Today is the First Day I am Freaking Out

[Loren Pechtel]

4.- People buying guns are morons. It's not a zombie apocalypse.

NOT YET...

I've actually seen a reasonable reason for this--a bunch of cops out with the bug (remember, as frontliners they'll have a high exposure rate) means fewer to respond to calls for help and the criminals would likely take advantage of the lack of police.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Everything I've read said there is no shortage of food, but it is taking time to restock the stores. We always have a lot of food in the house because we eat most of our meals at home. The government kept telling people to stock up for at least two weeks, so that explains why so many people are on a food buying frenzy. I don't know about other places, but before this scare, our restaurants were almost always crowded. Now, many are closed or only doing take out. So, it makes sense that more people are buying more groceries.

There is a temporary shortage of food.

The government advised everyone to have a few weeks worth of food at home, that's more than most people keep around. Thus the demand experienced a spike, but production remained basically as it was (it doesn't ramp up and down easily.)

 

[skepticalbip]

No real change here although I do know a few people that have been scared shitless by the over-the-top news coverage. A check of the state's department of health website shows that there are 121 known infections in the state with a population of over 10 million, the closest is over 200 miles from here. There is five cases in a county of a neighboring state a little over a hundred miles away. A bit of caution may be warranted because of what it may become but I see no reason for panic.

OK, you do realize that 4 months ago there was zero number of infected?
Seriously, what is wrong with you?

For right now, I am more concerned about seasonal flu... which isn't much. Over a million in my state have been infected with flu causing 52 flu deaths this season. Corona19 has 121 infected and no deaths. For now, I am much more likely to run into someone infected with the flu than someone infected with Corona19.

 

[Treedbear]

Panic buying might be fallout from the fact that low income families never get the chance to stock-up on groceries when they go on sale. Long term they end up paying more for basic necessities. But in emergency situations they all at once need to buy enough of everything for the duration. I have a pantry with 3 months or more of items I use regularly including pasta, rice, frozen meats and veggies. I also happened to have a full case of paper towels and TP, so I got lucky there. But I did end up panic buying a few items for the small shop I work at without which we'd need to shut down production.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

The FDA announced people should only buy food for up to a week. The trouble is, they started saying this after the panic started and states have been reacting to a failed DC leadership.

With absolutely nothing coming out of DC except some CDC data, sometimes contradicted by Trump, and Trump's bloaviations about how life just isn't fair, people don't know what to expect. If there is a lockdown, how does grocery shopping take place? People need supplies? For how long? 1 week, 3 weeks, 6 weeks? How in the heck do we prevent the spread of the virus with people en masse shopping at grocery stores?

The Trump Administration is begging to be fired through their incompetency. The Senate should be fired for approving these idiot Secretaries.

 

[Toni]

Panic buying might be fallout from the fact that low income families never get the chance to stock-up on groceries when they go on sale. Long term they end up paying more for basic necessities. But in emergency situations they all at once need to buy enough of everything for the duration. I have a pantry with 3 months or more of items I use regularly including pasta, rice, frozen meats and veggies. I also happened to have a full case of paper towels and TP, so I got lucky there. But I did end up panic buying a few items for the small shop I work at without which we'd need to shut down production.

I don’t think it’s poor people who are panic buying.

In fact I think I really need to check with my local food shelf to see what they need most.

 

[Angry Floof]

I think yesterday was my freakout day. Stores decimated, online stores saying "item out of stock" five minutes after you put it in your cart, delivery services booked up, essential items sold out. At one point I had several gallons of soy milk and several pounds of powdered milk in my online carts on various web sites. I calmed down today and pared it down a bit. I now only have 1.5 gallons of soy milk in the fridge and 3 pounds of powdered milks on the way. I guess I feel like if I have milk on hand, everything is fine. lol

Then stores started getting stuff in and organizing their shoppers to certain hours and limits on items, and my online orders started to come in stock again, and delivery times opened up this morning without any of my items going out of stock before I could get the order in. Feeling much less alarmed today.

I'm now leaning toward, hey, let's all sit back and watch our modern logistics and distribution systems at work. Not easy for the companies with stockers and drivers and other staff out, but there's clearly enough food available, just contingency plans are being initiated and will catch up quickly, maybe even within the week. I'm feeling much more confident right now.

Side note: There is one thing I truly love about this pandemic and it's that the whole thing is showing us just how connected the world is. We're a global village, like it or not. I think we'll see a huge increase in international efforts and problem solving from here on out. There is no one country that can truly close itself off from the rest of the world.

 

[barbos]

No real change here although I do know a few people that have been scared shitless by the over-the-top news coverage. A check of the state's department of health website shows that there are 121 known infections in the state with a population of over 10 million, the closest is over 200 miles from here. There is five cases in a county of a neighboring state a little over a hundred miles away. A bit of caution may be warranted because of what it may become but I see no reason for panic.

