Well it ain't blown up here in SC yet, but the numbers of cases are increasing. There's a shortage of test kits which is skewing the results. Damn few people are getting tested and regardless of what anyone says you cannot get tested unless your doctor orders it, so all the hype we're being fed is meaningless BS. We're told the declaration of a "National Emergency" is to release funding, but wait- who's holding the funds back? Nobody, the declaration is to allow areas to be locked down in quarantine by FEMA. Fasten your seat belts Americans, there's turbulence ahead and we're flying blind right into it
As you all know I live on the outskirts of a major metropolitan area in the USA. After seeing how virulent this was in China, who are able to more tightly control their population than we are, I expected things to turn out bad here too so I began stocking up for this weeks ago. Nothing crazy, just some extra regular food and household needs along with some gloves and N95 masks, about enough to manage a couple weeks in and close to home if that became necessary. But I've been getting around and paying attention: toward the more densely populated areas the shelves are bare of TP, water, disinfectants, and packaged/canned foods that people usually buy for hurricanes etc. The further out you go, the better your chances are on finding these goods, but much is still in short supply- especially TP and disinfectants. At every store you see worried people grabbing whatever they can get in quantities more than what any sane person would just because they can get the stuff. Most of what's left are 'premium' brands; the cheaper items folks usually buy are gone. Nobody's fighting over the last can of beans on the shelf yet but I expect that will change in the next week. I'm going out shopping tomorrow more to see what's happening than to get anything- thank goodness they're not hoarding blue jeans because that's my biggest need
I'm not sure how to best handle this. China's tight lockdowns have worked in slowing the spread- you can't argue their success, but that will be near impossible here for many reasons. "Herd immunity" seems to me like you're saying "we're going to just let this run it's course and kill lots of good people needlessly so that the survivors can survive better". That's like playing the lottery with human lives and I can't abide with that way of thinking even if it does work- which it might not. All that any of us can do is to take steps to best protect ourselves. I'm sitting back here watching and ready to stay home for awhile if and when the time seems to call for that, which so far hasn't happened. But I expect such a time may come, and soon. I've got several unfinished projects to while away my time then so it won't be a problem for me if it comes to that- a good justification for my normally being a procrastinator
Phil
