12 MARCH 5, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Handling the hysteria over coronavirus
If we are to contain the threat of
coronavirus and stay healthy, the
most important thing we can do is
remain calm, listen to the facts and act
upon them.
“Truth,” as Winston Churchill once
said, “is incontrovertible. Panic may
resent it. Ignorance may deride it. Malice
may distort it. But there it is.”
It’s easy to forget the truth and fall
into a world of panic. The images of
masked healthcare workers in haz-mat
suits on our televisions resemble a scene
from a Hollywood blockbuster about an
uncontrollable outbreak. It’s scary to
see, but also a necessity to communicate
the seriousness of this illness.
Coronavirus is a threat to our health —
not a media-driven “hoax,” as President
Trump irresponsibly said at a campaign
rally last Friday.
The country needs a president who
can, at a moment of crisis and hysteria,
provide a sense of calm and reassurance
that everything is being done to
protect the people. Since this president
isn’t completely invested in performing
those duties, then the rest of us will have
to be calm, reassuring and truthful with
each other.
Coronavirus has a mortality rate of
2 percent, which is slightly higher than
the death rate from influenza. The
Centers for Disease Control reported
an estimated 29 million fl u cases in the
U.S. during the 2019-20 fl u season, along
with 280,000 hospitalizations and about
18,000 deaths.
ESTABLISHED 1908
Like the flu, health experts have
stated, people with compromised immune
Co-Publishers
systems and seniors appear to be
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
at the highest risk of contracting coronavirus.
JOSHUA SCHNEPS
Editor-in-Chief
ZACHARY GEWELB
Classifi ed Manager
DEBORAH CUSICK
A lack of vigilance puts these
folks at even greater risk of suff ering
the consequences of this illness.
Yet this viral threat can be stopped
if all of us step up and do our part to
EDITORIAL
THE FACTS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS
protect each other, our loved ones, our
friends and ourselves.
As the New York City’s Department
of Health advises, use the same precautions
to prevent contracting the fl u.
Wash your hands with soap and water.
Cough into a tissue or your sleeves. If
you feel sick, seek medical care — and
stay home until you feel better and are
no longer contagious.
Rely on us to provide you with the latest
information on the outbreak as we
gather information. You can also visit
the Health Department’s website, nyc.
gov/coronavirus, for further details.
Stay informed, keep calm and take
precautions. It really is that simple.
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Amazon signs lease for space at Rentar
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SUMMARY:
Just over a year aft er Amazon scuttled
its plans to build a massive HQ2 campus
in Long Island City, and create 25,000
jobs, the e-commerce giant has signed
a new lease for space in Middle Village.
Amazon is taking roughly 300,000
square feet of space in Rentar Plaza,
located at 66-26 Metropolitan Ave.
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86,878 (as of 03/02/20)
Assistant Classifi ed Manager
MARLENE RUIZ
Reporters
ANGELICA ACEVEDO
JACOB KAYE
CARLOTTA MOHAMED
MAX PARROTT
BILL PARRY
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The risk of contracting coronavirus is still low in New York City, but it can spread from person to
person.
• There are no specific vaccines
or treatments for
coronavirus.
• Medication is available; a vaccine
is in development.
• Symptoms are similar to the
fl u, and include fever, cough
and/or shortness of breath.
• Wash your hands regularly
with soap and water for 20
seconds to prevent possible
infection.
• Use an alcohol-based hand
sanitizer when soap and water
aren’t available.
• Do not touch your face or head
with unwashed hands.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue
or your sleeve.
• Avoid contact with anyone
who is sick.
• Clean and disinfect any
frequently touched objects
or surfaces in your home or
offi ce.
• Do not use a face mask unless you are sick, are a healthcare professional, or have a pre-existing medical condition
that makes you susceptible to infection.
• Stay home if you aren’t feeling well, but seek medical care immediately if you experience symptoms of
coronavirus.
Source: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
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