A quick coronavirus guide for fellow nerds

Posted on by julio

As I write this, the highly infectious and often-deadly COVID-19 virus is beginning its rampage across the country. And, like other Americans, I am figuring out how to cope.

I’m a nerd who likes putting a geeky spin on any problem, and this medical emergency is no exception.

Hand shaking

We are all wise to avoid all handshakes, which can be a vector for infection. So what to do, instead, to avoid seeming like rude nerds?

Actress Octavia Spencer suggests the #WakandaForever salute made famous in the “Black Panther” film.

A college president seconds the motion.

Another option is the Vulcan salute made famous by Mr. Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy) of “Star Trek” fame. George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu on the 1960s series, urges you to make it so:

Even members of Congress are getting the message.

How about “be seeing you” (with the thumb and index finger shaped into a circle and held over the eye) from the 1960s British program “The Prisoner” starring Patrick McGoohan?

My pal Jason Thomas sent me this:

Hand washing

Medical experts recommend vigorous, sustained hand washing with soap and hot water as perhaps the best way to avoid infection. Impatience, however, can set in. This would lead to inadequate ablutions. So, what is a nerd to do?

How about reciting the season-four intro from the cult-classic sci-fi show “Babylon 5“? (hat tip to my pal Amalia Hertel for making me aware.)

The famed “Star Trek” intro is another great option:

Or, perhaps, the sequence of dialogue at the end of the “The Prisoner” intro?

Do you have any coronavirus tips for nerds?

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