Ah yes, I think it was inevitable to talk about this subject. I want to start this post by prefacing that I am not an expert or have any medical experience. I speak about this pandemic as a normal person living his day-to-day life in its wake. However, I couldn’t let this week pass without talking about it. I understand that this topic is already starting to get a bit old, but it needs to be talked about.

I’ll start by saying that, personally, I’m fine. I live in North Dakota which only has one confirmed cased. I’m very fortunate to live where I do with such a small risk of getting infected. I wanted to talk about this disease because of the panic that’s ensued since it was labeled as a pandemic. These opinions are directed at the United States and no one else. After all, China has already taken fantastic measures in order to contain the virus and other countries are worse off–far worse off. In fact, I read this morning that Italy has surpassed 2,500 deaths.

So what should we do? I’m sure you’ve heard in the news to limit contact and to–I don’t know–wash your hands. (I must say, the fact that people aren’t washing their hands is utterly ridiculous) The point isn’t just to limit contact and keep your hygiene in check, it’s to not panic. Since this outbreak has started, Americans have gone into a state of panic. I have a friend who works in retail who snapped this picture.

Shelves completely wiped out to stock our shelves with hand sanitizer and toilet paper. Hand sanitizer I kind of get, but toilet paper? There also have been reports of people wiping the shelves from milk. That’s right, I said milk. Dairy expires unless you’re planning on freezing it. In my opinion, there should be a different message that the media needs to tell us. One telling us what we should be stocking in the matter of a worst-case scenario. Buying perishable foods and not milk and toilet paper. This essentially boils down to get what you need to be prepared, but make sure you’re leaving plenty for others. Stop panicking. It’ll all be okay as long as you keep a level head. I promise.

There’s probably a lot more to cover, but I think you’ll get plenty of that from the media. Remember to wash your hands, stay calm, and make sure there’s plenty of toilet paper and milk. Be kind to the other people trying their best to prepare for the worst. Above all else, be kind to the retail workers who are forced to serve you despite the inherent risk of exposure to the disease.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week. 🙂