To Fear or Not to Fear: The Coronavirus

Time to look over something scary.

I am a very simple man when it comes to my day-to-day life. I wake up, I eat, I write, I enjoy some video games, and I talk to friends. I discuss things with this blog’s co-author, I joke around, and I discuss serious topics, well, seriously. All in all: my life is a pleasant one that has trials and tribulations that test me at every corner when they arrive. I love my life nonetheless and I wouldn’t want it any other way when all is said and done.

That said, there are instances where something occurs that leaves me flabbergasted and makes me wonder how exactly my life has gotten me to this particular point. There have been numerous instances of that, but as of late, one has left me especially dumbfounded: the hype, terror, and extraordinary complacent behavior surrounding the Coronavirus. I’ve observed two radical extremes in the time that this disease has exploded onto the scene and it’s left me honestly wondering if we just don’t care about common health concerns—let alone an outright disastrous pandemic that could very well be the next Spanish Flu (death toll wise).

On the one hand, you have those who are panicking and believe that this disease is going to kill something like 30–70% of the world’s population. That is, admittedly, me grabbing two numbers, but the behavior I’ve seen some exhibit online is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The only comparison I can think of is back when President Trump killed the Iranian general and people immediately said that this was the catalyst for World War III. There was no understanding of escalation, geopolitics, or diplomacy. Thanks to an array of Internet memes and hysteria, we went from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye in spite of the fact that nobody in their right mind wants a nuclear holocaust.

I digress though. In my hometown (where the Coronavirus has just reached), people have bought out every bit of hand sanitizer and disinfectant. They’ve been stockpiling like this disease is going to be the thing that ends the human race. There is no sense of a balanced medium between being calm and being concerned and treating this situation seriously. We’re either preparing for the apocalypse or we’re licking every door handle we see.

Oh yes, I shouldn’t leave out those that outright don’t care whatsoever about this virus. Some out there would have you believe that there is nothing to be worried about; that the Coronavirus is nothing more than a mere Cold. This is intellectually dishonest at best and a boldfaced lie at the worst. Look, I myself don’t think that panicking about the virus is the right thing to do. Panic is the worst thing you can do at a time like this as panic will be taxing on your mental state and can lead to extreme levels of stress. However, not being concerned and not taking precautions to stay healthy and safe is arguably worse. Being callous about this situation is how you’ll get sick—be it with the Coronavirus or something else (like the yearly Influenza). Both are deadly, though the former has a much higher fatality rate (estimates for the death toll of the Coronavirus range between 3–6% while the Flu has a fatality rate of about .1%).

So exactly what should one do in this case? Well, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have already told you to wash your hands and generally be careful and to stay safe. That means not going to the location[s] where the disease has already hit and doing all you can do to get sick. Of course, some pundits out there—typically the clickbait-heavy websites and sensationalist media—have run stories that generally leave that detail out in favor of making this out to be the end of the world. This is about the worst thing they could do, but nothing spreads (or sells) like fear. Doom and gloom is a lot more profitable than facts for trash-tier news sites like the Daily Sun and Daily Mail. If you’re getting your Coronavirus from either of those sites—or anything like it—then I would recommend you stop that immediately and go elsewhere. Personally, I’d recommend the Washington Post or the New York Times. While they may have their controversies when it comes to their reputation thanks to the reactionary crowd, they’ve maintained a more levelhead than 99% of news outlets out there.

Though I won’t limit to just those two. After all, not everyone is fond of the Washington Post and New York Times. That’s fine and I understand why—they’ve had their faults and I can guarantee that my readership isn’t entirely left-leaning (I myself am a Republican at heart). So allow me to take a moment to convey what I understand to be the truth when it comes to the situation at hand so you can gauge those that are truthful and trying to sow fear into your heart with the Coronavirus pandemic.

The virus is killing thousands a day!

This isn’t true. As it stands, 4,607 have died. This is a fair number of people, but most have been on the older side. Generally, the older you are, the more vulnerable you are. If you have a poor immune system, you’re also at risk. So the claims you may see that thousands are dying each day aren’t true. As a side note, if you see the claim that Corona is killing 150,000+ people a day, it’s hogwash. That claim is being pushed by conspiracy theorist Hal Turner.

