Coronavirus Opinion

Coronavirus. There, I said it. 

This name has become like Voldemort from Harry Potter, He-who-must-not-be-named. At least on a social media level. But it strikes fear into those who read about it, who have to endure the constant barrage of alerts and news happenings. 

And while I am not downplaying this situation in any way, it is something we have to get through and the media in general is making that hard. 

Not all media, of course. 

It's hard enough to go to the supermarket and see the empty shelves; to not know what your job is going to do the next day; to not know what the virus will do to you, or a loved one who is ill or elderly, than to have to listen to what boils down to fear-mongering and sensationalized headlines for a few clicks. 

There are some places that are giving real stories and updates, but for the most part the sensationalized headlines and misinformation going around is astounding. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm a writer, I like a good conspiracy theory, mostly one with facts you can look into. But when something spreads and there is nothing to back up the claims, and is something so serious and immediate, it can cause mass hysteria. 

This post is meant to be positive. Don't let everything get to you. Do your best to get through this, because it will pass. If you become upset or anxious, it can have a negative effect on your immune system

Go to credited sources for most of your info. I'm not saying don't go to the person you listen to on YouTube or other social media outlets, I listen there, too, but make sure if you're going to do that you do more research about what they're saying so you're well informed. They may just be giving an opinion. 

I'm trying to get through this, too. And one thing I can say that makes it harder is when people come around a crowd at work and rile up everyone with rumors they heard off of social media. 

And I'm not saying what they heard is wrong, it may have some truth to it, but look up what's going on and make a grounded decision when you hear things. 

A couple of weeks ago I wasn't attempting to enter into my local Costco. Nope. I saw the line backed out of the place onto the highway and said no way. I pulled out of the line and headed to my local supermarkets which were pretty void of people and had everything I'd seen being reported in the news as depleted. 

Fast forward two weeks and the meat, chicken and milk isle
are gone. Barely any products left. The supermarkets are stocking every day and they continue to be depleted by the end of the day. It seems worse than when Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, when people were lined up at the gas pump like in the old days with the oil crisis in the 1970s.



Thank God they still had my Cafe Bustelo. 

And I don't get the toilet paper thing. A search didn't say much, I got hits about Venezuela and the final stages of socialism--that was two weeks ago, now you just get hits on whats happening with the fighting in Costco and such. 

A part of me believes it's because these people who are buying out certain products mean to sell them for higher prices, like the guy who hoarded a large amount of sanitizer and other products. And even though he donated some after Amazon shut him down, I heard the government seized the rest. And I'm sure he wasn't the only one. 

Amazon cracked down on price gouging recently, because hand sanitizer was going for approximately 80 dollars and even 400 dollars a bottle. 

But it's most important to just keep hitting the stores, they will restock. Get what you need to survive. My wife bought soup on Amazon, sometimes cheaper than the supermarket. It was delivered. We bought a few things of water, rice and pasta. Just in case. But these products can be rotated and eaten and are great to have just in case. 

I always washed my hands constantly before Covid (OCD). When I can't wash my hands, I use hand sanitizer, which is on just about every counter where I work. 

Stay away from crowds and watch local news and sites. And I'm not saying take everything you read as the be-all-end-all of information. You know best what you can do for your personal situation. But listen to what they're saying, listen to what others say, and make your own educated decision in the matter. 

Be safe and vigilant and keep reading my stuff. I'll be here. God willing. And it keeps you safe and indoors, there's that. 

I made links to the stories and sites I mention in this article. Click them to research. 

WCM

Update 11/21/2022: I've removed a couple links. Though to get a round about idea with anything you should read far and wide. 







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