Panic! at the Disco

'Cause now I sense your mission is my coming demolition
And you just hold me under
I know I'm going under

~~ "Girl Panic" by Duran Duran

Sexy Plague Doctor costume because why not?

Oh, lordy. 

Let's all take a deep breath, shall we? 

The news about Coronavirus is coming fast and furious (speaking of, the release of the latest movie in that franchise has been delayed for a year) and I don't know about anyone else, but my head is spinning. 

This is bonkers. 

This is bananapants. 

This is one of the craziest things I've ever seen in the medical field, and I've seen some shit, believe me. This surpasses the anthrax scare of Aught One. 

I've had a few people message me asking about it and wanting some information. I am not an expert on this particular virus, nor am I an epidemiologist, but I'm doing my best to stay current on information and to try to assess how serious this is. 

The best I can tell you is that yes, this needs to be taken seriously. Especially for the elderly and the immunocompromised and those of us who have loved ones who fall into either or both categories (and that includes most of us). The majority of people will weather this just fine, but for those who have underlying conditions, the threat is very real. 

I welcome the shutdown of numerous activities. The scope of it is shocking: everything from the March Madness tourney to freakin' Disneyland, man. The stock market is tanking. People are reeling and that includes me. 

These shutdowns are the right move. As I have been PREACHING FOR YEARS ALL CAPS, we are woefully unprepared for a pandemic, and yes, I'm going to say "told you so." Under the Obama administration, we handled the Ebola outbreak correctly; unfortunately, the current administration has undermined our ability to respond in a robust and fast manner, and that is tragic. I believe it will cost lives, both here and around the world. 

As for that travel ban from Europe, how absurd. The virus is already here and is in the community-acquired phase. Limiting travel is not going to solve the problem. Viruses are like honey badgers...they don't give a shit. 

That might sound overly political. That's okay with me. Because this administration has completely bungled the handling of this. Denial, obfuscation, distraction, you name it. The lack of testing is inexplicable and inexcusable. Thank science for people like Dr. Fauci, who holds no allegiance other than to good science. 

The shutdown of so many things will wreak havoc on the economy, but it is the right thing to do. The whole purpose is to slow the spread of this and try to not overwhelm our healthcare system. If the cases can be spread out over time rather than a huge spike in hospitalizations, we will be better able to absorb it. It is already a huge stress on our system but we have to try to mitigate it. 

I am not panicking about this but I'd be lying if I said that I am not feeling an increased level of anxiety about it. I wish I had greater confidence in our government's response, but I just don't right now. The lack of testing is the fly in the ointment. If people can't get tested, we can't isolate and contain properly. In fact, that window has passed. The virus is already out there. 

The best we can do right now is limit contact, especially large gatherings. It is vital that we try to stop the rapid spread of this, and these cancellations are a logical step. 

Stay safe, everyone.