The other day, on Neil Cavuto’s Fox News show, Democrat Tulsi Gabbard — my favorite of the “blue” party’s blues-inducing candidates — suggested, inartfully, that the coronavirus is “something that requires all of us as Americans coming together, standing together … just as we would in wartime.”
The best way to fight contagion is to “come together”?
Maybe not so much.
What should we do? I mean, separately.
Although there’s a flood of information about the scary new coronavirus (COVID-19), that information is fragmentary.
Reliable tests for the virus are not easily available. It’s unclear how many people are really infected. But the fatality rate is apparently much higher than that of regular flu. The elderly and those with other medical problems are especially vulnerable.
The virus is spreading fast despite (and because of) efforts to contain it. Cases have now been reported in 45 countries.
COVID-19 may not yet be where you are or where I am. But what should we do now to be ready if and when things around us change drastically?
One, stay informed.
Two, follow advice about reducing the risk of infection, including such simple measures as carefully and frequently washing your hands.
Three, stock up — on food, water, medicines, other emergency supplies — in case you must hunker down at home for a long time. When panic strikes, grocery shelves can empty out fast. You may not want to go where many people are congregating anyway.
Some vendors specialize in providing bulk supplies of food at a discount: Wellness Meats, Bargain Wholesale, markets in your neighborhood. There’s also Walmart and Amazon, offering a wide variety of staples. You can trade advice and information at sites like emergency-preps.com.
Such preparation won’t be wasted. If we’re lucky and the coronavirus threat fades as flu season wanes, we’ll be ready for some other emergency that comes along.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
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