The Worldwide C0VlD-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Discussion Thread...

[ChrisV]

Non-preppers angry at preppers because non-preppers called preppers panicked until non-preppers panicked and tried to prep but they were too late.

Best tongue-twister ever.

 

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[GoodluckChuck]

To those wondering why people arm themselves during times of chaos or potential chaos need not be confused.

You're dealing with a group of people that tend to take responsibility for everything they can. They've learned that they can rely on themselves above all others and will take every opportunity to secure their own position.

If you think food might run out, you buy extra food.

If you think you might face some sort of threat from other people, you buy a gun.

99% of preppers that buy guns pray they never need their dried food or their gun, but they can sleep at night because they've done everything they could think of to ensure the survival of themselves and their families.

Societal norms are breaking down fast. I say it's better to have a gun and not need it than to need one and not have it.

Imagine how much violence is deterred because someone pulls out their gun and the other person decides it's not worth it.

 

[Timmy C]

calling in sick tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that and that.

Pretty happy i decided to get an extra 40 litres of petrol to store in my garage the other week.

Meds for the dog sorted for just over 2 months.

Dog food for 4 months.

Just debating whether to take some of my cash out of the bank as australia just put in quantitative easing.

 

[Rabby]

Honest question:
Why Guns?

A lot of you guys have posted pics and discussed ammo and guns and really nonchalantly chat about how "ready" you are for this virus lockdown. >>> Went to buy a new gun and supply up with lots of ammo. Proud of the work you did making your home into a gun-ready bunker for...

For what?

This is a genuine question. I admit to ignorance on this one.

I've heard twenty times more gunfire here in rural Washington in the last 4 years than I ever heard living in LA for 25 years. (Witnessed a driveby getaway moments after hearing gunshots in '03, also lived through the riots of '92, and in '07 my home was raided by armed cops because of a confused kindergarten teacher at my kid's school) -- so clearly I have reasons to be uncomfortable.

Nobody's gonna "stand your ground" against the CoronaVirus.
It's the #coronapocalypse, not the Zombie Apocalypse.

Governor of Washington just ordered bars and restaurants to shut their doors. And there's chatter in the "neighborhood" websites of people starting to talk super crazy about arming themselves against...

Against whom?

Do you gun-toting Fastlaners live in mansions needing private security? Who you gonna shoot? Someone coming for your toilet paper? Are you hunting for food rather than heading to Trader Joes? Putting a bullet through a petri dish of CV?

.

Because idiots will see the news that sherriff's departments aren't responding out of fear of the virus, and they'll exploit the chance to break into houses, or riot and loot. Obviously nobody is stupid enough to shoot at a virus... that's a straw man. If you live / have lived in a place with frequent disasters or political turmoil, you'll understand this. If not, I guess you can always learn.

 

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[Vigilante]

fast forward a month from now. You have a family of four, there was a run at the grocery store so there are limited resources, and you have no food to feed your family.

You are going to go looking for food and will do whatever it takes to secure it.

People with guns are simply recommending you don’t come to their house other than with an invitation.

 

[Timmy C]

fast forward a month from now. You have a family of four, there was a run at the grocery store so there are limited resources, and you have no food to feed your family.

You are going to go looking for food and will do whatever it takes to secure it.

People with guns are simply recommending you don’t come to their house other than with an invitation.

Being in Australia i hope we don't get robbed. I mean i am good at BJJ and have some striking skills but a gun is the ultimate equaliser....

Guns being much harder to purchase here i hope we don't have this problem.

 

[Ernman]

So after 4 days my cold started to go down, but now I have a really consistent cough. I may have to go back to get tested just to be sure

Praying for you man

 

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[Ernman]

Your posts have been great thus far, but this is bad advice imo. People under 40 have sustained permanent organ damage. Aside from that, every one person who gets it gives it to an average of two. Even aside from myself and my family, I don't wanna be the guy who gives it to Jim, who gives it to Sally who gives it to Mary's mom who WILL die from it. The "f--- it... i'll be fine' attitude ignores other people and I think our civic responsibility to do anything we can to put the brakes on this thing.

