What being a DJ taught me about staying safe from Covid-19
I hear and read it all the time. Talking heads and opinion pieces telling us that we now know how important it is to be careful when touching surfaces. Coronavirus could be lurking on that door handle or countertop.
These folks act as if this is some kind of revelation. Of course, many of us knew about the germs on seemingly innocent surfaces for years.
And, it’s not only doctors and health care workers. TV’s Adrian Monk (played by the great Tony Shalhoub) was well ahead of the curve when it came to the transmission of viruses. In fact, I have a crackpot theory that Tony Shalhoub is a time traveler who has come to our time from a dystopian future where a non-handwashing populace has been decimated. He’s here to warn us about our unhealthy habits. But, this article isn’t about Mrs. Maisel’s father, it’s about being a DJ.
Back in the 80’s and 90’s I was a DJ, spinning vinyl (hey, records are back!) and, later, CDs (remember those?) on the radio.
Back then, most radio stations were not well-kept spaces. They were, in reality, rather dingy, at best. One crappy place I worked had a studio where the roof that leaked every time it rained. The hole was right above one of the turntables. I had to hold a coffee can over the record player while the album spun so droplets wouldn’t hit the album while it was playing.
In addition to shoddy construction and maintenance, the DJ booth where we worked was a petri dish of multiplying germs and bacteria.
And, we shared everything. All the DJ’s used the same microphone. We touched the same buttons on the control board. We used the same handset to answer the phone and take requests. One station even had a single pair of headphones that were welded into the control board. Social distancing and PPE were unheard of.
It wouldn’t take long for someone’s cold to be passed to everyone at the station.
Of course, a cold is nothing compared to Coronavirus. But, having a cold when you talk on the radio for a living can be a real problem. So, I invested in a can of Lysol. Before every shift, I’d spray down the microphone, the control board, and the phone. Anything I planned to touch got an antibacterial misting.
And, it worked. I didn’t get sick after that. I’m sure time traveler Tony Shalhoub would be proud.
Brent Petersen is the Editor in Chief at Destination Eat Drink, the travel website and podcast for foodies. He is the author of the novel Truffle Hunt (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection That Bird.
