The overreaction to the coronavirus is somewhat baffling.

Despite all the exposure and headlines our friends in the media have given to it, COVID-19 hasn’t come close to affecting health in the United States as compared to the annual flu.

And what is the best advice anyone has to offer?

“Wash your hands.” That revelation isn’t anything new if you ever had a mother.

Some churches are holding back on sacraments in fear of spreading the virus. Those same churches offered no warnings about the more dangerous, treacherous priests and ministers lurking in their parishes that infected thousands in a horrible way.

There is no reason not to take basic prevention measures, such as using soap and hot water regularly.

But when the NBA warns against high-fives with the fans or signing autographs for children, we have lost our way.

Major League Baseball teams got headlines for thoroughly cleaning stadiums this week. That’s nice, but did it really take a warning from the World Health Organization to get the billionaires to simply clean the property as fans have a right to expect?

So, what are we going to do about the coronavirus in Butler County?

We probably won’t get worldwide recognition or even an invitation to the White House (although that would be cool). But after great deliberation, we would like to follow the advice of mothers and grandmothers everywhere and say, “Go wash your hands, and don’t forget to use the soap.”