"When will this end, how will this end, will this end - all questions which are asked on almost a daily basis. When will things get back to a normal which is familiar to us? When we can kill every last Wuhan virus spoor in the world. Until then, our new normal will continue to look very abnormal."
On 9/11, when the twin towers fell, I remember telling my very shaken daughter that the world just changed. I did not know how much it would change, I (along with most other folks), just knew that it would. And it did. I did not have that feeling during the Great Recession in 2008. To me, that was just another bump in the road. And it was. This COVID - 19 virus (now known as the Wuhan virus), is a game changer for just about everyone. As a friend of mine recently said, the normal we had a couple months ago will never be our normal again. True words. Our new normal will seem pretty abnormal.
Our Imperial Wizard (Walz) has agreed to let the serfs in Minnesota play golf and go fishing. Then - we will see what happens. If we can be good little boys and girls, we might earn back some more privileges - like, being able to work for a living. But it all depends on our behavior (SD, gathering, and hand washing), as well as the mighty curve. If the curve does not flatten enough, the Wizard will keep us tucked in our homes - cowering like frightened children.
Here is the bottom line. And this bottom line is not rocket science, as most, if not all of us now realize it. There will be no "normal, normal" until a vaccine is found which can kill this Wuhan virus for once and for all. Period. Until that cure found, and administered to the masses, venturing outside our houses to do anything, is playing a bit of Russian (or should I say Chinese) Roulette with our health. Short of herd immunity or a true vaccine, there will still be a chance, albeit a small one, that anyone of us can be stricken with this highly contagious virus.
WalMart just announced that all employees will now be wearing face masks. In addition, they are "encouraging" customers to do that also. This is normal? I told my wife more than once, before this is all over, many stores will require customers to wear face masks to shop there. As much as we are trying to distance ourselves from China, we will start looking more and more like them.
How about movie theaters? For those brave enough to go when they finally open up again - will masks be required? What if someone sneezes during the movie and is not wearing a mask? Mass panic? How do you eat popcorn or have a sip of pop with a mask on? Same with sporting events. How to you practice SD (social distancing)? Will masks be required there also? Is that our new normal? Masks just about everywhere? Treating our fellow citizens like they have leprosy (and visa versa)?
Yesterday we really broke the rules "bigly". We had our grandies over for a while. It was a bit like normal, but not really. They have learned in daycare and Montessori School not to hug. Give virtual, or air hugs instead. And no kisses. My grandson told me when they were leaving, "Bapa, I can't hug you, because I don't want to give you my germs." Kids don't understand this. Hell, we barely understand this.
When will this end, how will this end, will this end - all questions which are asked on almost a daily basis. When will things get back to a normal which is familiar to us? When we can kill every last Wuhan virus spoor in the world. Until then, our new normal will continue to look very abnormal.
that's darned pessimistic. Sooner or later real people will find out that 99.97% of people who contract this virus do NOT die from it. That it is probably a little less dangerous than one of the new flu viruses that pop up every year and catch 30% of even those who have been vaccinated. It is a totally unwarranted panic and, aside from a few reasonable precautions that we have all taken in the past during flu season, shouldn't affect our lives at all. The fear mongers are having their day.
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