OK, people, common sense check: If you are told to self-quarantine, that does not mean go out and risk spreading the coronavirus to others.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Monday that the first case of coronavirus in Missouri had another level added to the initial scare of it: Family members of the patient went to a father-daughter dance Saturday.

Even before the dance, the two family members (the husband and daughter) of the patient (the mother/wife) apparently attended a pre-dance gathering at another student’s house.

And the effect of these actions is that two schools, Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School, were closed Monday.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the family was told to self-quarantine themselves, and yet, the father and sister decided to go out and be not just near others, but near a lot of others.

Common sense would tell you that if you have come into contact with a family member or friend, and they tell you they have coronavirus, you would immediately get yourself tested, self-quarantine and tell everyone you have been in contact with to be careful themselves.

My theory/hypothesis of the reason for the rapid spread of the disease is because people who had it came in contact with others, not knowing they had it, and then the other people, who now have it, came in contact with others. It was not their faults; they did not know they had a new disease, but once it started spreading internationally, people should have started to become aware and avoid contact with others.

For example, the woman in St. Louis who has it was on an Amtrak train last week, so if you were on that same train (the Post-Dispatch article lists the number), be careful and watch yourself and your family.

Do not touch your face if you have not washed your hands.

I understand that life and spit will always happen no matter what, so the spreading of this disease will not be halted by simply staying inside and people washing their hands and all that.

But all I am asking is that when there is a disease spreading around the world, can we just use common sense and not make matters any worse?

Dillan Schorfheide is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or at dtschorfheide@eiu.edu.