Spot on @ChrisV !!!!

 

[Tommo]

Being in Australia i hope we don't get robbed. I mean i am good at BJJ and have some striking skills but a gun is the ultimate equaliser....

Guns being much harder to purchase here i hope we don't have this problem.

Tim,
As a chef you must have a good set of knives for defence, a family recipe we have is chopped chillies from our Bunnings potted plant in brown vinegar to flavour food but put it in a vinegar spray bottle and use as a pepper spray for defensive purposes. Look around you mate, you have weapons galore if you thjnk creatively. Oh and I bought a baseball bat last year after a dodgy visit from a couple of guys, wasnt neede but better to have etc and not need etcetera take care buddy

 

[Ernman]

Non-preppers angry at preppers because non-preppers called preppers panicked until non-preppers panicked and tried to prep but they were too late.

People who normally buy 1 week of toilet paper who bought 3 weeks worth last week weren’t greedy or panicked, they were smart. People who mocked them then are fighting in Costco parking lots now.

Remind me who the dumb ones are?

It is interesting. I don't consider myself a "prepper" but I do believe in being prepared - yes, combination of Boy Scout and Navy training - so I pay attention to what's going on around me (Situational Awareness) and act accordingly. A couple weeks ago, I bought extra TP and cleaning supplies. Seemed prudent given my wife's health situation. Last week, bought some more but nothing crazy. We also stocked up on non-perishables and frozen goods.

I've just never been one to rely on others. So I try to do what I believe is prudent to take care of my family and not become burden to society.

 

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[• nikita •]

I wonder how long the UK can go before they shut everything down

 

[Kak]

Price-Gouging Laws Will Do More Harm Than Good During the Coronavirus Pandemic — Reason

High prices for sought-after goods cause temporary pain, but not as much as government efforts to "help" frustrated consumers.

apple.news

A very clear perspective on “price gouging” laws.

Basically they are bullshit.

First there is no such thing price gouging. It is not a definable circumstance. If you charged too much, people wouldn’t be interested.

Ken Paxton. My socialist attorney general has used the word “unjustifiable” over and over to describe the prices people sell things for. No. If goods are actually selling, it is justifiable. The market price of these goods now reflect the fact that you are dealing with a precious commodity.

Want to know the reason the shelves are empty? Price gouging laws.

Let me paint this picture for you. Let’s use laundry detergent as an example. Stores have been forced by economically illiterate Paxton to continue selling at last month’s market price instead of this month’s. People hoard at ridiculously low prices. Now there is none available and a legitimate shortage. If you want laundry detergent you’ll probably have to buy it on craigslist for 60 bucks now.

The government policy backfired. The black market price is artificially propped up by government making it impossible for legitimate sellers to compete. Supply needs to be considered. Not just demand.

There is a curve of supply and demand equilibrium relative to pricing. There is a point on that curve where people would buy product and also leave some on the shelves. That is what intelligent people should be striving for.

Now, let’s take that even one step further. Let’s send the profits through the supply chain instead of lining an enterprising hobo’s pockets with black market profit. What happens then? Walmart charges customers a little more. Tide charges Walmart a little more. Tide can seriously ramp up production. The market price eventually recovers A LOT FASTER because the shortage will be satisfied faster.

Everyone who is pissed off that there is a shortage of affordable consumables can thank their socialistic state governments for moving the entire market for these goods to the black market.

 

[Ernman]

These times are incredibly difficult.

I'd call that an understatement in your situation. I'd say try to remain calm, but that would be a stupid gesture. Is "hang in there" any better?

