I watched an hour-long video by Dr. David Price, a pulmonary specialist working in the ICU at Weill-Cornell Hospital in NYC, twice this past weekend. The amateur production values, earnest yet klutzy video audience, and practical message enhanced the verisimilitude for me.

The best thing about this video is he tells us not just what to do, but why.  The three things to do, you’ve heard before: Wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and maintain social distancing (Dr. Price would say 3-6 feet instead of 6 feet). But why?

We wash our hands through an abundance of caution. It’s not likely that if an infected person touches a surface, ten other people from the community will then touch that surface and get it. But we act like that could be true, because over 90% of people who have contracted Covid-19 have done so by getting droplets on their hands and then transferring them to their eyes, nose, or mouth.

That’s not only why we should not touch our faces, but also why wearing a mask can help. A mask doesn’t prevent the virus from getting through, but it does train us not to touch our faces. For this purpose, any mask will work, including a Halloween mask or a bandanna. If, like most people, you can’t keep your hands off your face, wear anything on your face to remind you.

Social distancing of 3-6 feet protects us in case someone who is infected spreads droplets by coughing or sneezing; more than six feet doesn’t do anything, since that is an Olympic record distance for droplet spreading. The goal is to keep those droplets off your hands and thereby away from your face.

So if you wash your hands every time you touch something, and either wear a face cover of any sort or develop a serious talent for keeping your hands off your face, you will not get this virus. I think that’s an empowering message.

Things this virus does not do:

• Float through the air in a cloud around an infected person’s body.
• Survive even the most cursory disinfection–it’s wimpy in that way at least.
• Transmit as an aerosol from any contact less than ten minutes long.
• Persist outdoors in the presence of sunshine, wind, or rain.
• Recur in people who have had it–Yes Virginia, there is Immunity.

There is some bad news. If you live in America, Covid-19 is in your community right now. Lots of contacts means more chances to slip up, so spend most of your time with a limited group. People with the disease shed virus 1-2 days before fever starts, and up to 14 days after symptoms appear. Anyone aged 15 and up of any health level can get any version of the disease, although older people are more likely to have the most severe effects.

If you get a fever:

• DON’T go to the doctor.
• DON’T take ibuprofen (acetaminophen ok).
• DO use telemedicine; hundreds of doctors are waiting to take your call now.
• Isolate yourself from your family (in your own room) until you are sure it’s not Covid or until symptoms disappear.
• Don’t go to the hospital UNLESS you are short of breath. If you notice shortness of breath–about 10% of cases–GO to the hospital. You’ll probably be triaged and sent home, but you must go.

Exception: Anyone with symptoms must be COMPLETELY isolated from someone in your household who is vulnerable.

Fox News summarized the prevention suggestions of this video in the segment Watters Words: Vanquishing the Virus. The segment was 7 minutes and 20 seconds long, and the first 5:20 was excellent, both accurate and very much in the spirit of what Dr. Price himself emphasized. The last two minutes were a stunning rah-rah session of how America is Ramped up and Ready to conquer Covid-19. I mean, I hope that happens, but it was presented as a done deal–Vaccine being tested! Masks pouring off the production line! America test more patients in a day than Germany does in 18! It had the feel of those WWII propaganda reels.

Why does Fox do this? The mainstream media might say, In order to bolster Trump’s reputation. I do admit, if you just flow with it, listening to the pep talk was much more uplifting than the drumbeat of Wow, we blew it! that drones from MSNBC.

Nonetheless, I both fear and suspect that we actually did squander any chance of making this a minor event, by which I mean, We blew it!