This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The Economic Collapse Blog.
Is a widespread coronavirus outbreak inside the United States inevitable? After weeks of generally optimistic statements, officials are now warning us to prepare for the worst. Over the past several days we have seen the number of confirmed cases outside of China escalate dramatically, and this has really rattled global financial markets.
After being down more than 1,000 points on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell another 879 points on Tuesday. U.S. stocks have lost more than 1.7 trillion dollars in value in just two days. Much more importantly, a wave of tremendous panic is starting to sweep across America, and it looks like this crisis is just getting started.
Usually, officials at the CDC choose their words very carefully so that they do not needlessly alarm the public. With that in mind, I would like for you to consider three statements that the CDC’s Dr. Nancy Messonnier made about a potential outbreak inside the United States during a press conference on Tuesday…
#1 “It’s not so much of a question of if this will happen in this country anymore but a question of when this will happen.”
#2 “Disruption to everyday life may be severe.”
#3 “We are asking the American public to prepare for the expectation that this might be bad.”
Can you ever recall a top CDC official ever making statements this ominous?
I certainly can’t.
In addition, Messonnier warned that it may soon become necessary for schools and businesses to greatly restrict person to person contact…
The CDC outlined what schools and businesses will likely need to do if the COVID-19 virus becomes an epidemic outbreak in the U.S. Schools should consider dividing students into smaller groups or close and use “internet-based tele-schooling,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters on a conference call. “For adults, businesses can replace in-person meetings with video or telephone conferences and increase teleworking options,” Messonnier said.
On a temporary basis, such measures would not be too disruptive, but what if this virus just keeps spreading month after month?
We are potentially facing a scenario that is truly unprecedented, and it is becoming increasingly clear that officials have lost confidence that they will be able to contain this virus. In fact, one former U.S. official told USA Today that “the horse is out of the barn”…
Dennis Carroll, former director of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Global Health Security and Development Unit, credited China’s “extraordinary control measures” with delaying the spread of the virus. But he said avoiding a pandemic is “very unlikely.”
“The dramatic uptick of cases in South Korea, Iran and Italy are reflective of a self-sustaining spreading of the virus,” Carroll, who now leads the Global Virome Project science cooperative, told USA TODAY. “And a clear message that the horse is out of the barn.”
At this point there are still only a few dozen confirmed cases in the United States, but authorities are bracing for the worst. If you can believe it, San Francisco Mayor London Breed just declared a state of emergency because of this virus…
Mayor London Breed declared a local emergency in San Francisco Tuesday amid the coronavirus outbreak, despite there being no confirmed cases among the city’s residents.
“Although there are still zero confirmed cases in San Francisco residents, the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness,” Breed said in a statement. “We see the virus spreading in new parts of the world every day, and we are taking the necessary steps to protect San Franciscans from harm.”
And after being quite apathetic about this outbreak at first, people all over America are suddenly realizing that they should be preparing for a potential pandemic.
In fact, Silicon Valley investor Geoff Lewis created quite a stir when he asked for advice on stockpiling food. The following is the question that he posted on Twitter that caused so much of an uproar…
If one were hypothetically stockpiling four months of shelf stable food, what would folks recommend (optimizing for keto friendly)?
We haven’t seen anything like this in the United States in a very long time.
But we haven’t even had a single death from this virus in our country yet. How crazed will people get when victims start dropping dead in the streets like they have been in Wuhan?
There is now talk that the IOC could potentially cancel or postpone the Olympic Games in Tokyo. At one time such talk would have seemed crazy, but this is how serious this outbreak has become.
In Iran, the number of confirmed cases has now jumped to 95, although many people believe that the true number is far, far higher.
During a press conference on Monday, Iran’s deputy health minister attempted to downplay the seriousness of this outbreak, but on Tuesday we learned that he has been infected too…
Iran’s deputy health minister said he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is in self-quarantine at his home just a day after he appeared at a news conference in Tehran where he sought to quell fears about the outbreak. Iraj Harirchi, the head of Iran’s counter-coronavirus task force, announced the illness in a video online while vowing that authorities would continue working to control the spread.