There is one small piece of advice I can provide wrt your dog. I'm a dog person and understand they aren't just a pet but part of the family. Here's the harsh part. I made the mistake of doing everything I could to keep our last dog alive much longer than was fair to him. My vet, very kind and gentle, said something like this, "if a dog can't be a dog anymore, do we have the right to keep them alive?" It's not fair that dogs age and die faster than us. But it is part of the responsibility we take on when we bring them into our lives. When the time comes for you to make the hard decision for your friend, take solace in knowing you gave them a great life while they were in your family.

 

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[Timmy C]

What's eye opening is the amount of people not preparing for anything.

Some of my own family members are guilty of this but i bought a shitload of stuff for them anyway as they just wouldn't listen...


Just seen this and i quote

''
Unpopular opinion- Coronavirus
Why is everyone buying toilet paper at a ridiculous rate. Are you scared that it also gives you the runs?
There are more people dying from a million other things. The vulnerable people in this scenario are the ones with low immunity such as elderly and young children. That goes with many other sicknesses.....
Also. There are probably more people hiding with it due to the fact that the media is going crazy over it and probably want privacy ‍. For example, the person who got off the plane at Avalon because of cold and flu symptoms was quarantined- still not even confirmed if this poor person had it.
There’s absolutely no way I’d be letting the world find out if I had it. Gosh imagine the drama and headlines or the media outside my workplace

We are pretty lucky in Australia. Have a great health system
Be hygienic. Wash your hands thoroughly. Use hand sanitizer. ''



face palm!

One intelligent life form posted this.

''Are we heading for a Ression? These produces go up double in price. Maybe stocking up at today's prices may be a wise move! Just saying.''


The rest where people agreeing and saying how stupid people are.

 

[Vigilante]

Price-Gouging Laws Will Do More Harm Than Good During the Coronavirus Pandemic — Reason

High prices for sought-after goods cause temporary pain, but not as much as government efforts to "help" frustrated consumers.

apple.news

A very clear perspective on “price gouging” laws.

Basically they are bullshit.

First there is no such thing price gouging. It is not a definable circumstance. If you charged too much, people wouldn’t be interested.

Ken Paxton. My socialist attorney general has used the word “unjustifiable” over and over to describe the prices people sell things for. No. If goods are actually selling, it is justifiable. The market price of theses goods now reflect the fact that you are dealing with a precious commodity.

Want to know the reason the shelves are empty? Price gouging laws.

Let me paint this picture for you. Let’s use laundry detergent as an example. Stores have been forced by economically illiterate Paxton to continue selling at last month’s market price instead of this month’s. People hoard at ridiculously low prices. Now there is none available and a legitimate shortage. If you want laundry detergent you’ll probably have to buy it on craigslist for 60 bucks now.

The government policy backfired. The black market price is artificially propped up by government making it impossible for legitimate sellers to compete. Supply needs to be considered. Not just demand.

There is a curve of supply and demand equilibrium relative to pricing. There is a point on that curve where people would buy product and also leave some on the shelves. That is what intelligent people should be striving for.

Now let’s take that even one step further. Let’s send the profits through the supply chain instead of lining an enterprising hobo’s pockets with black market profit. What happens then? Walmart charges customers a little more. Tide charges Walmart a little more. Tide can seriously ramp up production. The market price eventually recovers. A LOT FASTER.

Everyone who is pissed off that there is a shortage of affordable consumables can thank their socialistic state governments for moving the entire market for these goods to the black market.

Enterprising hobo LOL

 

[Vigilante]

 

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[Ernman]

During the US-Iraq war, some of my friends were for it, and some were against it. I eventually realized that all the people who were pro-war had one thing in common - they had nothing to lose in the war. All the people who were against it had a child that was draft-age, or they themselves were. This test was 100% accurate.

I have a new theory about COVID19. All the people who say "get over it", "nothing to worry about", etc, are under the age of 40, where the mortality rate is only 0.2%. Are you under the age of 40?

