Release : 17.05.2020
Production : soydivision
Executive editor : Jan Thedja
Art director : Ariel Orah
Contributor : Catherine leigh Schmidt, Ghaliz Fikhair Haliz, Sabrina Eka, Morgan Sully, Lara Orrico
I visited a friend who is expecting a child recently and it was the first time we talked and met since a) the pandemic and b) the start of the pregnancy. I came in, said “Hi! How are you?” as warm and friendly as I could and eschewed the usual hugs and kisses when it dawned on me that as far as we know there are no protocols and/or recommendations on how to visit people, let alone pregnant ones.
Washing hands? Of course! First thing to do when you enter an apartment, regardless of whether it’s your or not. Taking off shoes? Definitely, though you might want to take them off before you wash your hands. Apparently the sneaky virus can attach itself on any surface and possibly stay alive for a period of time. In that case, wouldn’t it make sense to take off your clothes as well? Stripping down to your undergarments (which is theoretically free from contact with possible virus-laden surface) might not be such a good idea when visiting other people, although by this point, who can tell? Maybe this will all be a part of The New Normal.
Maybe hazmat suits will be a standard part of our wardrobe in few years time. I know for a fact, that one Berlin design company has created a type of fishbowl-helmet for everyday wear, ready to protect you from the Outside Air. Apparently inspired by what 50s-60s comic artists thought space suits helmets should look like (another retro-futuristic trope which might really just be another indication on how starved of new ideas humankind currently is,) they most likely did not take to account what would happen when you sneeze while wearing the helmet. The resulting splatter of phlegm and spit would cake into a smudge on the surface of the helmet and it would be there for everyone to see. Unlike having something stuck on your teeth, removing it would not be an option since you can’t wipe it from outside and removing your helmet to do so would result in breathing the Outside Air which was what you wanted to avoid in the first place.
I wonder what astronauts do when they sneeze while doing a space walk.
Jan Thedja
