"(STARTINGTOPULLTHEIRHEADSOUTOFTHEIR@$$#$, DC)The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) has expanded its guidance for people who need to be especially careful due to the coronavirus.
Anyone over the age of 60 who has chronic illness - including diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and other chronic conditions - should essentially self-quarantine. Dr. Nancy Messonier, director of the CDC's National Center For Respiratory and Infectious Diseases, said during a conference call that those who are at serious risk should stock up on supplies such as medications, groceries, and anything else they may need to stay home for the foreseeable future.
"It's fair to say that, as the trajectory of the outbreak continues, many people in the United States will at some point in time, either this year or next, be exposed to the virus and there's a good chance many will become sick," she said."
So, beyond the plain reading of the text, what new takeaways are there?
1. This ain't "just the flu".
(Like we told you. And told you. And told you.)
We have the flu every year. No one, least of all the CDC, tells everyone over 60 with chronic conditions, (which, functionally, is just about everyone over 60, period) to go home, run and hide, and bunker in for a year or two. Which they just did with this. Ergo.
2. They expect it to last beyond summer, and into next year.
(Like we told you. And told you. And told you.)
If you were foolishly thinking that warmer weather and sunny days were going to save you, kiss your unicorn dreams good bye. That stinging sensation? That's reality, slapping you in the back of the head.
3. People who have , or are, stocking up aren't "hoarders". They're sensible.
(Like we told you. And told you. And told you.)
Some of them may have been a bit late to the party, but the ones who panicked early aren't wondering how they're going to wipe their @$$#$ in six months. The ones who already had everything covered for several months, or much longer, are even brighter. But every bell curve has it's 0.5% at either end.
4. Medications. Groceries. EVERYTHING ELSE.
Make a list. Check it twice. You may not get a second chance to not screw this up.
Treat this like you're getting into a lifeboat. Because you may be doing exactly that. It's a little boat, and the sea is rather large.
5. They just told you this disease poses a "serious risk" for a substantial portion of the population.
The flu is not a serious risk. This is. Catch a cluebat there.
6. Long term quarantines are recommended right now, for some people. They may become mandatory for EVERYONE, in short order.
(Like we told you. And told you. And told you.)
So...you might want to prepare for that eventuality. TODAY. NOW. Not "when I get aroundtoit."
Nice of the CDCidiots to catch up, in March, to where we told you to be, days to weeks to months ago.
Italy is providing a wake up call to them. In fact, it's scaring the shit out of them.
You might want to be paying attention to that, and ignoring the happygas bullshit that's coming from anywhere related to China (even if it's been sheep-dipped and recycled by the Fakenews at ABCNNBCBS), or regurgitated at length by jackasses like Dr. Drew and the other moronic Talking (Out Of their Asses) Heads in the media.
(Like we told you. And told you. And told you.)
Local update:
Most, if not all, of the UC schools have goon to tele-learning online, including tests and finals, Until Further Notice. CSU schools to follow suit.
And the minute the word comes out that it's started to hit the homeless population in L.A. or San Franshitsco, we are officially in Sh*t Mardi Gras. And given their in-out-around habits, after that, Kung Flu goes with the homeless crazies to the psych facilities, county jails, and then the state prison system (and everyone connected with them: EMS/fire, ERs, cops, courts, corrections staff) in 3, 2, ...
If you're late to the TP party or want to extend your inventory a bidet/diaper sprayer would do so as long as the grid is still up and water pumped into your domain.
ReplyDeleteGot a couple from Amazon last week and wouldn't you know they are more expensive now by $3.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A9A9MUO/?tag=fhmeag-20
Still not too bad ($30) considering Home Depot gets $60 plus for nearly the same thing.
Turns out the Federal government has been doing everything it can to prevent retrospective testing, if you can believe the NYT.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thing about "Rod Rosenstein's sister", this is at least the second time she'd lead the rest of the government in telling us what's going down and what you should do. Last time Team Trump nearly went berserk, I wonder what they'll do this time.
Reports that high level meetings were so classified they were held in a SCIF may pertain to their being informed by whatever agents we have left in the PRC. If so, you can't tell from the results.
Purdue is also going on-line only after spring break.
ReplyDeleteDon't cut "Rod Rosenstein's sister" any slack. It's her friggin' job to know something about epidemiology, and was at least a month late to the party. By the time she said a damn thing, that State clown had already sent back known carriers, and tried to put them up in the middle of a massive population, and had evidently completely missed the ball warning Apple and Intel and Microsoft (among others) that they might want to tone down the business travel to China until they had a better understanding of what by December, even the ChiComs couldn't cover up.
Apparently Italy just shut down all retail stores other then drug stores and grocery stores.
ReplyDeleteBy the time she said a damn thing, that State clown had already sent back known carriers
ReplyDeleteAgainst the express orders of the President, top level State Department officials, the in the loop recommendation against by the CDC and I think the NIH's NIAID director Tony Fauci. You have a remarkable opinion of the CDC's power, especially outside the borders of the US.
Is there anyone who measures up to your exacting standards?
