Is It Safe To Read The Newspaper?

I read my local newspaper everyday of the week. I know there are faster and more updated news sources in 2020, but I like my paper. Some call me "old-school," but at age 43, I'm no spring chicken.

With everything going on right now with COVID-19, is it safe to be touching the pages of my local newspaper?

To be honest with you, I never thought about it until this morning. I saw a notice from the Cedar Rapids Gazette on the front page of today's edition. The notice said:

"The World Health Organization has said it is safe to handle newspapers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gazette's printing facility and delivery contractors are taking additional precautions, including providing gloves where appropriate and frequent cleaning of equipment and user stations in the printing facilities and distribution centers."

With that said, I'm still playing it safe when I'm reading the paper. I don't wear gloves, but I make sure to wash my hands immediately after I'm done reading the pages. I do this after checking the mail or handling packages as well.

It's also important to not to touch your face or mouth after reading. I'm sure most of you know this, but these friendly reminders never hurt during the pandemic.

A co-worker stopped by my office as I was writing this. He said, "Jaymz, why don't you just read the on-line version of the Gazette? Then you'll have nothing to worry about."

The question made sense....but you can't teach (this) old dog new tricks.