It’s just like the Flu/it’s just a cold

This has to be the most horribly untrue claim I’ve seen in relation to the Coronavirus. No, the virus is nothing like the Flu, nor is it “just a cold”. I don’t care how often you’re told this, the Flu doesn’t kill like this and a Cold doesn’t kill 4.6k+ humans. Yes, there are some similarities to the Flu, but the Flu also shares similarities with Ebola. Please, for the love of everything decent in the universe, don’t treat the Coronavirus like the Flu. It’s a lot more dangerous than that and it’s significantly more fatal. If you treat this like some ordinary illness, you’re putting yourself at great risk by not taking the proper precautions to stay healthy.

It’s a bio-weapon

I don’t care what sort of niche website you find information from, this isn’t true. The Coronavirus has always existed, what we’re experiencing now is merely an offshoot of the virus. Mutation happens, that’s why yearly Flu vaccines are made. While there may be an institute of Virology in Wuhan (where the virus originates from), the disease didn’t originate from there. Though never let logic get in the way of a good old fashioned conspiracy theory. Especially when it involves China.

MMS will prevent it

I’ve always been fascinated by Miracle Mineral Supplement (better known as MMS). I’m sure you’ve seen this somewhere, but it’s essentially using Bleach (or something close to Bleach) to defeat various illnesses. I’ve admittedly never looked into this because at the end of the day, Bleach is extremely hazardous to your health at best. At the worst, it will kill you and it will be an extraordinarily painful death. While MMS may not outright require you to drink Bleach, it also doesn’t need to be consumed in order to cause adverse harm to you.

It’s going to kill off the human race

I’ve already discussed this, but I don’t think it can be said enough. The Coronavirus isn’t going to kill off the human race. If the 3–6% fatality rate is accurate (for context by the by: the Spanish Flu had a fatality rate of 2%), then you’re more likely to die from the stress you’ll bring upon yourself by thinking that everything you touch and every breath you take will give you the virus.

It’s okay to be concerned. It’s okay to be worried. However, to be panicking 24/7 about the virus is nonsensical. You cannot dwell on the virus and you cannot buy out entire stores to prepare for a disaster that’s never going to come. Buying paint masks is also incomprehensibly stupid. Don’t do that. They won’t protect you from the virus.

It’s nothing to be concerned about

Like above, I’ve already discussed this and just like above, I don’t think it can be said enough. This is easily the worse of the two extremes by a country mile. While I would urge you to not panic about the Coronavirus, that is no excuse—not in the absolute slightest—to not take any sort of precaution to stay healthy, safe, and civil like any normal human being. I don’t care how lightly I make the Coronavirus out to be, I don’t care if anyone you trust says to “not worry”, and I don’t care if your mommy or daddy says that the Coronavirus is just a load of nonsense pushed by the Deep State/Libtard media. If you treat this as nothing more than a cold, you’re likely to get sick—even if it’s just an actual Cold—and let me tell you something: getting sick sucks. It’ll suck even more if you end up with a 103 fever, bed ridden, and your bowels are rushing out of your rectum like Spaniards running from bulls down a street in the sweltering summer heat.

Alas, I know that for those who are stubborn in their ways, I cannot get through to them. I would know as I am the same way. So allow me to conclude this all. I didn’t write this blog so you can become callous with the situation. Just because the doom and gloom isn’t true doesn’t mean you’re safe from the disease. It’s still infecting and killing people daily. You shouldn’t be complacent because some random blogger said you are. If I were to tell you to do anything, I’d recommend you listen to what the CDC and WHO have told you. This isn’t some bio-weapon, this isn’t something virus made in a lab, and it isn’t a false flag attack. It’s a disease, it came about naturally, and as such: you need to be careful. You’re not likely to die, but that doesn’t mean you can be complacent and lazy about your general health. Complacency is the worst thing you can do at a time like this. That said, don’t stockpile on food like it’s the apocalypse. It isn’t. Many will die—I will not sugarcoat that—but you can take measures to be safe. So be safe and keep a level head.