We lose our "humanity" so quickly. Just a rumor of an issue turns us into out uncivilized versions.
This is almost what the supermarkets looked like this weekend. Not quite that wild...but they were packed, and people were filling their shopping carts to the top with anything that could be of value for a long lockdown. The hottest items was toilet paper and other paper products...gone from shelves for about a week now.
Canned goods were getting low and so were many dry goods...but I also saw people with 3-4 gallons of milk and dozens of eggs loaded up. Bottled water was all gone too...not sure why, it's though people were expected the water in their faucets would stop running because of the virus...?
I guess when panic sets it...logic goes, and people behave somewhat irrationally and without any plan. Right now, the fear and panic is having a worse toll on life much more than the virus is. Multiple places are closing down...many clubs, restaurants, and other places where crowd gatherings might normally occur. All types of entertainment events are being cancelled...and it looks like everyone is bunkering in until there is some change.
I see the government is trying to pass some type of paid extended sick leave for everyone...though I'm not sure how that's supposed to work. I mean, how can an employer pay all his employees extended sick leave, while at the same time closing down his business...???
Some employers have simply laid off their workforce, and I think the government is gearing up for paying out unemployment to those folks...but then, who wants to go stand in line at the unemployment office when they are telling everyone to stay home...?
I know there is a serious concern over the spread of this virus...but I do think that there is also a good amount of overreaction that is driving the panic. Yes, there needs to be a ways to prevent the spread, but I think in the end, it's really going to come down to the virus itself, and simply letting it play itself out.
There really is nothing much that medicine can do to cure it or prevent it at this point...only to try and control the spread, but without some kind of martial law and a complete lockdown nationwide...I don't think the spread will be fully contained anywhere, so it will come down to some areas and some people getting a bad dose, and others maybe not so much. Maybe only mother nature can have some impact with some early warm weather. Where's that climate change when you really need it.
Being a comfortable homebody...I can stay in for a couple of months and not go stir crazy, especially these days, since I've still got a lot of work with my new studio build and all kinds of other work yet to finish around the house...I just hope I can get the contractor stuff done, before they all decide not to work for awhile...but for them, there is no paid sick leave...they generally need to be on the job to get paid. That said, I should be done with my contractors this week for the most part...so the rest will be on me, so I have plenty to keep me busy while this virus stuff runs its course.