At this point, I think that panic is a greater danger than the disease itself. I could be wrong, but the signs point that way. And we know that the media will hype the danger in order to get more clicks.

Mr. Kimball's use of the word "masterly" suggests that he's read Strunk & White. Perhaps it contributes to his crisp prose style.

I have begun to believe it is more about hyping to blame the current government. Why isn't every flu hyped, tracked and every work place shut down when one person has a cold? But that is what we are doing. so far 70% mild to no symptoms. Obviously if you are sick you shouldn't go to work and the elderly should do their best to minimalize risk. We aren't going to do well though if our current reaction to this is the new normal.

It is now ALWAYS about trying to blame the current government. aka TDS,

I agree, and the medias incessant notices about new cases and deaths is not helping. It is only feeding the frenzy, particularly when the newsreaders become dramatic in their delivery.

I read the thread and this remains, for now, the most intelligent response.

In Costco last weekend: Near fisticuffs amongst the bottled water. Bleach, et al, I get. But BOTTLED FREAKING WATER????? Can someone explain how, short of civilization collapse, the water supply will be affected?

Brainless,

(More people need to know Strunk & White...)

The media, the sudden way this is all being handled, politicians and celebrities...all creating panic. A godless society has no solace that what is to be will be. Panic helps no one. Actually quite detrimental. The supply chain on many goods will be affected. It is all very strange why we are doing this for this virus...not every flu or but every season. People are afraid that the bottled water will not be avail and it may be disrupted for some companies...as many things because for this we are stopping everything instead of treating it and hoping for the best. It's sort of racist as the school won't shut down next year for a kid with the flu and they will contaminate everyone and someone's relative will die as a result. There will be no media scare and no one but the immediate family will care, why?

Panic is most easily spread among those with no foundations-religious, moral or educational. Those most likely to vote D often have none of these.

You are right. There really were demons to be destroyed in Salem.

Anybody ever hear of boiling water on a stove for drinking water?

Add a cap of common household bleach, if in doubt.

I guess they've never heard of LifeStraws.

In Denver it is toilet paper of all things. The first thing I do is stock up on toilet paper to stop a deadly disease. LOL.

Here in rural Maine, I, too, hear the distant growling of the town snowplow.

Upvotes, for you and NS, as much for the S&W reference as the intelligent posts.

I don't understand how people can feel that we will have a worse outcome than China had. Wuhan, one city, has a population of 56 million. And with that density, and the suddenness of the outbreak, they only had less than 4,000 deaths.

Seems like this is clinically similar to the common cold, just the name is new.

Maybe, 11 million

The media is hyping this modern day 'plague" to weaken and soften up the Republicans and the president for the 2020 elections...

Yes, that and trying to gin up a recession to harm DJT. They will continue scaremongering as long as they think it's useful to the left.The level of stupidity in this country is alarming and growing. The US is becoming dumb as s**t.

Today's instruction from the media: "When in danger or in doubt, run in circles scream and shout"

Fear sells.

Mr. Kimball quotes Defoe: "The contagion despised all medicine;
death raged in every corner; and had it gone on as it did then, a few
weeks more would have cleared the town of all, and everything that had a
soul."

Youngsters, afraid of their own shadow, worried about "overpopulation," living in fear because our green mother planet will be destroyed unless we submit to Ms. Cortez of New York. Read Defoe, and remember you have a soul.

The Demonrats will seize on anything to regain power and continue their destruction of our country so masterfully begun by the Kenyan. Their allies in the media will do their best to assist by drumming up panic and blaming Trump for the Coronavirus. Trump's actions were far more prudent than any taken by the Messiah in similar circumstances.

A lot of prudence in Trumps comment that he didn’t want to bring the passengers on the cruise ship off the coast of California on to the mainland because he didn’t want his numbers going up. Better to let the people die in a floating Covid 19 Petri dish than have them adversely effect his election chances. Or how prudent was the decision to reject WHO testing kits 6 weeks ago when testing was the only way to check the virus spread and the WHO testing kits had already been proven effective. Real prudent man the President.

So far, the mortality rate among otherwise healthy people appears to be about that of the common flu. Keeping the cases offshore and out of the general population IS prudent. Witness the folks who deliberately left the ship in Japan and returned to the US without being tested. I wouldn't trust bringing the ship ashore. I'm sure the Messiah would have done a better job! He cared more for the Chinese than us, anyway.

I agree with everything you say, except references to Obama. In the future, please use a small "m" and quotation marks - there is only one Messiah. Thank you.

True! Actually I think the Kenyan relates more to Allah , anyway. Perhaps I should refer to him as the second coming of Muhammad.

They’re allowing the ship to dock this morning and passengers will be allowed to disembark gradually over the next few days. Trumps Covid 19 numbers are going up whether he likes it or not.

Baloney. I’m on that ship and no one gets off until he or she is tested and the results come back. Crew members will not be allowed off at all. After testing, passengers have been told we might be taken to another facility yet to be determined. I think this is all being handled quite well. But I’m sure glad my stateroom has an outside balcony and there’s still beer on board!

That’s great news, I hope you and your family come through this in good health.

Good luck to you, Sir.

An Army of Davids indeed.

How does the NY Times compete with that? That's part of the reason for going 'hair on fire' on all things Trump or can be connected to Trump.

I’m on that ship, and you’re full of crap. As usual.

That’s exactly where President Trump wants you to stay. He said it himself. Enjoy your stateroom balcony and beer.

Trump is not as eloquent as his predecessor, but he cares for the ordinary American far more than the Kenyan did. You know, those of us who cling to God guns, and community, as opposed to Allah, revolution and the rest of the world.

Do you honestly believe in your heart of hearts that the small majority of your fellow citizens that oppose Trump do it because they support “Allah revolution and the rest of the world”. Isn’t the US part of the world?

Short answer: yes. How else does a party produce the likes of Tlaib and Omar?

Actually, I DO believe that many who oppose Trump support those things. Bernie's voters sure ain't pro-America. The lazy,entitled and Muslim don't like Trump.

I think you mean the minority of our fellow citizens, plus all the vote fraud the Demwits can gin up.

And no, most of them do it because they are drones. Drones must move with the herd ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZU62RiCINs

Correct. It's got nothing to do with Allah and everything to do with the fact you are a FASCIST

And we all know it now

Golly! You can spell FASCIST and I can spell MARXIST/COMMUNIIST...

We know exactly what you in the supposed small majority stand for... it ain't pretty....

Oh, and reliance of ANY of the UN's useless bureaucracies is foolish. These people are worse than ANY government in their reasons for selecting folks for their positions. I'm surprised that in their politically correct zeal, that they don't have an African tribal witch doctor heading the WHO.

When confronted with a global epidemic it’s better to have close coordination and cooperation with National Governments,NGO’s and Multilateral Institutions like the WHO. That’s basic common sense even if it is an anathema to your rabid Nationalism. Viruses don’t respect borders or border walls.

Of course it doesn’t respect borders, maroon! That’s why you don’t let people in from the areas where the virus is widespread. Look up “quarantine.”

That won’t work as long as you allow people in from countries that aren’t restricting travel from those countries as well. Too late anyways.

So you’d do nothing? Like I said, what a maroon.

No I’d listen to the doctors and scientists and not to a President who’s motives are always suspect.

“Always suspect”? So your TDS means you’ve set aside all logic. And since when is he not listening to the doctors? I think you’ve proven yourself to be nothing more than a troll. Time to block you. Buh-bye!

Just listen to the doctors and scientists. Our views on Trump are 1 billion% irreconcilable. Safe travels.

That's what he's been doing.

Exactly; he argues merely for the sake of argument.