It’s Not a Zombie Apocalypse, But…

Hingham is a town that maintains a triple A bond rating because we have a long history of doing our homework and planning for the unexpected. Having a high level of confidence in municipal government is a luxury that none of us should take for granted in this era of political chaos.

Over the years, Hinghamites have worked together to serve the less fortunate and to fundraise for countless worthy causes. Our town culture celebrates kindness and going the extra mile to help others. If Covid-19 becomes widespread, we will face this together.

When recent news cycles began mentioning the  new Coronavirus my first thought was to be grateful to live in a community where we have both the resources and goodwill to work together to make the best of a bad situation. Even so, it needs to be acknowledged that Hinghamites do not live in a permanently protected bubble.

The fatality rates for Covid-19 are impossible to know exactly, but early indications suggest for the majority of Americans, this won’t be worse than a bad cold. But for those who are very old or immunocompromised, this germ could be up to 20 times more lethal than a case of the flu. For this reason, we all need to pay attention.

That said, you can take comfort in knowing that this threat is being taken very seriously on the state and municipal level and for now, your risk for exposure as a Massachusetts resident remains low. Currently it is far more likely you’ve been exposed to the flu if you are feeling a tickle in the back of your throat. The same precautions you take to avoid other infectious diseases will also protect you from Covid-19.

On behalf of the town of Hingham and the department of health, Kathy Crowley (R.N.) provides the reassuring message that Hingham is in daily communication with the Massachusetts Department of Health and that Hingham has the capability to respond to any threat related to Covid-19 twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. She further clarifies, “We monitor all communicable disease (not just coronavirus) via a secure web based disease surveillance system”.  Here’s the link to the most up to date information about Covid-19 in MA.  https://www.mass.gov/guides/information-on-the-outbreak-of-2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19

So - please give yourself permission to stop watching cable news and social media newsfeeds for new information if it’s making you crazy.

On a lighter note: during my stop and shop run this morning I could not find hand sanitizer.  After a five minute search I ran into a woman whose shopping cart was halfway filled with so many bottles of it I thought she was an employee. I asked her where I could find some.

She gave me a strange smile and said “There is none. I have it all” with a somewhat triumphant tone. I found myself wondering what on earth she was going to do with a dozen or more gallon sized bottles (plus smaller containers) of hand sanitizer. Somehow I suspect she’s going to have 99% of her supply left over. Either that or all the loved ones in her path are going to be drenched in mildly sticky goo for the foreseeable future. Lucky them!

While I can appreciate her enthusiasm, it’s important to note that the best defense remains good old hand washing (at least 20 seconds and with soap!). Beyond that, the best way to reduce risk is to minimize exposure to crowds.

Take comfort in knowing that Hingham has a top notch department of health whose first priority is public safety. They know this is serious, and are committed to notifying the public if the threat to Hingham rises. You heard it here first: Hingham Square is not on the brink of being invaded by zombies! If that changes, you will be given plenty of warning.