Apparently not wanting to be outdone, one of the officials in South Korea that was overseeing the response to this outbreak decided to jump off a bridge…
But in Seoul took on a more morbid tone Tuesday following reports in the local press that a civil servant from the Ministry of Justice’s Emergency Safety Planning Office jumped off a bridge in Seoul at around 5 am local time Tuesday.
The official was one of several individuals charged with overseeing the government’s response to the virus. As cases soar and hysteria mounts, we suspect this news won’t exactly help quiet the public’s nerves.
Suicide is never the answer to anything, and we should all be praying for that man’s family.
In Italy, the number of confirmed cases has grown by more than 15 times since Friday…
Over in Italy, the number of confirmed cases has surpassed 300 to 322, while the number of dead climbed to 10, according to Italian emergency chief Angelo Borrelli, who said the newly deceased were over the age of 80. That’s up from just 20 confirmed cases on Friday.
Newly deceased were over 80 years old, says at press conference in Rome Tuesday. The new infections include three cases in southern Sicily region, Italian Civil Protection official Borrelli said.
All of a sudden, people all over Europe are wanting to avoid Italians because of the potential of catching the virus. In most cases that fear is irrational, but we do know that an Italian just spread the virus to a hotel in Spain’s Canary Islands…
Hundreds of staff and tourists staying at a hotel in Spain’s Canary Islands were put under lockdown on Tuesday, El Pais newspaper reported. One person who had stayed at the establishment was later found to have tested positive for the coronavirus.
I lived in Italy for a few years as a child, and I have a great love for the country.
It is so sad to watch what is happening over there, but the same things are going to start happening here. In fact, Dr. Messonnier has told the public that now is the time “to begin preparing” for a massive outbreak…
“People are concerned about this situation – I would say rightfully so,” Messonnier said. “But we are putting our concerns to work preparing. Now is the time for businesses, hospitals, communities, schools and everyday people to begin preparing as well.”
If you do prepare and all of this turns out to be a false alarm, at least you will be ready for the next crisis that is coming.
But if you don’t do anything to prepare and things get really, really bad, it could end up costing you dearly.
If this virus starts spreading across the United States like wildfire, you and your family will want to minimize contact with the public as much as possible. So stock up on the things you will need now because when things start getting really crazy the stores will be cleaned out very quickly.
Just up at the Hedge,
“”Is The Coronavirus Pandemic About To Become Another Spanish Flu?”
by Michael Every
The author goes into some detail about the 1918 pandemic but the most telling point in his piece is when he explains the sequence of how it hit the public at large, coming in three waves. This is exactly what so many have expressed concerns about here so many times. Add to that, that CoViD19 is now assessed as having the ability to infect the same host more than once and you have a rather terrifying pot brewing; CoViD19 has already demonstrated it’s hardiness and transmissibility…it’s no great leap of imagination to envision it coming as did the Spanish Flu.
I urge you to read this one piece in fullness.
JOG
Yu-No-Hu
https://m.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Israeli-scientists-In-three-weeks-we-will-have-coronavirus-vaccine-619101
There has been ONE DEATH in the USA so far. 🙁
Howdy DK…JustOneGuy here,
You always were the in-house Savante in the financial sphere hereabouts. I’d be interested to hear your take on the titanic shifts we’re currently seeing in the markets…whatever comes to mind as it were.
Glad to see a few ‘Old Timers’ popping up again…it’s been a bit like a Ghost town around here of late. Well met old friend…again.
JOG
PS; to the Anon who sent the link, my thanks…I’ll be heading there presently. We can hope that someone can develop such, but I’m not holding my breath on this one; CoViD19 is eerily similar the the 1918 Spanish Flu and if it does in fact affect via cytokine storm induction then I’m afraid that it’s outer protein instrument (it’s ‘skin’) might be to polymorphic to successfully adapt a vaccine to; think here of the difficulty in even preparing the seasonal influenza vaccines…who are effectively masters of variation of their encapsulating protein coat.
Time will tell…prayer is possibly warranted at this point inasmuch as the link I posted a bit ago to the article at the Hedge detailing the ‘waves’ that the S. Flu came in might very well be what we end up seeing in the CoViD19 since it has already been ascertained that someone’s surviving that does NOT apparently confer immunity to a subsequent re-infection. THAT is where I begin to feel the hairs standing up on the back of my neck…
Yeah give it a week. Particularly in LA where the place is basically a castle on the coast sitting on top of a mountain of shit squalor and poverty the likes of which would make most third world countries ashamed. But. Even if it isn’t a blowout in the US… you’ll laugh you’ll cry you’ll kiss your economy goodbye…
durangokidd , here are the real numbers to make a valid comparsion and informed analysis of the real depth and potential of this virus.
