30 The Queens Courier • March 5, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com
30 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARСH 5, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT 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. Th e 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.
Th e 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 infl uenza. Th e 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.
Like the fl u, health experts have stated,
people with compromised immune
systems and seniors appear to be at the
highest risk of contracting coronavirus.
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
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.
editorial
Story: Amazon signs lease for
space at Rentar Plaza in Middle
Village
Summary: Just over a year
after 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.,
according to the loan database TreppWire.
Reach: 86,878 (as of 03/02/20)
THE QUEENS
sun
PUBLISHER & EDITOR
CO-PUBLISHER
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ART DIRECTOR
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
STAFF REPORTERS
CONTRIBUTING REPORTERS
PRODUCTION MANAGER
INSIDE SALES MANAGER
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PRESIDENT & CEO
VICE PRESIDENT
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA A. SCHNEPS
BOB BRENNAN
ZACHARY GEWELB
NIRMAL SINGH
JACOB KAYE
ANGELICA ACEVEDO, JENNA BAGCAL, KATRINA MEDOFF,
CARLOTTA MOHAMED, MAX PARROTT, BILL PARRY
CLIFF KASDEN, SAMANTHA SOHMER, ELIZABETH ALONI
DEBORAH CUSICK
CELESTE ALAMIN
MARIA VALENCIA
VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS
JOSHUA A. SCHNEPS
Schneps Media, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361
718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441
www.qns.com
editorial e-mail: editorial@qns.com
for advertising e-mail: ads@qns.com
Entire Contents Copyright 2017 by The Queens Courier
All letters sent to THE QUEENS COURIER should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should
include a full address and home and offi ce telephone numbers, where available, as well as affi liation, indicating
special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, AS WELL AS OP-ED PIECES IN NO WAY REFLECT THE PAPER’S POSITION.
No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of THE QUEENS COURIER. The
publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error.
Errors must be reported to THE QUEENS COURIER within fi ve days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed
unless paid prior to publication. Schneps Communications assumes no liability for the content or reply to any
ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold THE QUEENS COURIER
and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed
by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement.
THE FACTS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS
• Th e risk of contracting
coronavirus is
still low in New York
City, but it can spread
from person to person.
• Th ere 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
WWW.COURIERSUN.COM
/www.qns.com
link
link
/www.qns.com
/www.qns.com
/www.qns.com
/WWW.QNS.COM
/nyc.gov
/WWW.COURIERSUN.COM
link
link
