Panicking Over Coronavirus!

It’s the 800-pound elephant in the room.  No one can get away from the news of it.  The panicking over Coronavirus is overwhelming!

So far, the panic appears to be far worse than the virus itself.  As of this writing, there are just over 10,440 cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  A counter can be found here, which will be updated periodically.

The economic impacts have already affected just about every American.   The federal government is working on a relief package.  The Senate GOP has made a proposal:

BREAKING: Senate GOP direct cash payment proposal for coronavirus relief:

• $75k and under: $1,200 for individual, $2,400 for couple filing jointly
• $75k-99k: scales down from $1,200
• $99k+: no payments
• Adds $500 per child

Based on 2018 tax return

(NBC News)

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 19, 2020

Food is staying in good supply, as of now.  Toilet paper and hand sanitizer can’t stay on the shelves.

The toilet paper phenomenon is odd.  The concern is that stores will eventually close and that we’ll all be confined to our homes, but why not a bigger run on food?

As far as food items go, the only thing that doesn’t seem to remain in abundance is rice.

Of course, shortages are highly localized.  People in some locales are reporting a lack of meat and eggs.  Where I am in west-central Florida, meat and eggs are not as abundant as usual, but there is some availability.   Again, as I write this…

Quarantine

The quarantine threat is real.  Every major sports league has shut down operations.  Large crowds are being discouraged or even banned.  First it was 15,000 people, then 10,000 people, then 1,000, then 500, then 250, then 100.  Now some people are saying crowds of over ten (!!!) are too much!  Ten!

The City of San Francisco has issued a city-wide quarantine.

Over 6.7 million people in San Francisco Bay area are to shelter in place for the next 3 weeks starting at 12:01 am on Tuesday.
It is now the strictest fight against the pandemic in the U.S.? ??#ShelterinPlace#COVID19#SocialDistancing#Quarantine pic.twitter.com/bu5iOuOWmH

— Marietta (@MariettaDaviz) March 17, 2020

Who knows how far such an extreme quarantine would reach?  Just a few big cities?  All big cities?  Some states?  All states?

Right now, it’s anyone’s guess.   This is unprecedented to Americans who are alive today.  Two weeks ago, who could have seen any of this coming?  It’s just getting crazier by the day.

How to handle food?

I am stocking up on rice.  The hope here is that I don’t need to dig into it at any point and that I can keep going on an animal-based way of eating.  So far, it seems like supply availability will allow that to happen.  But, again, who knows?

How much rice?  100 to 150 pounds is what I would go for, for a family of three.

Mike Cernovich provides some good advice on the matter.

I don’t discuss investing.

I do say that every family needs

– 100 pounds rice
– 50 pounds lentils
– 200 gallons of water
– a generator if you can afford one

Basic prep stuff.

Like the Mormons do. https://t.co/QEWv6UzSbS

— Cernovich (@Cernovich) February 24, 2020

As stores are limiting quantities of rice, buy what you can at that time.  Return the next morning and keep doing it until you get to that 150-pound mark.  White rice will keep indefinitely, if uncooked.

While power supply doesn’t appear to be of any concern, I’m keeping two weeks of meat on-hand at any given time and will replenish on a daily basis while meat is still available.

I’m keeping a good stock on eggs.  Brown eggs are my preference, but white eggs will do the job, too, if necessary.  Yesterday when I went to the store, there were as many brown eggs available as white eggs.  People are still opting for the cheaper white eggs, which is good for us.  Today, the Publix store I went to was out of white eggs but brown eggs still remained in abundance.

Social distancing

I’m staying away from crowds as much as reasonably possible.  This is no problem for me, as I’m an introvert by nature and large crowds make me very anxious very quickly.

Going for a walk after dinner at night, or during the day if the weather permits, is a good way to get your exercise in and get some fresh air.  My gym is closed for the time being, so this will be something I will engage in personally.

Walking in most outdoor areas should keep you away from others with no problem while still enabling you to hear the birds chirp and get your vitamin D.

Conclusion…What would I do?

Dr. Drew Pinsky is taking a very pragmatic approach to this whole thing, and has been a valuable voice of reason.  I’d highly recommend you follow him on social media and follow any updates he provides.  He posts regularly on Facebook and Twitter, and has been doing live broadcasts on an increasing basis.

I’m staying away from people as much as possible while not staying inside completely.

I am going to the store once a day and looking for things like toilet paper.  I’m doing fine right now as far as supplies go, but I will pick up one pack of toilet paper if I see it.  I’m also getting a flat of water every chance I get; again once a day.  No more than that.  This method will keep your supplies intact while allowing others to do the same without hoarding.

Pragmatism will rule the day until we get past this.  Politicians and media will worsen the problem, but if we just keep our heads cool, we’ll make it out just fine.