World wide deaths from a normal years flu
https://www.globalresearch.ca/flu-bigger-concern-wuhan-virus-grabs-headlines/5701932
USA only deaths of 2018 , the last complete numbers
https://www.statnews.com/2018/09/26/cdc-us-flu-deaths-winter/
As we can see we are not even close to the average year flu numbers on both counts. And it is beyond clear the over reactions are highly politicized deliberately. When we get any where past just the normal year numbers I will start getting concerned. Until then I will simply enjoy stayinging strong and healthy anyway, no matter what PRAVDA/MSM does or says ! As always I refuse to play in the many echo chambers of fear and glad of it !
Have not been here for quite a while because of that echo chamber mentality and various forms of fear mongering.
The problem will come from Chinese who want out of China and are illegally smuggled into the United States. Some will have the virus, and none will be quarantined. China has always had a thriving human trafficking business, and those people don’t care about anything but the money.
Uh huh
https://m.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Israeli-scientists-In-three-weeks-we-will-have-coronavirus-vaccine-619101
Them Goyiums touk my poop buket for thay xsparminnts lavrabatorie
I saw an article today that claimed that the U.S. Navy has issued orders that all Navy ships in the Pacific must quarantine themselves for a minimum of 14 days in between port calls.
I also saw an article that said Japan has closed all of its public schools until at least April, as a precaution against this virus being spread among school kids. Sounds a little drastic, but you have to respect the Japanese leaders for taking bold steps to deal with this threat.
Meanwhile, politicians here in the USA diddle themselves and the left tries to make this a political issue to hammer the Orange Base Betrayer in the White House. He responds by naming Mike Pence – a guy who has zero medical or scientific background – to be the go-to CoronaVirus Czar.
Oh, and here is a very curious and interesting piece of news I saw just today. With all the theorizing about the cornonavirus being a man made bio-weapon, followed by everyone asking the same question: “Cui Bono?” – who benefits?
Comes this piece of mighty convenient and likely astronomically lucrative news:
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/israeli-scientists-say-they-will-have-coronavirus-vaccine-few-weeks
Israeli Scientists Say They Will Have Coronavirus Vaccine “In A Few Weeks”
Isn’t it really bizarre how often we see the old Hegelian Dialectic pop to the surface these days? Problem, reaction, solution.
Hegelian Dialectic pop to the surface these days? Problem, reaction, solution.
If you like your Coronavirus
You can keep your Coronavirus
Yes. As some incidents here in The U.S. seemed to be staged, you have to ponder what is the motive and who stands to gain.
People, you are on your own,nobody will bail you on this.
I heard on the radio last night that Israel has a vaccine that should be available in less than 30-60 days.
Sumbuddy sez get anti-bacterial soap. Howz dat stop the spred of a virus?
Best tah keep sum chicken little soup on hand too.
If I dye I doan wanna be like the yellow man. I want to dye lookin like the orange tan man.
So, what if they engineered a deadly virus, alongside it’s vaccine, which contains an RFID chip in the syringe…
Two options, get the chip/vaccine or die from the virulent virus…
What do you do?
What worries me is the ability to test and detect who may have the virus. The US only has very limited number of test kits available. State of California only has ability to test a few hundred, then they’re out of test kits.
Most advanced nation in world and we don’t have ability to test!
CA is monitoring 8,400 but only able to test a few hundred.
Other states have ZERO test kits.
If US is this limited then other countries are probably much worse in terms of being able to reliably test.
It is unavoidable that it will spread across the globe and spread to hundreds of millions. The US hospital system is unprepared to take in all the critically sick. Unfortunately, cases will be walking into the emergency departments, often times through the same door that expectant mothers are entering to give birth to their new babies or grandma is using to get her knee replacement. Hospital lab and food service workers take their carts through the whole hospital. Top it off with most places not even being supplied with test kits. It will be a disaster in aggregate. God help the poor people of sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America.
