I am of sufficient vintage to remember the “AIDS epidemic”; as well as SARS, Ebola, and various and sundry avian flus and swine flus.
With every new pestilence there are two epidemics; the virus itself and the epidemic of fear.
It is the latter which is the more destructive.
Most viruses are easily defeated with a very weak (1:100) Clorox solution.
Fear is not so easily contained.
But Ron DeSantis is doing a great job swimming upcurrent!
“epidemic of fear.”
Simply and accurately stated, FRiend lightman.
I’m sure looking forward to Monday here in southwest Florida. I just want to know when I can get a haircut — the mop I’ve grown is starting to make me look like Mark Twain.
I’ve been quite comfortable here at home during April. I always keep plenty of hurricane supplies on hand, so the panic buying didn’t affect me. About all I needed from our local Publix and Aldi was fresh vegetables.
Overall, Ron De Santis has been a good governor. Much like Trump, he has been between a rock and a hard place with these Chinese flu forecasts. With so little good data, he had to err on the safe side, at least for a while.
I wish he had ended this a week earlier, but I’m looking forward to maybe hitting Culver’s for a burger, assuming they’re open. Our town just got it’s first Indian restaurant — I’m worried about independent businesses, I hope they make it.
President Trump was correct when he said Gov. DeSantis was doing a good job of handling the COVID-19 situation in FL. I do think the spring break crowd may have contributed to spread elsewhere when they went back home, but it seems to me most of those kids were already in FL when COVID-19 really got going. Warm weather and sunshine — maybe less damage was done with them being there than somewhere else...
As for other recent epidemics, this one has a new twist - considerably greater asymptomatic spread. Look at what the COVID-19 mitigation measures did to flu - absolutely stomped it, while COVID-19 we have leveled off — at a fairly grim (but not disastrous) daily fatality rate.
If this virus is so contagious then why is the death toll massive among homeless populations, among the old Miami population which is like Italy as far age. It’s nick name is winkle city.
Fact is the country is being destroyed because of NY and their mishandling, unpreparedness, their budget cuts over the past few years of shutting down hospitals thus losing 20K patient beds, not restocking and preparing in advance for epidemics because they wanted to save the money and use it elsewhere.
Michigan is in the same boat- the Governor didn’t know she had to request Emergency Federal funding until it was too late. Now whole state is in lock down due to Detroit and Wayne Counties.
Here is Michigan’s hospital bed stats for COVID:
https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98159-523641—,00.html
He wants to force Floridians to swallow Clorox! Run for your lives!/s