Corona Fear

CNN is on the TV in one of the breakrooms. I walk past it several times a day and to me it looks like many of the reports are almost giddy with the hype this virus has created...or which the media has created about the virus.

I'm not discounting the seriousness of the disease. But from what I've read its really not as bad as the media wants the public to believe.

Yes there have been some deaths. But most cases are mild, and almost seem to be less serious than getting a flu-bug.

Yes novel coronavirus is contagious. But there are more contagious and more serious diseases out there.

There are great examples of what to expect when a real threat comes.

Unless you've been sequestered from the news, you've probably heard about the confusing rush on toilet paper and bottled water because of the fear of ...getting sick.

Seriously?!!

Think about it. How does getting sick threaten the water supply? Are people afraid the water is going to get contaminated and become infectious? It's not like we import all of our bottled water and toilet paper from China.

Okay, so it the disease were as contagious as the measles and deadly as small pox or the plague then maybe there might be some justification in stock piling some supplies.

But the real reason to store supplies like water and toilet paper are for when those supplies are not available. Like in the aftermath of a hurricane or an earthquake.

Anyway, as I've mentioned in other recent posts, the best thing about the coronavirus fear-mongering is that it teaches us what can and probably will happen in a real pandemic threat.

We need to be prepared before that time. So, when things calm down and you can actually find toilet paper, bottled water, rice, wheat, and other supplies in your local store then it would be good to start building up your preparations.

Someday there will be a real outbreak of a really threatening and (probably) more deadly disease. Quarantines will be very commonplace and you will need to be prepared for limited access to the comforts and conveniences you're used to.

I think this particular virus threat will mostly pass over by the summer. It's not that it'll completely go away, I just think it will be realized it's not the end of the world and it can be controlled and it's not as bad as the media wants us to believe.

And why does the media want us to believe it's so bad? Two reasons. The first is because fear sells and they're raking in viewer eyeballs and money.

The second reason is the coming presidential election. If Trump can be made to look bad in the eyes of most Americans then the Democrats/Liberals feel like they have a chance at winning the election. Since there are more left-leaning media/news outlets the majority of them want to get Trump out of office.