These are certainly stressful times. Everything seems to be against us, well maybe not for the kids who can now play their video games 24/7 😆. Pandemics aren’t fun. This post about that is from an old person’s point of view…
It just seems that the world has stacked the deck against us, doesn’t it? Our government is totally dysfunctional, especially with the totally incompetent braggart in the Oval Office. The world is starting to show the serious effects of climate change, and then along comes a pandemic to top it all off.
It seems that every day now more panic keeps piling up. A month ago it was only in China but now it is taking over the world. Even my little rural town in the Midwestern U.S. has closed its schools and some restaurants. We seniors, who are the most vulnerable, are told to hunker down at home until it passes. But, at least for me, the “until it passes” is in itself a giant stress.
Some say that Eventually over 80% of us will get COVID-19. It is just a matter of when. All the efforts that are going on now won’t likely change that fact much. They say if we are successful with the current lock-down it will be over in about 24 months and if we are lucky a vaccine will be available in maybe a year to end it sooner. Therein lies the problem for me. Am I supposed to hunker down for the next two years? That just seems intolerable to me. If I am going to get it anyway why not get it now and be done with it? Maybe I will die, maybe I won’t but at least it will be done with.
I know the big fear is that if too many of us get it now it will overwhelm our hospitals’ abilities to take care of those who become really sick. There are simply not enough beds or ventilators to handle that kind of rush. All the data, at least at the writing of this post, says that those under 60 have less a chance of dying from it than those of us over 70, we have about 1 in 9 odds. I don’t know how many years I have left but I doubt that it is more than a handful or so. So, the basic question on my mind right now is
Do I waste two of my final years hunkering down or do I roll the dice and just get it over with?
I know it is really not as simple as that but it does come down to choices for each of us. Those who read these words will have a different opinion from me. I would love to hear some of them.
RJ's Corner 
R.J. – How about this as a different perspective that might be helpful – you will be putting the medical professionals currently on the front line of this (doctors, nurses) at greater risk of being exposed to the virus, and potentially dying as a result, if you neglect to follow shelter in place requests and add to their being overwhelmed with patients. There is early speculation that this may be why we are seeing some medical professionals that are well south of being seniors felled by this virus. Perhaps they are wrong, and there is no causation effect, but what if they are not? I know you to be a thoughtful person per your blogs, and I know this is not something you would want to be responsible for. As much as anything shelter in place is about protecting other people, as much as yourself. Sincerely, Tamara.
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Hi Tamara and thanks for the thoughts. Yes, that is certainly something to think about. It’s not just about us personally. I must admit that I tilted this post in the direction that would get people like you to comment. The post was brought on by the fact that I have been having some symptoms of a potentially serious problem. At this point I just don’t know but am having problems getting it diagnosed because of the pandemic. Might just have to wait until it is more critical and therefore more obvious, but hopefully not life threatening.
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I recommend watching MedCram and Dr. John Campbell and Peak Prosperity for great info on the virus.
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I agree with stay home for now, but it is only temporary. Within a few weeks everyone will be told to return to work and we will just deal with the outcome. The economy will not survive for very long on a shutdown. Nothing will survive if we stay shutdown. That includes pensions, FDIC insured bank accounts, stock market holdings & annuities.
We had a chance of tempering this in the beginning but it is too late now. Hindsight says adequate testing and isolation of all infected was needed. Our Federal government screwed the testing.
A side note would be for Trump to give up news conferences on the virus status. Let Pence handle it. It is a national embarrassment to watch an imbecile screw up on an almost daily basis.
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A delayed thanks for your thoughts Fred. In spite of the incompetent in the Oval Office I have more confidence that we will do fine with a shutdown. Maybe that is the only way to prevent this from going on for months instead of weeks. Or maybe I just have a less pessimistic view of things in general than you do. Keep coming with your thoughts, we all need to hear your view of the world also. 😁
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