[Critique Group 1] cleora's submission for 3/25/2020

[sitting.duck at springmail.com]

1708 words
paper wrap 
by C. S. Boyd

The recent events surrounding the pandemic have provided a clue to why the millennial generation is so receptive to the siren song of the liberals. 

I didn't see it for myself, but the news and everyone I've talked to over the past few days has described fights in stores over toilet paper, and aisle after aisle of empty shelves in the paper goods section of stores.

"What's the deal with paper?" I asked everyone. Finally, I ran across one broadcast that explained that one of the bits of information about the corona virus was that if you got it you would have diarrhea for several weeks. So, people were grabbing paper goods of any kind off the shelves like their lives depended on it. Fights broke out in some stores between people trying to snatch up the last few packages available. One lady in the checkout had 50 rolls in her basket. Someone asked her if she would be willing to give a couple of rolls to a poor person who couldn't afford to buy some. The news feed reported that she flatly refused. Fifty rolls. I started calculating. That would be one twenty roll three eight roll, and 1 six roll package; or, seven 6 roll, and two four roll; or, seven 6 roll and 1 eight roll package. One store was reported to be charging $30 for a package that normally would cost around $18. At the price I last paid for toilet paper, the fifty rolls the lady was getting probably cost her around $45.  That’s if she bought the 1000 sheet per roll Scott tissue. If she bought the other stuff, it would cost her closer to $80 or $90. At the current minimum wage of $7.25 that would be 6 to 12 hours pay. Frankly, I have better things to spend a day’s pay on than toilet paper. Now comes the fun part. Where is she going to store this paper?

The 20-, 8-, and 4-roll option wouldn't be too bad, but how about the seven 6-roll and two 4-roll option? I’m envisioning packages lined up along the bathroom wall, periodically falling over and maybe falling in the tub and getting soaked. Maybe she has a closet to store this in. Or an attic? At a rate of one roll a day (If she got the Scott like I buy, one roll lasts me a week.) Anyway, at one roll a day under normal use, this should last her 50 days or about five to seven weeks. If she has severe diarrhea for even half that time, she is likely going to be dead or in the hospital, so she doesn't need all that toilet paper. If she doesn't get sick, or if the report she heard was wrong and it doesn't cause diarrhea, she is going to be navigating around toilet paper for the next two months or more.

A more reliable source reported that someone posted that masks are made out of paper. Since there are going to be shortages of everything, the toilet paper will be the first to go, so a lot of people rushed to the store to buy toilet paper and any other type of paper good when that was gone. I went to the store yesterday, I found some rolls at a hardware store. They were keeping it up by the checkout counter because people were stealing it.

this reminds me of the Y2K myths of 2 decades ago. People were advised to stock up 6 months food and water to survive the coming disaster. If you consider that 1 person needs approximately two gallons a day for drinking, cooking, and bathing, that would be 260 gallons of water for six months. That doesn’t count food and other needs such as toilet paper. I wonder if this Rumer was started by people with some warehouses to sell. To my knowledge, the year 2000 came and went with only a few if any hiccups. This is all scare propaganda to manipulate people's behavior at the profit, no doubt, of the people spreading the rumor.

Back in the 70's when gas prices sky rocketed, was the first time I saw empty shelves at the grocery store. That's when I started keeping a two to four week supply of everything so I'm good for the next few weeks.

Of course, the Trump critics couldn't pass up the opportunity to politicize this fear. No matter what he does or says, it is the wrong thing. He said to much, he didn't say enough, the government needs to tell people what to do, we need leadership during this crisis. And, it goes on and on. What? People don't have brains to use common sense and take reasonable precautions? They have to be told by the government (i.e. president) what to do and how to keep themselves safe? Frankly, I'm thankful we had Trump at the helm when this happened. He had the foresight to close traffic between the US and China.

Not to in any way minimize this crisis, my doctor in California that hosts a conference call every Wednesday evening, says that the corona virus is the same virus that causes the common cold. As I understand it, it is variations of this same virus that the different kinds of flue come from. The serious thing about this COVID-19 version is that it is new and highly contagious. Note, though, that it is serious among older people and those with respiratory and compromised immune systems. Unlike the previous flue that seemed to target the very young and those in their 30's and 40's. He says that if we could quarantine everyone for 3 to 4 weeks, the virus would not be able to spread to a new host and it would simply go away. The idea of limiting gatherings to 50 people or less doesn’t prevent the spread of the virus, it just makes it easier for health officials to track it. Masks are fine if you use them properly. Be sure to put in on so there are no gaps on the sides. The only air you get should come through the mask. My doctor also shared with us some research testing vitamin D. According to the study, people with a high blood level of vitamin D do not get the flue (any flu). People with low vitamin D levels get the flu. I checked my nutrition journal. The last time I had the flu, January, 2014, I was taking 5,000 I.U. of vitamin D3 per day. He recommends 10,000. I started taking 75,000 I.U. a week back in November, 2015. Some doctors will discourage taking these levels of vitamin D. D3 is totally safe. It is water soluble so the body just gets rid of what it can't use.

When I started writing this, the number of confirmed cases and deaths was 1,629 cases resulting in 41 deaths (2.517%). One news source considered 1% significant. There is a lot of information out there. My research also uncovered that the black plague started in China and then spread across the middle east and Europe. There was talk about the effect. perhaps this crisis would bring us together. History shows the opposite. Instead, it pulls us apart. People that were in the pandemic of 1913 were so ashamed of their behavior that they wouldn't even talk about it later. Several years ago, I did some research on church history. I ran across some information about the black plague. People turned on each other and wouldn't help those who were sick even if they were family. The brief paragraph reported that Christians did help others. Some of them did get sick and die. Most did not. The important thing is that they were willing to help others while other members of the population were not. Some have suggested that this is not a  serious as it is being built up to be. It is simply being used as a 
political vehicle to try to scare people and get them to vote a certain way. In years past, flag burning was used to distract people's attention to whatever politicians didn't want people to notice. 

from October 1, 2019 thru march 7 2020 there have been an estimated 36 to 51 million flue illnesses, 17 to 24 million flue medical visits, 370 to 670 thousand flue hospitalizations, and 22 to 55 thousand flue related deaths (0.0108%). This is about half the percentage for the normal flu. So, what is the big deal with COVID-19. There have been far more cases and deaths from other kinds of flu. Take a look at the percentage of deaths. .8% for regular flu and 2.5% for COVID-19. The percentage is small, but if not brought under control, it will spread rapidly, overwhelming our health care system. There are those that continue to feel it is no big deal, but those people at least need to respect others and take the proper precautions for themselves and especially for others. So, be careful. Follow the health suggestions. And above all, let's keep this thing in perspective, 

As I finish up, the last report had the confirmed cases at 7,000 and death toll at 100. We have experienced our first death in Texas, and West Virginia is now included. The good news. The percentage of deaths is at 1.428%. It looks like the measures being taken are working. I can't help wondering what those people are going to do with all that toilet paper.

It is believed that COVID-19 originated at a wet market where farmed and exotic animals are tied up or stabbed in cages. many are killed on site to insure freshness. The markets are considered breeding grounds for dangerous infections because of the close connection between humans and live exotic animals. This virus is closely related to known bat viruses. That's why it is believed to have originated from a bat, said Dr. Jeff Kwong. Bats were not sold at the market, but it is believed that an animal at the market may have been infected by a bat. Do you suppose that is why so many people have gone batty?