Is it justified? Yes, I'm sorry. I'm afraid it is. Have their been other diseases more deadly? Sure, but not as widely and easily spread. At least in the last 100 years.
Its insidious nature is that for many young people, the symptoms and virulence of COVID-19 are relatively mild. But even though it is mild with them, it is highly contagious, and they are inadvertently spreading it to more at-risk populations, like the elderly and those with disabling conditions.
Let's take a look at the most recent numbers, as I write this. There are 166,000 cases globally, and a death toll in excess of 6,400. That in and of itself represents a death rate of 3.8%.
But that might not be the fairest contrast, because many of those are cases where the people are currently sick, and the outcome is not yet known. The reported numbers on the estimated 83,400 resolved cases are, 77,000 recovered and 6,400 fatalities. That represents a resolved case death rate of 7.7%.
Contrast this with the devastating Spanish Influenza outbreak of 1918, where estimated deaths range from upwards to 50 million. And the death rate was roughly 2%.
2%.
So, stop it with the over-reaction talk.
South Korea and China have shown that isolation measures do work to mitigate the spread of the disease. So, yes, we have to adopt the same measures.
All that being said, I still don't understand the run on toilet paper. Not everything makes sense, I guess.
I'm not an intensely social person. I participate in community theatre and church, and occasionally some other groups, but for the most part, I'm happiest at home with my family, books, TV, and my writing endeavors. Growing up in Michigan, I loved snow because it sometimes meant that I could stay at home - not have to go to school or work,
Even though I have those proclivities, this feels different. This is going to last significantly longer than being snowed in, or hunkering down for an impending hurricane. I'm not sure people are quite aware of how long this will last.
In the area that I live, there is a 'Capri pants' aspect to it. By that, I mean, our little rural area is the last to pick up on things, using fashion as an example. The Capri pants fad started in the bigger cities, filtered down to the suburbs, and then finally hit this area months after other areas had stopped wearing them and had moved on.
So, isolation is slower to occur here. People are still out and about. Some of our many Trump fans are reluctant to admit anything is going on at all. DEMOCRAT HOAX! That hasn't stopped the hoarding of toilet paper, even here.
In my home county, Pierce, I am not aware of any cases. Like I said, it'll probably come here last.
Schools are finally reacting here, responding just ahead of a probable state government edict to shut down schools. This shutdown is going to cause ripple-effect problems, including how it may affect working families and who will watch their youngins' if the parents still need to work. It also will affect those who depend on school for meals. Sad but true, that poverty is so high in this country that we have become reliant on schools for basic nutrition. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is scheduled to slash food stamps for many on April 1st.
If my work allows (my CPA day job), I am going to do the utmost to keep up my blog during this difficult time. Writing and reading are some of the best ways we can stay socially connected right now, and I will do my best to keep it up.
Your fvorite quasi-hermit,
T. M. Strait
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