We are truly blessed to have a medical doctor as a neighbor and a friend. Since the shelter in place orders back in March, he has been studying the pandemic and, more specifically, the traits of the virus itself. He shares his findings from various medical studies and reports in periodic newsletter-style updates.

Recently he posted an eyeopener! We invite you to “read all about it” for yourself. He goes to great lengths to break down into layman’s terms the recent medical findings resulting from the history, experience, and analysis of the virus and its behavior. This is our quick take on his latest post.

Beach Landing Craft 

Think of it as a war where the enemy is trying to make a landing. Their troops are coming in on landing craft, trying to make a beachhead. And once they establish that beachhead, they can quickly spread out and invade our country. So preventing the enemy from establishing a strong beachhead is critical to our defense. Both sides knew this in the Great War. Both sides erected a bulwark of wire, concrete and steel all along their beaches to prevent enemy landings, or at least slow them down.

Now let’s take that analogy fast forward to today. It’s wartime again and the enemy is the novel coronavirus. Like enemy invasions in the past, it’s trying to make a landing and establish a beachhead from where it can expand. This enemy’s landing crafts are airborne droplets and the beach is your nose, mouth, and maybe your eyes. Once it reaches your lungs, it’s much harder to stop.

Diminish Their Numbers on the Beach!

New evidence is showing that the virus is more likely to establish a beachhead if, like in the Great War, it sends wave after wave of landing crafts (droplets) to the beach (primarily your nose and mouth) without any bulwark to minimize its collective power. In other words, the enemy is more successful when it lands in large numbers.

Now, it’s being demonstrated that even a relatively light bulwark, like a multi-layered cloth mask, can significantly reduce the number of incoming droplets that can enter the nose and mouth.  As Brad Stuart, MD puts it in his article, “People who wear masks still seem to get Covid-19 when exposed to a large viral dose, but they don’t get as sick.”

Improve Your Defenses Against the Enemy

In fact, evidence is mounting that the smaller droplets that get through masks may strengthen our immune system, much like a type of vaccination. In other words, it’s easier for our bodies to respond to the enemy when they land in smaller numbers. And, as Dr. Stuart tells us, “Getting a mild, or better yet asymptomatic, case of Covid-19 might actually benefit you. You may develop robust long-term immunity.”

So after all, wearing a mask is being shown to benefit the wearer as well as the other person! We have been waiting for this kind of news since the outbreak because so many of our countrymen have been asking, “What’s in it for me?” Well, now there appears to be something in it for everyone! If we won’t wear the mask to protect others, we can at least do so to benefit ourselves! And, as a bonus, we may potentially develop an immunity!

Let’s prevent the enemy from making a strong beachhead! Let us all wear the mask!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.