[dahfizz]

> In hindsight, no biggy, how dare they made everybody sanitize their hands all the time.

I think you're really underplaying this. If the FDA hadn't suspended the rules about benzene, then fine. No biggy.

But the government literally encouraged people to slather themselves with carcinogens on a hunch that it might help with COVID.

I would even be fine with it if we had proof that hand sanitizer was the most effective way to stop COVID, and then the FDA relaxed the regulations secure in the knowledge that it would save lives.

But COVID is airborne, hand sanitizer does basically nothing to protect against it, and people are going to die from leukemia as a result of all this for no reason.

[hn976827]

When the real thing hits, a few carcinogens here and there will be ok if it saves civilization. The air in the average U.S. city is full of carcinogens, on top of volunteer smoking and drinking. Have you been as upset about that recently? Been out campaigning for more trains and less smoking?

And we won't have time for waiting for proof that it does or doesn't work. Of course in hindsight everybody is smart. But when the big one hits, there is no time for hindsight. By then we're all dead (or deep into a civil war).

Start with cautious. Adjust/relax rules when knowledge becomes available. Sanitizing your hands and wearing masks are the obvious immediate solution.

You make it sound like all companies suddenly poured toxic waste over the population, ordered by the government. Maybe it's not the government that was exaggerating here.

[Amezarak]

Hand sanitizer is almost useless. It’s washing your hands that’s effective.