In the first days of the COVID-19 outbreak here in the United States, before we knew how bad the pandemic would get, we were given a short set of simple instructions by national, state, and local leaders:

• Keep appropriate social distance.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Practice good hand washing.
• Be especially careful if elderly or immunocompromised.

What I heard in the instructions: Be reasonable, just like with other contagious illnesses, just much more so with this one.

My wife, Ellie, heard something completely different: Stay at home unless absolutely necessary, stay away from people, don’t touch things in public, and worry a lot more than usual.

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Kathleen Notes: Everyone has made their decisions on these matters, and that`s OK. Just be respectful.