No one should be surprised. We've seen the same math 3x now: China, SK, and Italy. One need not be a mathematician to grok what the graphs have all said. Why would anyone think the math will be different here. Especially with the sick jokes that 'self quarantine' and 'containment zones' are.
ReplyDeleteCorporate here has finally started to make like they realize something is afoot. However, it looks like the expectation is that if you stay home it will cost you vaca time (we have no separate sick leave). So yes, people will come to work and share KungFlu. They'll probably wise up, if at all, about a week to ten days too late.
As someone once said " a picture is worth a thousand words" or some such.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
Scroll down for the graphs. Can't imagine what those graphs will look like in a couple months. Hockey stick heaven.
Nemo
FYI, and in case you're willing to comment:
ReplyDeletehttp://redpilljew.blogspot.com/2020/03/attn-prepper-pharmacists-doctors-and.html
The irony is that while I'm not where I'd truly like to be in the best of all possible worlds, prep-wise, we're better off than a LOT of people.
If it gets as bad as you and others are predicting I'm expecting calls from my relatives to come up for a while.
"No".
the utter and willful blindness is STILL unbelievable. Talking with a buddy from last workplace, he's walking into walmart TODAY (wed). "wow, this place sure is packed, i wonder why?"
ReplyDeleteI asked the wife to ask her work HR person TWO WEEKS AGO what their plan was for telework (they all work from a desk). What's the plan? she got a blank look. TODAY (wed), the plan finally came out. The plan is: (are you sitting down?) "if you are sick don't come in"
Colleges are closing/tele-classes left and right, yet K-12 continues unabated.
There's no downside to being wrong if it turns into a nothingburger (which clearly at this point it's not), but there's a pretty serious downside to being wrong if it's a big deal. yet. even today "it's just the flu"
I'd like to hear more about 2nd and 3rd order effects on the economy. Most people are living paycheck to paycheck (heck overtime to overtime). what is going to happen when that disappears?
Not sure what your point is, @ThatWouldBeTelling.
ReplyDeleteI know there was some asshat who went rogue. But he's not swinging from the highest yardarm, so I assume no one really cares. And it's a good thing some community activists noticed something going on and forced the quarantine back to military bases like the plan was rather than to a closed handicapped school in an urban location, that they tried to sneak through.
But if CDC can't be trusted to have at least a dim awareness of infectious disease, what's the point of having them? Being limited to only internet, I was a little suspicious that corona was a Chinese ploy to get the protests off the front page. Until the cruise ship. At that point, it was patently obvious this was no longer "Just The Flu". Is expecting CDC to be at least a little cautious at that development "exacting standards"?
Not sure what your point is, @ThatWouldBeTelling.
ReplyDeleteI know there was some asshat who went rogue. But he's not swinging from the highest yardarm, so I assume no one really cares.
Trump just isn't into punishing people. While reported to be privately furious, he backed up the State Department on the decision in a press conference.
Our system in general has lacked good feedback mechanisms for decades; now an implacable virus is going to show why "The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!"
And it's a good thing some community activists noticed something going on and forced the quarantine back to military bases like the plan was rather than to a closed handicapped school in an urban location, that they tried to sneak through.
The CDC doesn't control all of HHS, from which some of the above f***ery came from.
But if CDC can't be trusted to have at least a dim awareness of infectious disease, what's the point of having them?
This turns out to be a decades long argument over what "public health" really should be. Infectious disease control went out of fashion, replaced with what I call "banning Big Gulps and guns," you can't say "You had one job." So on top of the usual, today's CDC is grossly incompetent in infectious disease control, which we saw in 2014 when their Ebola hospital isolation guidelines were directly responsible for getting those two Texas nurses infected, they also exposed 80 of their people to anthrax bacteria in a lab isolation breach.
But surely you've noticed that the universal response to a failing government program is to throw more money at it.
Just brought home two big packages of TP from my secondary storage. Several people could have seen it on routine business. I hid the rest that I left behind. Put up a sheet over the shelves so you can't SEE if you don't already know, the food on the shelves. I'm not sanguine about it's security if things go pear shaped. I'm also not willing to bring everything home, as that negates the 'backup' aspect. If someone rats me out, I want a stocked fallback. Or if they burn me out...
ReplyDeleteSince we are now under emergency orders, I can't execute my plan to raise some cash selling masks in the parking lot. Mayor has sworn to attack "price gouging" on medical items. High prices PREVENT hoarding. The guy with 10 already won't pick up the spare if the price is high, the item is still available to those who really want it, and the guy with 10 might decide to sell one or two if the price is high enough, which brings the item BACK into the marketplace. Price controls always lead to shortages.
Today my mom refused to change her plans to go to the House of Mouse. She's 80 and fat. She said, "It's all overblown media hype." I don't watch any MSM, so I'm immune to any hype. Why then do I think we're in for a world of hurt? Oh, because I pay attention. And watch primary sources. And listen to voices who have proved their worth...
nick
Aesop,
ReplyDeleteWRT the comments from your co-workers--I'm stunned and horrified. While grooming horses at the barn, I casually asked a medical office receptionist what changes they might be making at her work because of Coronavirus, and in the most contemptuous of tones got the "it's just the flu," lecture. She's stupid and a drunk so I was not surprised, but similar comments from nurses at a major California hospital? WTF!
