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Hundreds eat dim sum to support Chinatown
By adamg on Sat, 02/15/2020 - 10:23pm
WBUR reports on a large community meal at China Pearl, organized by city councilors in both Boston and Quincy, to support Chinatown and show Covid-19 infeciton is no more likely there than anywhere else, which is to say, not likely. As opposed to the flu, the severity of which is now very high in Massachusetts.
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Chinatown is safe
The only place in Chinatown I would worry about is Chinatown station. The crowded downtown stations are not clean so avoid all pole-touching and passengers coughing and sneezing during rush hour. I would also advise patrons not to sit on benches on the subway and never use MBTA restrooms which are filthy.
You know, they studied that very issue
Study finds T germs no more likely to kill you than germs anywhere else.
I'm not a scientist, but.....
I am not a scientist but my quick read of this report is that they collected samples during 2 dates in May, and 1 date in October. I have to believe that samples collected during the height of flu season, for example in February, might produce quite different results.
My non-scientific but common sense assessment is that T stations are often filthy, dirty, and disgusting.
Hopefully, your common sense tells you ...
Not to lick poles in subway cars, and to wash your hands once in awhile, too, in which case you're in no more danger on the Orange Line than you would be in the lobby of your workplace (where, presumably, you're not going around licking random objects, either).
What’s up with the licking fantasy?
Seriously ? No one is talking about licking anything at a T station except you. However touching poles, hanging straps, door handles, door bars, etc are all risky. Even the study mentioned a significant level of oral whatever on straps. I dare you or anyone to use the door handle on the bathroom at Harvard without being grossed out by what you just touched.
My main point was that data from May is probably very different from data from the height of flu season, like now
Did you notice the part ...
Where I mentioned hand washing?
What's the logic there?
They're measuring the difference, not the total number of germs. If the germs found in the T cars are no greater than those found elsewhere in May, why would they necessarily be greater during flu season? Are people with the flu are more likely to ride the T or something?
I didn't even know there were T restrooms
The only one's I've seen are at Malden Center and Back Bay Stations, and both of those are used exclusively for intravenous drug activity.
Need to update your suburbanite, stereotype handbook
The restrooms at Back Bay are really nice now and are staffed by an attendant (not sure of the hours).
At some stations
Alewife, for example. They're frequently serviced, which doesn't mean they're not sometimes a mess, but they work for me.