats under 50 are hiding out of altruism, not fear.

[Jerryskids]

You say you've been washing your hands, but you didn't say anything about keeping your hands away from your face. Have you been keeping your hands away from your face? Your problem with the neighbors is probably because you haven't been keeping your hands away from your face.

[Eugene Volokh]

Or maybe the neighbors are trying to put their hands on my face.

[Colossal Douchebag]

And use the Purell, you asshole! Otherwise they attack! And wipe down that doorknob.

[Pooneil]

Wash your hands like you are Lady MacBeth. Then pray to whatever gods you refuse to believe in that you don't sleepwalk out the door.