(02-28-2020 11:57 AM)Wedge Wrote:  

(02-28-2020 11:14 AM)mturn017 Wrote:  

(02-27-2020 09:47 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(02-27-2020 09:41 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  

(02-26-2020 02:34 PM)JRsec Wrote:  But the U.S. is vulnerable. If this virus hits South American hard and migrates into Mexico the security on the Border isn't going to be a political football any longer. It will be a matter of National Security in spades.

Canada would be less of a concern but still a concern since their Western Provinces are much less guarded by either side.

But none of that means absolute security either. How did it get to Italy? And the concerns over one that tested negative while on the cruise ship now testing positive in Australia is also a concern. How many that were exposed traveled before they had symptoms or perhaps they traveled and remained asymptomatic. If so any major international airport host could be incubating the virus right now.

It's all going to be a big wait and see, and a somewhat more anxious one at that.

UPDATE: It's now in Brazil.

In 2018, 2.84 million Americans died from all causes. The odds that this will push that number well over 3 million for 2020 and 2021 are uncomfortably high. Not a certainty by a long shot, but it can't be dismissed out of hand like it could with Ebola or swine flu.

I'm safe though. I don't have to interact with people at my job if I don't want to, my kids are homeschooled, and my wife stockpiles freezer food compulsively anyways. Think I'll tell her to get some chickens so she can keep enjoying her egg addiction while all you suckers are dying in droves.

We should be fine. We are old and retired, can have our groceries delivered if need be and get our pharmaceuticals at the drive through. Our yard is large and I can garden without encountering anyone but rabbits, birds and a few neighborhood cats. We have blueberries and muscadines (think homemade wine), and all we have to fear are relatives who drop by and I can always go Second Hand Lions on them if need be. Telephone, computer, and HD TV with a library of over 300 classic movies will keep us entertained. Now if all of it was in an old missile silo we'd be fixed!

Not that I think it's time yet to really start worrying but if you do want to do some prepping and you have critical medication like heart, blood pressure, insulin or what not you may want to consider buying an extra month or two supply. Most of that's not made in the US and the supply chains could get disrupted.

We're not hardcore preppers but have kept a month or two's worth of canned foods in the basement for the last few years. I'll be taking stock of it and shoring it up some time soon.

Sounds like earthquake preparedness here. Not that you have to prepare for those in Virginia...

I did have a guy try to sell me earthquake insurance once....I took my chances. Blizzards, floods, derechos, epidemics, civil war. You never know.