Crap. Dutchman grounded.

COVID-19 has ruined my plans for next week's opera, as the Met is closed until the end of the month. So is just about everything else.

I'm still making up mind about the coronavirus self-quarantine question. I haven't stayed at home 100% of the time, and went to exercise class just last Friday. I plan to join a cycling group for an after-work ride today. And my 87-year old aunt has decided to see her doctor this afternoon, although the doc said that if she wanted to cancel, he'd understand.

While everyone seems obsessed with disinfecting just about everything they touch, there's one major oversight. Anyone who ventures outside is going touch something that lots of other people touch. Elevator buttons are a big virus spreader; so are door knobs and gas pump handles. I haven't seen anyone disinfecting these, although I've always opened doors with my elbow during flu season.

Another oversight is that death figures are much higher in China and some parts of Europe because of smoking stats. People in China smoke much more than we do - so do Europeans and folks in the Middle East.  Currently, only about 15% of Americans smoke cigarettes. So that's one of several reasons why our fatality rate is lower.

So far, my county has seen just one case of coronavirus and he's already recovered, although we're all waiting to see if he infected anyone else. He didn't even catch it here in Tennessee. 

I'm undecided as to whether to go to exercise class tomorrow afternoon. I probably will.