I've been surprised by the number of over 40 associates of mine who are saying there's nothing to this. Worse yet, some of them have relatively large YouTube followings and they continue to spout misinformation and personal opinions as if facts. They are my "associates" by virtue of an industry I'm in, so I follow them to stay informed on those industry trends. Maybe, I'll have fewer competitors this time next year? OMG, that was harsh.

 

[Vigilante]

 

[lowtek]

Honest question:
Why Guns?

A lot of you guys have posted pics and discussed ammo and guns and really nonchalantly chat about how "ready" you are for this virus lockdown. >>> Went to buy a new gun and supply up with lots of ammo. Proud of the work you did making your home into a gun-ready bunker for...

For what?

This is a genuine question. I admit to ignorance on this one.

I've heard twenty times more gunfire here in rural Washington in the last 4 years than I ever heard living in LA for 25 years. (Witnessed a driveby getaway moments after hearing gunshots in '03, also lived through the riots of '92, and in '07 my home was raided by armed cops because of a confused kindergarten teacher at my kid's school) -- so clearly I have reasons to be uncomfortable.

Nobody's gonna "stand your ground" against the CoronaVirus.
It's the #coronapocalypse, not the Zombie Apocalypse.

Governor of Washington just ordered bars and restaurants to shut their doors. And there's chatter in the "neighborhood" websites of people starting to talk super crazy about arming themselves against...

Against whom?

Do you gun-toting Fastlaners live in mansions needing private security? Who you gonna shoot? Someone coming for your toilet paper? Are you hunting for food rather than heading to Trader Joes? Putting a bullet through a petri dish of CV?

.

We have guns because even during "peace time" home invasions and burglary are real problems. During natural disasters, they become significantly bigger problems as the police are usually going to be leveraged to protect critical infrastructure and may not be able / willing to respond.

In the event someone comes to take away your modest stash, what are you going to do about it? Not you specifically, but just the general "you". Without a gun, you are defenseless against 2 or more attackers, even if they are unarmed. Even if you're billy badass mixed martial artist, you're still screwed.

Know that they will be armed, and it's a myth that they just want your stuff and will be on their way. Many of them are quite happy to harm unarmed people and do so just for the lulz.

Firearms are the ultimate equalizer, and the more peaceful people that have them, the better.

 

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[Rabby]

Tim,
As a chef you must have a good set of knives for defence, a family recipe we have is chopped chillies from our Bunnings potted plant in brown vinegar to flavour food but put it in a vinegar spray bottle and use as a pepper spray for defensive purposes. Look around you mate, you have weapons galore if you thjnk creatively. Oh and I bought a baseball bat last year after a dodgy visit from a couple of guys, wasnt neede but better to have etc and not need etcetera take care buddy

The idea of knives and chili peppers makes me smile. There are plenty of things you can do to prepare if you don't have a way to stand your ground.

When I was caught in riots, military coup d'etat and counter-coup in Bangkok, I booby-trapped the doors and windows and made an escape exit through the ceiling. The exit had two purposes, since royal guard were firing gas grenades right outside my door, and rioters were throwing molotavs at the royal guard. It doesn't have to be guns, if that's not an option. Just prepare. Know what you'll do, and how much time you have to do it, if someone kicks the door down or starts your building on fire. It probably won't even happen, but being prepared won't hurt you.

 

[SkyLake]

Non-preppers angry at preppers because non-preppers called preppers panicked until non-preppers panicked and tried to prep but they were too late.

People who normally buy 1 week of toilet paper who bought 3 weeks worth last week weren’t greedy or panicked, they were smart. People who mocked them then are fighting in Costco parking lots now.

Remind me who the dumb ones are?

The smart ones got a bidet installed. You'll run out of toilet paper in 3 weeks anyway, a bidet will always be there.

Stores in Italy are fine. There's plenty of stuff for everybody except hand sanitizers and masks. And that's a country in complete lockdown who is going to surpass China's deaths.

The US has fewer supermarkets per capita than Italy but I think stores in the US will be fine too. People are stupid and are panic buying thinking this is the end of the world or something.. when in reality everything will be fine. This virus is here to stay until a vaccine is developed. It's a marathon, not a race.

