Posted by:
Nightingale
(
)
Date: March 03, 2020 10:16PM
I forgot to mention Pope Francis, who is reportedly ill with URI-type symptoms and has cancelled several scheduled events.
He was ahead of his time in one respect in that in March/19 he stopped the kissing-the-papal-ring thing due to concerns about hygiene, so he was on the ball for that one.
However, this year, even though he was coughing and sneezing he still schmoozed with the crowds in Rome yesterday, kissing kids and shaking hands. Germs on his ring - don't touch. Germs on his sneezy fingers - also don't touch.
Here's a blurb from last year about not kissing his ring:
March/19: “Pope Francis clarified one church-related mystery on Thursday, explaining that it was a fear of spreading germs that provoked him to yank his hand away from the lips of devoted worshippers as they bent down to kiss the papal ring earlier this week.
“Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti told reporters on Thursday that the pope did not intend to buck centuries of tradition, but was interested in preventing disease.
"The Holy Father told me that the motivation was very simple: hygiene," Gisotti said after speaking directly with Pope Francis about the matter. "He wants to avoid the risk of contagion for the people, not for him."
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/28/707806661/why-did-the-pope-refuse-to-let-worshippers-kiss-his-ring-hygieneHere's an article about Pope Francis this week:
“Pope Francis has been forced to cancel a planned Mass in Rome with other clergy after suffering a 'slight illness'.
“The Vatican said the 83-year-old pontiff had a 'slight indisposition' that meant he did not attend an event at the St John Lateran basilica in Rome on Thursday morning.
“A spokesman said Francis would continue with the rest of his day's business, but preferred to stay within the Vatican rather than travel across the city.
“There was no word from the Vatican about the nature of his illness, but the pope was seen coughing and blowing his nose during the Ash Wednesday Mass.
“It comes a day after he kissed heads and touched faces as he met with crowds in St Peter's Square, saying he had solidarity with those suffering from coronavirus.
“Italy is currently in the grips of a coronavirus outbreak that has seen towns in the north placed on lockdown and travellers from the region spread the infection to previously unaffected areas of Europe.
“Rome had three cases, but all three were cured.
“… the 83-year-old Francis did not shy away from shaking hands with members of the congregation - and even kissed some of the children present.
“Pope Francis is known for hugging the faithful or accepting kisses on his cheek or forehead.
“It comes as 50 more cases – including eight children – of COVID-19 have now been confirmed in Italy, taking the toll past 370. Twelve patients have died.
“Almost a dozen towns have been quarantined in the northern part of the country in a desperate attempt to contain the worsening coronavirus crisis.
“Cases from Italy have now been confirmed in Austria, Croatia, Germany, Switzerland, France, Greece and Spain, as well as Algeria and Brazil.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8051083/Pope-cancels-visit-Rome-priests-slight-illness.html-----
With the realities of COVID-19 and the need for schools and employers to take isolation precautions and to make alternative arrangements for students and workers, hopefully there will be an advance in work-from-home/study-alone alternatives. All too often teachers and employers expect people to show up even when ill. It's never a good idea to do so but they can make you feel obligated to be present in their physical location, even when computers and Google et al make it unnecessary to be physically present 100% of the time.
I have always been pressured to attend work no matter what. And that's working with physicians! If they actually believed in germ theory and followed good hygiene advice you'd think they should be in the forefront of setting the best example of practising what they preach. I can't even count the number of times I have provided sick notes for patients of MDs who nevertheless expected me to be front and centre even when I was in need of a sick note myself. Amazingly stupid. Unfair. Massively irritating.
But now, no kidding - things have gotta change - maybe permanently.
And not just with COVID or similar scares. But for the common cold and the seasonal flu as well. It just makes good sense. Besides, you tend to recover faster, and spread your germs less, if you can stay hunkered down out of the way of all the still-healthy folks in your orbit. It's false economy to force people to attend when they're sick, perhaps prolonging their illness, and also putting others at risk.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis: Feel better but meanwhile, it's not just your ring that harbours germs! (And don't let me see you using a linen hanky. Disposable all the way. And throw them away once they've been used. No stashing wet tissues in your pocket for re-use. The Vatican can afford more Kleenex).
And Please: Stop. Kissing. The. Visitors.
(Book of Nightingale. Chapter 1. Verse 1.)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2020 10:19PM by Nightingale.