Michael Kaplan

SNEEZING WRONG IN PRISON CAN GET YOU PUNCHED IN THE FACE . Prison habits and customs are steeped in retrograde beliefs. While belching, farting, and yelling are par for the course, when it comes to sneezing, other inmates are vigilant in expecting others to follow a particular protocol. With the advent of Covid-19, this particular outre behavior may actually make some sense! Rather than cupping their mouth with their hand, inmates tend to sneeze into their shirts. This is considered both considerate, as well as sanitary in prison.  One out of every fifteen people born in the year 2000 will be incarcerated at some time in their life. Hopefully, you're not one of them. For more great tips of surviving prison, see the  prison survival guide for wimps.

The 2,300,000 people who are incarcerated in the United States are extraordinarily vulnerable to Covid-19.  Prison is a perfect breeding ground for the virus. There is no practical way to separate inmates. China has admitted to over 500 deaths in their prisons from Covid-19, primarily involving prisons in Shandong, and Zhejiang. Because of the combination of virulence and close living quarters that inmates experience, some countries have moved to release prisoners, as much as practical. While fortunately, 80% of cases of Covid-19 appear to be mild, 15% are severe, requiring hospitalization, and another 5% are deemed critical. Those at greatest risk are the elderly, and inmates with hypertension, diabetes, and lung disease. Sadly, there are a great number of inmates who fall into these vulnerable categories.