People are asked to stay home so nations hospitals are not overwhelmed all at once but can handle the influx of new patients over a longer period of time. The world is not ending and the overall panic on social media, and in the real world, is dumb.

 

[Ernman]

Looks like the market is taking it in the shorts again. I'm terribly unsophisticated wrt trading, consider myself an investor as opposed to trader. So this is a buying opportunity for me. Anyone else? I really do need to get smarter on options.

 

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[Kak]

Looks like the market is taking it in the shorts again. I'm terribly unsophisticated wrt trading, consider myself an investor as opposed to trader. So this is a buying opportunity for me. Anyone else? I really do need to get smarter on options.

Nah. It is a roller coaster right now.

It is impossible to predict this even though some will try to use charts and math to figure it out. Human hysteria is mostly unpredictable and that is the biggest factor driving markets right now BY FAR.

Normally a market tailwind like cutting nominal interest rates would have been considered and well received for everyone except lenders.

Hysteria obviously outpaced it.

 

[Trevor Kuntz]

A better policy is limiting the quantity available for sale to any one customer. But I'm glad those guys in Tennessee got F*cked by Amazon and eBay and ended up donating their entire stock of hand sanitizer.

In their case, they drove around the state buying all of the hand sanitizer that had been distributed to the various B&M stores and then centralized the supply and attempted to sell online. As entrepreneurs, our primary goal is to provide value to consumers. How does centralizing the entire supply of a geographical area provide any true value to the customers of that area? They just created a huge market inefficiency. Before their "venture," people were able to buy hand sanitizer in that area for $1 a bottle and the business still makes money because fulfillment costs are low. But once the supply is centralized, fulfillment costs spike (shipping costs more or as much as the product itself) and the market efficiency goes way down.

Price-Gouging Laws Will Do More Harm Than Good During the Coronavirus Pandemic — Reason

High prices for sought-after goods cause temporary pain, but not as much as government efforts to "help" frustrated consumers.

apple.news

A very clear perspective on “price gouging” laws.

Basically they are bullshit.

First there is no such thing price gouging. It is not a definable circumstance. If you charged too much, people wouldn’t be interested.

Ken Paxton. My socialist attorney general has used the word “unjustifiable” over and over to describe the prices people sell things for. No. If goods are actually selling, it is justifiable. The market price of these goods now reflect the fact that you are dealing with a precious commodity.

Want to know the reason the shelves are empty? Price gouging laws.

Let me paint this picture for you. Let’s use laundry detergent as an example. Stores have been forced by economically illiterate Paxton to continue selling at last month’s market price instead of this month’s. People hoard at ridiculously low prices. Now there is none available and a legitimate shortage. If you want laundry detergent you’ll probably have to buy it on craigslist for 60 bucks now.

The government policy backfired. The black market price is artificially propped up by government making it impossible for legitimate sellers to compete. Supply needs to be considered. Not just demand.

There is a curve of supply and demand equilibrium relative to pricing. There is a point on that curve where people would buy product and also leave some on the shelves. That is what intelligent people should be striving for.

Now, let’s take that even one step further. Let’s send the profits through the supply chain instead of lining an enterprising hobo’s pockets with black market profit. What happens then? Walmart charges customers a little more. Tide charges Walmart a little more. Tide can seriously ramp up production. The market price eventually recovers A LOT FASTER because the shortage will be satisfied faster.

Everyone who is pissed off that there is a shortage of affordable consumables can thank their socialistic state governments for moving the entire market for these goods to the black market.

 

[GIlman]

View attachment 31151

Thoughts on this?

If you take a fixed population, with a similar doubling time and similar infectious rate (R0), you would expect similar growth pattern within the population.

the real issue though isn’t the absolute number at this point, it’s distribution. Some areas in Italy have extremely high numbers, some areas have few. Areas with huge numbers get crushed. At this moment in time, based on current numbers, California likely will have areas they get crushed. Not the entire state per se, but some parts. Obviously I’m using California as one example only, there are other cities with severe crushes likely coming.