OK, you do realize that 4 months ago there was zero number of infected?
Seriously, what is wrong with you?

For right now, I am more concerned about seasonal flu... which isn't much. Over a million in my state have been infected with flu causing 52 flu deaths this season. Corona19 has 121 infected and no deaths. For now, I am much more likely to run into someone infected with the flu than someone infected with Corona19.

Got it, you can only worry about right now, you can't worry about one minute from now, let alone 1 week from now, or even 1 month.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

We have the food... err... now. I suppose it is a good thing we don't use people to produce stuff anymore.

Then the issue becomes, great, we have food. But how many are losing hours or jobs because of a National Freeze? The Dow Futures are down 500 points already, knowing that DC is in utter chaos. Talks of big programs and bills and spending, and ridiculous tax cuts, when what we need is directly injected capital to buoy up the economy. No fucking 0% interest rate, no QE, put the money directly into the system. But the White House is run by idiots and the Secretary of the Treasury is a fucking idiot, as is the Commerce guy.

Thanks to the MAGA hat wearing dumb asses.

 

[Jokodo]

No real change here although I do know a few people that have been scared shitless by the over-the-top news coverage. A check of the state's department of health website shows that there are 121 known infections in the state with a population of over 10 million, the closest is over 200 miles from here. There is five cases in a county of a neighboring state a little over a hundred miles away. A bit of caution may be warranted because of what it may become but I see no reason for panic.

OK, you do realize that 4 months ago there was zero number of infected?
Seriously, what is wrong with you?

For right now, I am more concerned about seasonal flu... which isn't much. Over a million in my state have been infected with flu causing 52 flu deaths this season. Corona19 has 121 infected and no deaths. For now, I am much more likely to run into someone infected with the flu than someone infected with Corona19.

(via https://xkcd.com/2278/)

 

[skepticalbip]

For right now, I am more concerned about seasonal flu... which isn't much. Over a million in my state have been infected with flu causing 52 flu deaths this season. Corona19 has 121 infected and no deaths. For now, I am much more likely to run into someone infected with the flu than someone infected with Corona19.

Got it, you can only worry about right now, you can't worry about one minute from now, let alone 1 week from now, or even 1 month.

Someone should be more immediately concerned about the tiger that is currently attacking them than the crocodile they may have to fight off if they go fishing tomorrow. Right now flu is a bigger danger. But as far as precautions taken, the precautions taken to avoid flu are the same as those taken to avoid corono19. What is more an immediate concern is a different matter than the precautions.

What amazes me is that no one is showing any concern for the flu that infects 3 to 5 million and kills up to half a million. There have already this year been twice as many seasonal flu deaths just in the U.S. than the global deaths from Corona 19.

People have just become comfortable with flu because they have lived through several seasons so tend to just accept (or have come to ignore) how dangerous it is. Corona 19 in the new guy on the block so is scary plus the media is pumping the fear.

"What, 16,000 deaths in the U.S. already this year??? My god, we gotta do something... Oh, never mind it was just the flu."

 

[Don2 (Don1 Revised)]

For right now, I am more concerned about seasonal flu... which isn't much. Over a million in my state have been infected with flu causing 52 flu deaths this season. Corona19 has 121 infected and no deaths. For now, I am much more likely to run into someone infected with the flu than someone infected with Corona19.

Got it, you can only worry about right now, you can't worry about one minute from now, let alone 1 week from now, or even 1 month.

Someone should be more immediately concerned about the tiger that is currently attacking them than the crocodile they may have to fight off if they go fishing tomorrow. Right now flu is a bigger danger. But as far as precautions taken, the precautions taken to avoid flu are the same as those taken to avoid corono19. What is more an immediate concern is a different matter than the precautions.

What amazes me is that no one is showing any concern for the flu that infects 3 to 5 million and kills up to half a million. There have already this year been twice as many seasonal flu deaths just in the U.S. than the global deaths from Corona 19.

People have just become comfortable with flu because they have lived through several seasons so tend to just accept (or have come to ignore) how dangerous it is. Corona 19 in the new guy on the block so is scary plus the media is pumping the fear.

You are comparing apples and crocodiles.

 

[Derec]

"What, 16,000 deaths in the U.S. already this year??? My god, we gotta do something... Oh, never mind it was just the flu."

The thing is that the flu is not overloading hospitals like COVID has done in Italy. Nor does it have the potential of causing 1-2 million US deaths this year. No, COVID is a big fucking deal. We should not freak out or panic, but it is absolutely right to take it seriously.

 

[barbos]

For right now, I am more concerned about seasonal flu... which isn't much. Over a million in my state have been infected with flu causing 52 flu deaths this season. Corona19 has 121 infected and no deaths. For now, I am much more likely to run into someone infected with the flu than someone infected with Corona19.

Got it, you can only worry about right now, you can't worry about one minute from now, let alone 1 week from now, or even 1 month.

Someone should be more immediately concerned about the tiger that is currently attacking them than the crocodile they may have to fight off if they go fishing tomorrow.