Well. Shortages of masks and hand sanitizer have already hit the US.
Check Amazon. Good luck finding any there for a reasonable price. Chinese here in US are buying up everything and mailing it to relatives in China.
I bought bullets instead.
Frucking immigrants say they love America but then complain when real Americans say anything about them.
I say if immigrants loved this country then they would think of Americans first. Friends, neighbors and co-workers.
But nope. Immigrants think of their own country first.
And dumb-ask trump.
Federalize some factories you moron. Turn them into making the stuff the US needs instead of planning your next rally!!!
If it was me I would make it a crime to send critical supplies in US to another country. Throw anyone caught in jail for endangering US public.
As Rod Rosenstein’s sister (Messonier) said, “There is no EVIDENCE of an outbreak in the US.”
Why? 1. Because the first test kits issued by the CDC were defective.
2. Because CDC would not allow states to test potential victims in a timely fashion.
3. The number of test kits provided the states is inadequate. This should change shortly when the calculated time frame for the contagion period (up to 28 days) has permitted the disease to proliferate.
4. Test kits arriving in about 2 weeks will test enough people to declare a pandemic and blame Trump.
5. Another Rosenstein “Insurance Policy” to save the Deep State’s treasonous a$$es….
“Can you ever recall a top CDC official ever making statements this ominous?”
The CDC is filled with never trumpers that were literally CRYING in the hallways and eating comfort foods to help them cope when Trump won the presidency. TRUE STORY! The CDC is a leftwing propaganda machine. They will say and do anything to hurt Trump and try to get his public opinion so low he doesn’t win a 2nd term. BTW they didnt say a damn thing during the H1N1 outbreak that infected 60 million and killed hundreds of thousands of people…Think on THAT.
I saw one report that the U.S. Post Office has said that one of it’s employees have tested positive for the coronavirus. I don’t remember if the report mentioned what type of position this employee was in, but it got me to thinking.
Individuals who are paying attention to this issue and who are looking for ways to reduce their risk of exposure – are being told to avoid large crowds and to practice extra hygiene – washing their hands frequently, etc. But, it appears as if this virus can survive on the surface of objects for 20 or more days. So, what if a US Postal Employee who is a mail carrier, or what if a delivery driver for FedEx or UPS or Amazon has been exposed and is a carrier, but not yet showing any symptoms and they are still working? They are delivering mail and packages to residents all across the city and that means, they could be leaving virus residue on the items they deliver to people’s homes.
John Q Citizen – who is following all of the prescribed methods to reduce or eliminate their risk of exposure goes out to retrieve their mail from their mailbox, and collects their mail or their packages and bingo – they bring the coronavirus into their homes and they and their family members could be exposed.
The same hazard would apply anyone who is traveling by commercial airlines. Even if nobody on the plane is carrying the virus, what about the airport baggage handlers? Your suitcases could have coronavirus contamination when you retrieve your luggage at your travel destination. Oh, what if the traveler is going on vacation and picks up the virus en-route by some means, and then arrives at your residence for a visit?
So, even if you personally decide to not do any flying on commercial airlines – inviting visitors from of town who have to fly to your location still exposes you to the same risks they endured when they traveled by air.
Sounds pretty scary to me.
Think of the spread like this: like all viruses, it is opportunistic. Given the right conditions, it will spread exponentially. What are the right conditions? Clusters of people with poor health, living conditions and/or poor hygiene.
What do we now have in all Western cities, which has only got worse since 2010? Lots and lots of Muslim refugees, African migrants, homeless people and old people moving into condos. We also have lots of gays living on HIV retrovirals with weak immune systems. That is kindling for a virus epidemic. An Agenda 21 sh#t feast.
The other day I saw filthy Muslim war refugees cruising an organic farmer’s market for free food and meals. Not only are these lazy critters loafing around and not working, they are mingling with the food. Look to see these being the hot spots where the virus jumps from these filthy populations to the rich, as they munch their fairly traded organic hummus.
Here is a follow-up article that discusses the concern as to whether coronavirus might be able to be spread through the mail or through package delivery:
https://www.fedsmith.com/2020/03/01/usps-employee-confirmed-have-coronavirus/?utm_source=fedsmith-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fedsmith-2020-03-02&utm_content=post