Monday, March 9, 2020

'My immune system is pretty much shot': A Milwaukee comedian showed up at the airport in a hazmat suit to avoid coronavirus exposure

From JSOnline:

, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

One traveler at Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport took some extra precautions this weekend. 
Charlie Quaintance was traveling to Ft. Myers, Fla., Saturday to visit his grandfather. He showed up to the airport wearing a hazmat suit in order to avoid exposure to coronavirus.
"I do have Crohn’s disease," Quaintance said. "I had my colon removed. My immune system is pretty much shot. I'm also a standup comedian, and I did see the humor in it."
Quaintance, 26, bought the hazmat suit online several years ago as part of a Walter White (the "Breaking Bad" character) Halloween costume.
"I don’t know if I'm planning on wearing it back. It did get really hot," he said. "I've been doing the same precautions as I normally do at home. I’ve been washing my hands and not touching my face."
People with Crohn's disease have a suppressed immune system, which makes people more susceptible to communicable diseases like coronavirus.
Healthy people only need face masks if they are in contact with or are caring for someone who you think has coronavirus. The Center for Disease Control notes that face masks are only effective at preventing disease when paired with frequent hand-cleaning. 
"I hope people saw the humor, I do understand it was over the top," Quaintance said. 
Contact Lainey Seyler at (414) 224-2863 or lainey.seyler@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @lainey_seyler.

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