There is no "may" here. fighting a crocodile tomorrow is a certainty.

Right now flu is a bigger danger. But as far as precautions taken, the precautions taken to avoid flu are the same as those taken to avoid corono19.

You keep repeating something which is patently and mathematically false.

What is more an immediate concern is a different matter than the precautions.

What amazes me is that no one is showing any concern for the flu that infects 3 to 5 million and kills up to half a million. There have already this year been twice as many seasonal flu deaths just in the U.S. than the global deaths from Corona 19.

Well, In Italy CoronaVirus seems to be beating flu by an order of magnitude it seems, and it's early into the season

People have just become comfortable with flu because they have lived through several seasons so tend to just accept (or have come to ignore) how dangerous it is. Corona 19 in the new guy on the block so is scary plus the media is pumping the fear.

"What, 16,000 deaths in the U.S. already this year??? My god, we gotta do something. Oh, never mind it was just the flu."

This is fucking stupid.

 

[Derec]

Well, In Italy CoronaVirus seems to be beating flu by an order of magnitude it seems, and it's early into the season

There are some signs of number of new cases flattening out in Italy, which may indicate that the inflection point is upon them. That would be very good news indeed. The next couple of days will tell the tale of whether that is true or just a fluke of last two days' numbers.

 

[barbos]

"What, 16,000 deaths in the U.S. already this year??? My god, we gotta do something... Oh, never mind it was just the flu."

The thing is that the flu is not overloading hospitals like COVID has done in Italy. Nor does it have the potential of causing 1-2 million US deaths this year.

Exactly. Ordinary flu is consistent and fairly predictable, people have partial natural and unnatural immunity against it, people who die from it are the ones who are already dying anyway. How many people here have ever had flu? I can say I have never had a flu, don't know anyone who had. Most people had common cold, not flu.
COVID, on the other hand, there is no immunity, much much more transmissible, add to that that large percentage of population may have no symptoms you have a situation where 100% of people get infected, 1% die, and 2-5% survive but would be as good as dead due to complications

 

[barbos]

Well, In Italy CoronaVirus seems to be beating flu by an order of magnitude it seems, and it's early into the season

There are some signs of number of new cases flattening out in Italy, which may indicate that the inflection point is upon them. That would be very good news indeed. The next couple of days will tell the tale of whether that is true or just a fluke of last two days' numbers.

That did not happen on its own, flattening happens only after measures are implemented, like they did in China. Also perceived flattening could be due to lack of testing.
But so far in US, people are more concerned with regular flu and toilet paper, spring break was not cancelled.

 

[Derec]

Exactly. Ordinary flu is consistent and fairly predictable, people have partial natural and unnatural immunity against it, people who die from it are the ones who are already dying anyway. How many people here have ever had flu? I can say I have never had a flu, don't know anyone who had. Most people had common cold, not flu.

Unless you go to the doctor you will not be diagnosed with flu even if you have it.

COVID, on the other hand, there is no immunity, much much more transmissible, add to that that large percentage of population may have no symptoms you have a situation where 100% of people get infected, 1% die, and 2-5% survive but would be as good as dead due to complications

There are probably some people with natural immunity to it though. 100% of people getting infected in very unlikely. Look at South Korea. Their curve is flattening at just over 8k cases, which corresponds to 50k scaled to US population. We are at 1/10 of that, so there is still a chance we follow their model. China is flattening at 19k US equivalent cases, although they may be under-reporting. Italy right now is at 170k US equivalent cases, so it easily can get much worse, but even Italy is showing some tentative signs of inflection.

 

[Derec]

That did not happen on its own, flattening happens only after measures are implemented, like they did in China.

And measures are being implemented here too. Pretty severe ones. Schools closed, many events have been cancelled. Everybody is washing their hands every 30 min and slapping on Purell like it's going out of fashion.

Also perceived flattening could be due to lack of testing.

Do you think Italy is now testing less than 3 or 5 days ago? I really hope that is not the reason.

But so far in US, people are more concerned with regular flu and toilet paper, spring break was not cancelled.

I saw that. That was really dumb of the organizers. I just hope the hot weather limited the transmission rate despite the crowds.

 

[barbos]

And measures are being implemented here too. Pretty severe ones.

CNN showed a video from SF, does not look like people are taking it seriously, certainly different from Italy and China.

Do you think Italy is now testing less than 3 or 5 days ago? I really hope that is not the reason.

We don't know, we know their system is overloaded and it could mean changes in priorities. I mean why bother with testing when you can't really do anything for a person who tested positive? Test result change nothing, you still have to stay at home like everyone else. Severe cases maybe you can get to ICU but they don't have enough of them it seems.

But so far in US, people are more concerned with regular flu and toilet paper, spring break was not cancelled.

I saw that. That was really dumb of the organizers. I just hope the hot weather limited the transmission rate despite the crowds.

Criminally dumb.