Hey, good news! The world isn’t ending from this crazy virus that’s spreading around the world, even if it seems like it’ll end any day now.
We all need to take a deep breath and reset ourselves for a minute. We’ll be OK. We’ve dealt with worse. Let’s not panic.
But still wash your hands.
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Alright, can we get a reset on 2020? This whole virus situation has gotten a little out of hand hasn’t it?
I’m recording this a few days prior to when it will come out – it’s Friday March 20th right now, so I’ll make a few predictions about the state of affairs half a week from now.
More states will have placed their entire population on a mandatory lockdown. I think as of right now it’s just California and Illinois that have done so.
Numbers of infections from this virus will have steadily increased, and unfortunately so will deaths.
And my final prediction is that toilet paper will become more valuable than US currency. OK, that last one is a bit tongue in cheek. Hopefully it doesn’t come true.
So, why does it seem like society is collapsing around us?
Is it the media causing us to panic? Are there legitimate concerns that some of us don’t understand or just aren’t taking seriously?
The recommendations to prevent infection include all the stuff we’ve heard over the last few weeks. Wash your hands, don’t touch your face, social distancing, and all that shit.
Now, I’ve seen two responses to these recommendations. One is complete and utter panic. The world is ending, and none of us will make it out alive. The other can be categorized as complete disregard of those recommendations – fuck it I probably won’t get it, or confusion about the recommendations – I don’t get why everyone is flipping out. They compare the coronavirus to some other virus or disease that no one flips out over.
I’m not going to tell you which reaction is right or wrong. I’m not a doctor or infectious disease expert. Do I think washing your hands and staying away from sick people is a good idea? Sure, that all makes sense. It made just as much sense in January as it does now. Do I think the government is overreaching by forcing businesses to close, and mandating citizens to stay in their homes? Absolutely. I still think it’s the right thing for people to do in certain situations like if there are people who are sick in your area, but I don’t think the government should be the ones forcing people to stay in isolation.
Look, if you’re in panic mode none of that probably made you feel comfortable. Hell you’re probably not even listening anymore. For those of you who stuck with me, you should realize that everything is going to be okay. We as a country have been through far worse things than this. Remember just about 19 years ago we lost about 3,000 people in a single day. I’d like to think we bounced back pretty well from that. Sure it was a little scary at the moment. We didn’t know if there would be other attacks, if the wars were going to be long drawn out wars, or quicker more surgical strikes. Like now, there was a lot of uncertainty back then. But look at how our friends, our family, our neighbors, and fellow countrymen and women bounced back. We’re a resilient bunch when we’ve got our backs against the wall.
For everyone in the other camp, who aren’t concerned about getting sick, j...
