Thru-Hiking in times of Corona

This goes out to all of my fellow hiker friends out on the trail who still haven't gotten the memo. I felt like I needed to say this:

I am a Thru-Hiker myself and I know what big of a deal it is to walk a trail. In times like these though, something is more important than your dream. It is to keep the rest of the population safe by keeping this virus from spreading more than it already has. We all need to do our part in this, and our part is to stay at home. Thru-Hikers cannot be excluded from this pandemic. You need to find shelter and stay put. I see so many hikers post images of themselves starting their thru-hike being like: “I am safer out there on the trail anyways”. Yes, YOU are safer, but this isn’t about you.
While thru-hiking, it is impossible to stay clean and anyone telling you otherwise is wrong. No showers for days, no water to wash your hands with and if you were able to get some sanitizer you better hold on to that because it is going to be sold out soon. You don't know if you’re carrying the virus, but if you do, you are bringing it to small communities along the trail. That is just not right. Not cool. It is the most selfish and ignorant thing you could possibly be doing right now. But if you are in fact an ignorant idiot and if you are just thinking of yourself, then you might want to think of this: Every country in the world is going go on lock down. Life in Europe has stopped. The US is going to drown in chaos during the next couple of weeks. You might have to stay put in one place for months when shit really hits the fan (and it will). Do you want to be stuck at a trail angels house or a crappy motel room for 3 months or more? I don't think so. Go home.

Postpone your hike.
The trail is still going to be there next year.

Show some solidarity. The only way to fight this virus is if we do it together.