When the lockdown comes, people are expecting 2 weeks because exposure quarantines were 2 weeks. Exposure quarantine was 2 weeks because we believe everyone who is truly infected takes 2 weeks for everyone to show symptoms. If that person was to develop symptoms they are then in a quarantine condition for many more weeks, probably 3-5 based on things I’ve read.

The question is how long are people infectious after symptoms appear. so far in studies, they can detect virus up to 30 days after symptom onset.

remember, most people 80%+ will recover at home. So adding 2 weeks for symptoms to appear and 30 days to not be infectious anymore, that’s 6 weeks. And it assumes other family members don’t get ill along the way.

this is why I have been telling people to expect a 2 month quarantine at least.

 

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[Sander]

 

[TinyOldLady]

This is interesting, but why are Italian hospitals suddenly struggling with extreme overcrowding ?

I had the same question.
But maybe they struggle every year? One should know, how it was before, to be able to judge. I think this is what this man's message is

 

[Are EM]

For those who can't purchase guns, make some of these...



Then you'll be ready for the Mordor raids

 

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[Silverfox148]

Looks like the market is taking it in the shorts again. I'm terribly unsophisticated wrt trading, consider myself an investor as opposed to trader. So this is a buying opportunity for me. Anyone else? I really do need to get smarter on options.

I wouldn't be so quick to buy at this point, there is still some way to go.
This virus if anything may expose how weak and interdependent the U.S economy really is.
I get the sense that there is a lot of cashing in selling/buying by algos at this point, rigged game basically.

 

[MTEE1985]

Price-Gouging Laws Will Do More Harm Than Good During the Coronavirus Pandemic — Reason

High prices for sought-after goods cause temporary pain, but not as much as government efforts to "help" frustrated consumers.

apple.news

A very clear perspective on “price gouging” laws.

Basically they are bullshit.

First there is no such thing price gouging. It is not a definable circumstance. If you charged too much, people wouldn’t be interested.

Ken Paxton. My socialist attorney general has used the word “unjustifiable” over and over to describe the prices people sell things for. No. If goods are actually selling, it is justifiable. The market price of these goods now reflect the fact that you are dealing with a precious commodity.

Want to know the reason the shelves are empty? Price gouging laws.

Let me paint this picture for you. Let’s use laundry detergent as an example. Stores have been forced by economically illiterate Paxton to continue selling at last month’s market price instead of this month’s. People hoard at ridiculously low prices. Now there is none available and a legitimate shortage. If you want laundry detergent you’ll probably have to buy it on craigslist for 60 bucks now.

The government policy backfired. The black market price is artificially propped up by government making it impossible for legitimate sellers to compete. Supply needs to be considered. Not just demand.

There is a curve of supply and demand equilibrium relative to pricing. There is a point on that curve where people would buy product and also leave some on the shelves. That is what intelligent people should be striving for.

Now, let’s take that even one step further. Let’s send the profits through the supply chain instead of lining an enterprising hobo’s pockets with black market profit. What happens then? Walmart charges customers a little more. Tide charges Walmart a little more. Tide can seriously ramp up production. The market price eventually recovers A LOT FASTER because the shortage will be satisfied faster.

Everyone who is pissed off that there is a shortage of affordable consumables can thank their socialistic state governments for moving the entire market for these goods to the black market.

So my curiosity got the best of me to test this and I threw a bottle of Purell on eBay knowing full well it would end up being removed. I did an auction starting at $3.97 with free shipping meaning I potentially lose money which I was perfectly fine with as one outcome. After a day it was up to $26.00 with 14 watchers making me think it would’ve gotten closer to $50 or more at the end had it not been removed. Which was for the best anyway because my wife is a germaphobe on a good day.