Stupidity

I don’t know about you, but since this whole Covid-19, social distancing, stay-at-home, I’m-going-to-need-therapy-over-Zoom-meetings thing started my e-mail is full of everybody’s newest virus help. From different hours at stores to this-is-how-we’re-saving-the-world pats on the back, the truth is I usually just delete the e-mail and go on with my life. But one I got in my work e-mail recently, I scanned and then stopped. Were they kidding? Really? Are we going to die of this virus or our own stupidity? I’m starting to think it will be latter.

First was the run on toilet paper. Because toilet paper, of course, has magical properties and if you stock your garage full of it you will not ever get sick again. Flour disappears from the shelves as well. It would appear that even people who don’t bake have serious need of it. Who knows. Maybe they’re doing lots of paper mache. Bread disappears, too. And meat. That one is probably going to get worse with all the hype there will be shortages, so better stock up. Buy a freezer. Or two. You’ll just have to move the toilet paper out of the way. 

Then there is the hand sanitizer. That started disappearing even before offices were closed. It hasn’t gotten any better. At my nephew’s daycare they wash his hands with it so often, his skin is peeling off.  Which I’m not sure is any safer than the constant washing. Six weeks later, the shortage continues. But, according to the poison control center and the e-mail I received, it may not be because people are using it to wash their hands. Because calls for hand sanitizer poisoning are up 63%. I mean, drinking it and cleansing your digestive system is perfectly logical – right? Keeps you from catching all kinds of things, even if you may have to go to the hospital and get your stomach pumped. At least you won’t catch something while you’re at the hospital.

Honestly, how stupid can people be?

But if anything, this virus has showed us just how stupid we are. And I’m not talking about defying stay-at-home orders or not wearing a mask. One lady celebrating the lifting of restrictions went on a hike, stood at the edge of a cliff to take a selfie and fell to her death. President Trump sarcastically suggests injecting disinfectant and suddenly people who never give him the time of day end up sick in the attempt. Yeah, that’s smart. 

Someday coronavirus may be a footnote in history, but I’m not sure people will every stop being stupid. Unfortunately, the CDC does not record those deaths. For it would be terribly embarrassing to admit that more people die from their own foolishness than from Covid.