Trying to be optimistic and see a silver lining- perhaps this pandemic hoax has improved the world's hygiene to a degree? Like maybe people wash their hands significantly more often? Idk though, all of the advice was always "WEAR A MASK HURR DURR". They never talked about hand-washing, regular bathing, and the most common way you contract illnesses- **by touching your face with your filthy hands.** Some dude has the flu, just starting to manifest. He knows he's getting sick but he doesn't feel shitty enough to stay home. He goes to a gas station, handles the gas pump, coughing into his hand while doing so. He drives off, and your unlucky ass pulls up to the same pump. You get out, start pumping gas, tapping your foot, you idly scratch your eye or rub your nose or beard. Congrats, you've just exposed yourself to whatever disease that previous guy had! I learned this in Boot Camp. You would get screamed at for touching your face under *any* circumstances beyond hygiene (daily shaving and washing of the face). During "Basic Warrior Training", a phase in the middle-end of training, you spend 2 weeks out "in the field" to simulate what it may be like. We were sneaking through some trees, using hand signals to communicate, then the Drill Instructor commanded to hold and remain silent and still. Seconds pass by, we're waiting... then out of the corner of my eye, a sudden movement draws my attention: **another recruit had just smacked a sand flea on his face.** Our Drill Instructor spazzed out, as they are wont to do. He said "That sudden movement just got the entire team spotted, now we've been shot at- you lost your legs, that recruit has a shot arm, this recruit is dead." That means we have to carry the legless and dead recruits on our ponchos, and carry the arm-shot recruit's weapon for him. Later, the recruit who was responsible for this was called to "the pit", these sandboxes scattered around the base outside where Drill Instructors use intense physical training as a way to punish you. They can put you in tremendous pain without laying a hand on you... and it makes you stronger. **This recruit had to dig a hole and hold a mock funeral for the sand flea he killed.** Like most things in Boot Camp, none of it makes sense in the moment. Looking back, it was about discipline and reducing the spread of disease. Staph infections were extremely common in such an environment, and all it takes is scratching your head a little and you might be out of action for a week. And then there's the combative application, where if I can't count on you to remain still until we need to move.... well, it'd be a shame if we lost you somehow.