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KY_EnviroGuy

(14,639 posts)
2. No, all we can do is speculate.
Sun Jun 28, 2020, 04:44 PM
Jun 2020

There are things that may happen at which point the public will respond out of self-preservation and take this pandemic with the seriousness they should have from the beginning. Here are a few of my guesses:

* The number of infections and deaths per thousand population becomes high enough that most everyone knows someone having the disease so that adequate fear is induced into the general public. I often hear the excuse "I don't know of anyone who has had the disease".
* The economy crashes into depression mode due to mass infections, causing many more shutdowns in industry, transportation, energy, banking, etc.
* Out healthcare system is totally overwhelmed to the point that the public becomes extremely fearful of becoming sick for any reason.
* Severe shortages occur in our food supply, again inducing mass fear.
* Serious disruptions occur in critical infrastructure such as gas and electric supply, internet or transportation, again inducing mass fear.
* Things get bad enough that most all media sources - public and social - begin thinking far more in terms of public well-being rather than profit and start being truthful and realistic with our people.

In other words, it may take a mass awakening and surrender to the disease.

Because Republicans and the ultra right-wing have virtually destroyed America's sense of community and seriously divided us, it's anybody's guess as to what could happen.

I'm sure there are others appropriate for that list but that's enough to shake me to my core for today. It could be that the risk of extremely serious rioting caused by any or all of those factors would be as dangerous as the virus.

KY......... ........

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