sweasel.com

We are going to get a metric butt [108 imperial gallons] load of cases soon. We have been outflanked and pretty much any hope of containing the size of the mass infection is gone. This is not gonna be pretty. First, Canada is taking flights from China to Vancouver, BC medically unscreened. Vancouver is functionally in large part a Chinese city now. It has been a while since I have been there, but a) when I first started visiting Vancouver, the Richmond suburb south of the airport was largely farmland. Now it is largely built up and last time I was there, there were a bunch of signs in Chinese. The more prosperous families on mainland China have been treating it as a future bolthole for decades. b) The US-Canadian border, while not as open as it used to be before 9-11, is still basically wide open. There is a lot of traffic between Vancouver and Seattle. Seattle has a large Chinese community with connections to its Vancouver counterpart, and Covid-19 is aerosol spread and persistent.

Second, there are unscreened flights between Iran and Toronto. There are large Muslim enclaves in Michigan just across the border from Ontario. As unsecured a border as that south of Vancouver, with high traffic. In passing, Iran has one of the highest known rates of Covid-19 infection including their government officials.

Three, just recently we caught 380 or so Chinese nationals trying to cross our southern borders illegally.

Four, in Democrat controlled urban polities, mostly on the coasts but including some inland [yes, including Denver], mass homeless colonies have been established and are police protected in public areas. Those areas include use of the streets as latrines. Numerous diseases have already been detected. Covid-19 lives longer and is dangerous longer in human feces and other waste.

I recommend that preparations be made by all, without drawing a lot of attention due to the existence of predators in any population group, for any prolonged quarantine of an area that may be ordered. Included in that should be a physical stockpile of any necessary meds. I leave as an online research project for those interested; an investigation of where most pharmaceuticals in the world, or their necessary component ingredients, are overwhelmingly sourced. Hint, Mandarin dialect would be useful.

Subotai Bahadur

Correction to point three above. The number was 328. I was thinking when I wrote, but was not sure, that it was 382. My error.

Subotai Bahadur

I hope your weather dries out there SWeasy…all last year here in Eastern Canada was wet, it sucked ass…hopefully this summer will be nicer.

Thanks for the Rainy Mood thing…it should go good with the YouTube fireplace and a good book during quarantine :+)

Spent the last couple of weeks stocking up on everything…nobody here seems to be taking it very seriously, except there is no hand sanitizer to be found anywhere.

I don’t want it, but I don’t want Flu either. I remain unconvinced it’s anything more than a flu variation and when the numbers are counted, it’ll be in Flu range of mortality.
Yeah, I know, 2% of the world’s population is a big number.

But I think we’re looking at a global warming climate change level of hype, particularly by the Western media, which largely hates the West and in the UK, is pissed about Brexit, and in the US is pissed about Trump.

Unless, of course, China is completely and utterly lying 6 ways from Sunday about their casualty rate.

The panic, however, is very real. So if you’re calm, and reasonable, that isn’t going to help much when everyone around is dashing about with their hair on fire, because unfortunately their insanity will potentially be more dangerous than this virus.

I guess I’m saying stock up because even if you’re not crazy that won’t make food appear in the stores or medicines appear on the shelves, or exempt you from panicky politicians declaring quarantines on entire cities where you happen to reside.

But for a virus that was first reported on December 31st officially, and really had a good share of half-assed ineffective actions taken to stop the spread, it isn’t exactly setting the world afire either.
We’re just a little over 2 months later.
Assume about 3-4 weeks is the maximum incubation period, with only a few days being the period in which you can start sharing with your friends, family, neighbors and other people in your ski chalet or cruise liner.

Officially it’s only killed 3000 people world wide. Not exactly the Andromeda Strain or Captain Trips yet, right?

Oh, one more thought. The media should maybe explain why this so far isn’t ripping through the Indian Subcontinent like a fire in a cedar clad house with a thatch roof.

Do we really believe their ‘containment’ is better than the UK, or the US?
Terror and disaster sells.

Sigh… posted a single link and Akismet put me in quarantine

DurnedYankee:

Unless, of course, China is completely and utterly lying 6 ways from Sunday about their casualty rate.

Your mileage may vary, but I have been watching the discrepancies in their stories, and certain indicators not widely covered by the news media. I have seen enough to convince me that they are lying on a level that makes Josef Goebbels look like George Washington with the hatchet by the cherry tree. It is going to be a very interesting next couple of months. I would love, by the way, to be proved wrong.

Subotai Bahadur

I completely concur with DurnedYankee. Once more testing is done the infected rate is going to skyrocket. Once that happens, the mortality rate will drop back to rival the average flu rate.
According to my doctor brother there are probably thousands of Americans infected but their symptoms are no worse than a cold or average flu. The deaths are sadly the elderly and those with underlying health issues. For the vast majority of those who catch this they will be fine. The media is trying to make this out as a Stephen King ‘The Stand’ horror event. The virus is simply not that. It’s new, it’s novel and it’s the unknown that is driving the fear.

Prudent measures, (frequent hand washing, etc.) that should be a apart of everyone’s daily life, is what is needed.

My favorite mood improver is a generous measure of rye whiskey mixed with 1/3 a measure of sweet vermouth and a shake or 3 of bitters. Add 2 ice cubes and a maraschino cherry.

Maybe you guys could build an indoor chicken run in the basement. At least it’s dry. Well, mostly.

I’ve been reading that a lot of areas are running low on (or are out of) hand sanitizer. Some people have recommended using vodka as a substitute. Tito’s Vodka of Austin, Tx put out a series of tweets regarding use of booze for hand sanitizing. Biggest takeaway:
“Per the CDC, hand sanitizer needs to contain at least 60% alcohol. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is 40% alcohol, and therefore does not meet the current recommendation of the CDC”
So maybe Everclear? Or maybe isopropyl alcohol and aloe and make your own?

Heck, even the po-folks are buying out the hand sanitizers, wipes and masks – Winco had out an apology sign at the registers that they were out of all of those.

The regesterette said people were buying lots of water too.