I was 10 years old when the Asian flu of 1957 devastated the country for worse than seems likely than shall the coronavirus... and yet I don't recall it at all. Meanwhile, even by the most pessimistic of estimates the coronavirus is only a C list pandemic. And yet the whole world is in panic about its "potential" consequences. And this is not just another symptom of TDS because it is everyone on the planet. Why? The internet!!!!! The rumors spread instantaneously and get amplified on line. To a degree this is good, because we are reacting to a threat. But on the other hand, we may be overcompensating and doing more harm than good. After all, damage to the economy is also a health threat. And what's odd is that we do not apply this paranoia to other more serious threats. For example, we could save tens of thousands of lives each year by lowering speed limits on the highways and/or bringing back prohibition. And yet we don't even consider either option. How heartless!
Link: https://www.city-journal.org/1957-asian-flu-pandemic
and all that I have seen and heard (from local docs) is that we are doing the correct things... and potentially even acting a bit more slowly than they would like. I have a brother that (even as I write this) is at an emergency meeting of a hospital board in Indiana. Yes, they are taking it seriously and are scared that this could get out of control similar to Italy. They may be wrong? let's hope so... but I prefer to think that an abundance of caution is the correct move.
FWIW, these are people that have nothing to gain by spreading fear. These are docs that are shutting down their activities so that hospital resource is available to meet the need of potential COVID patients. Actually losing money so that hospitals are prepared.
Stay safe and hope none in either of our families dies of this...I am quite worried about my 80+ year old relatives.
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Link: https://apple.news/AtubV4jwrQ4eMvsOZdniIjw
It may turn into an overreaction but it will still save lives.
China had to lock down the second largest economy to get it under control.
In 1957 the “Asian Flu” swept the planet.
“In the first months of the 1957 Asian flu pandemic, the virus spread throughout China and surrounding regions. By midsummer it had reached the United States, where it appears to have initially infected relatively few people. Several months later, however, numerous cases of infection were reported, especially in young children, the elderly, and pregnant women. This upsurge in cases was the result of a second pandemic wave of illness that struck the Northern Hemisphere in November 1957. At that time the pandemic was also already widespread in the United Kingdom. By December a total of some 3,550 deaths had been reported in England and Wales. The second wave was particularly devastating, and by March 1958 an estimated 69,800 deaths had occurred in the United States.”….
At your age, I recommend you try to avoid exposure to this.
That’s twice as many. And we don’t know if this will mutate into the killer that 1918 became in the fall.
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Link: https://www.history.com/.image/t_share/MTYyODEwNTIzMDQ4NTUyMDI0/general-eisenhower-gettyimages-107758850.jpg
Was there anything going on in politics around that time in Washington that the Dems were hyper focused on at the time?
“A presidential record: Trump tweets, retweets 125 times in a day”
Yep, it looks like he was tending to the nation’s business protecting our shores from all enemies and comers. Otherwise known as acting presidential.
Link: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/presidential-record-trump-tweets-retweets-125-times-day-200123004129549.html
The Southern White Trash point of view becoming more pronounced.