First two cases confirmed in Michigan. Costco was eerily quiet last night, and super busy this afternoon--though a new coupon book started today. Sam's Club was also busy this morning. No toilet paper at either, and most carts had cases of water and paper towels.
I hope they don't try putting those paper towels down the toilet!
Dad and I picked up the last of the scripts, and topped off perishables and goodies. "Canned" goods are well stocked and we'll be doing some range work this weekend.
Thanks largely to your blog, I've gone from the slightly embarrassing, prepper daughter, to the omniscient She Who Must Be Obeyed. Ready (as I could make us) to self-quarantine for 2020.
meh. i'll wait til some dopey nurse from LACO DHS tells me wassup in ems update 2020. meantime, i'm just gonna camp out on the wall here at st. francis, til we get a bed. then its off to more bullshit calls. the sky is always falling somewhere.
ReplyDeleteAesop, I just want to say Thank You for your hard work. I've been sharing your missives with all and sundry and telling everyone I know to get prepped for weeks. I started to see it in early January and I've been pushing everyone I know, family, friends, co-workers, even my tax preparer, to get ready in whatever way possible, as much as possible, as soon as possible. Some of them are thanking me now. Now, all but the most naïve dude I know have finally reached understanding and are getting ready. I hope all my people make it through this and out the other side, but I know that's statistically impossible. It's going to be a crazy year. I wish you and yours the best. Thanks again.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete``But surely you've noticed that the universal response to a failing government program is to throw more money at it.''
That's why they fail, early and often: it's profitable.
Hey, I'm the Thank You dude from a few minutes ago.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to alert everyone to one potential major issue you may not have considered. TRASH.
What would you do if the trash pickup didn't happen in your area tomorrow, next week, next month?
You rural folks can ignore this one.
I have a bit of space. I'm semi-rural.
My thought is to segregate trash into burnable items, compostable items (I already compost for my garden), and permanent items, like cans and jars. Those could potentially serve a future use, anyway, so they'll get rinsed and cleaned and stuck in a sack. It's not a perfect solution, but it's better than letting the bags stack up like they do in NYC and it will lower the risk of vermin and bugs. It could get pretty nasty fast if you're surrounded by mountains of garbage. If anyone has a better solution, please enlighten me. Take care.
As always, Aesop, you are on the money when it comes to health issues. I have stocked and stacked, but there is always more. Do not forget your pets and livestock! I no longer natter away at friends, family, and neighbors-they long ago chose ignorance as a shield. I did have an elderly neighbor tell me that she couldn't find bottled water and was afraid the utilities would go down. In Sacramento County, our local grocer had 48 bottles of water specially priced for $1.99. I stocked her up, and me too. Raleys still had water. Look around people! Walmart, Sam's Club, & Costco are not your only options! If the Kung Flu dies out tomorrow, you are still money ahead. I recently switched jobs from the health care industry to paint. Sherwin Williams had a 12 (!!) page diatribe on the Coronovirus that was mandatory reading and signing. Nothing in it that I didn't already know, and not much in the way of answers. But HR checked the box on employee updates. The bottom line-businesses are going to close down for awhile. There has to be something biblical in this-it's like all of the norms are realigning. Suddenly, a composting toilet doesn't seem so weird. Interesting times, indeed!
ReplyDeleteI went to drop some things off at the lab of the local hospital annex yesterday. I had to go past pediatrics and radiology. I was the ONLY one with a mask on, including all the hospital employees. Shocked the heck out of me since this county is next to one with loads of known cases.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Lone Cowboy on "Most people are living paycheck to paycheck (heck overtime to overtime). what is going to happen when that disappears?"
ReplyDeleteWe'll soon find out. My money's on - despite gov't emergency compensation programs - TEOTWAWKI.
I went to see my GP last Monday to do annual bloodwork and get Rxs refilled. I requested that I be able to sit in my car parked directly in front of the door until they were ready for me. OK fine, say they. I get there, call to check in, and am told to come in now to sign and the nurse would call me. OK fine. I come in, sit. Wait. No masks on anyone, no gloves, no nothing. Meanwhile some idiot mother with a hacking, choking, coughing kid comes in. Im still sitting. Still waiting. The kid is fascinated by me. I had to move twice to get away from him. THEN the mother puts a mask on them both. I waited for 40 minutes to be called. I was not happy. It will not happen again.
ReplyDeleteWhen I finally got to see the Doc (been going there for 40 years and he KNOWS Im a prepper!) I brought up CV19 - hoping he'd have some insights. Instead, I got the party line about the flu being more dangerous, etc. I didn't press him on it, just finished my business and got the hell out. I have to go back again Monday with DH. (He can't be trusted to relay anything medical so I go and listen myself, translate the lingo and manage the Rxs.)
The Doc is going to get an earful this time.
And I continue to prep.