I wasn’t planning to write an article about the Coronavirus but after WHO declaring it a pandemic and as I receive a lot of traffic from people who try to find a good mask to protect themselves from the disease I changed my mind and I wrote a few lines on how I see the whole situation.

Better Air Quality

As you may have already read a NASA satellite took some pictures in Mainland China before and after the outbreak of the Covid-19. The imagery illustrates air pollution and how the concentrations of air pollutants have decreased dramatically after people were ordered to stay in quarantine. The same thing happened in Italy as the government restricted the movement and most Italians stayed at home.

The virus was able to achieve something that I and many fellow clean air advocates try to accomplish for quite some time now, to decrease air pollution in the urban environment.

The restriction of movement proves the fact that the majority of urban air pollution is anthropogenic and mostly due to inefficient transports. Diesel and petrol cars, old buses, vans, vehicle tires and many more. Vehicles don’t move around alone though, we are the drivers, as a result, we can do better.

Madness and misinformation

The madness of buying tones of toilet paper proves how humans are panicking and they are in a survival mode. They copy unconsciously others’ behavior, which is a primitive instinct, in order to make sure they are safe. Covid-19 is a respiratory infection which means it doesn’t mess with your digestive system.

Misinformation is a powerful tool for the exploiters who will say anything to you in order to scare you and of course to take your money. Read and listen to news from trusted sources and make sure you double-check them.

Don’t panic!

Wash your hands well, avoid touching your face and keep your personal belongings clean, like smartphones, computers, glasses, etc.

Masks

Face masks can offer a level of protection if they are well designed and of course, if you maintain them and keep them clean too. If a mask catches a virus, the virus can stay alive for hours and up to a few days.

Conclusion

Some believe that we have to isolate ourselves in a global scale in order to eradicate the disease, however, economically, I am not sure if we can afford it. In addition, spring is almost here (in my city temperatures are reaching 23°C) which makes it much more difficult for people to stay indoors.

I am not an expert in that area but what do you believe? Should we close all businesses and institutes for 2-3 weeks and stay indoors?