Corona virus/COVID-19 as of March 30, 2020
Viruses flourish throughout our world, some infect us and do bad things when they do, most just look at us a go, "Meh", and keep on walking by.
When a virus mutates enough to make the jump from an animal to a human we have things like the "Swine Flue" and "H1N1".
But, what does it mean when a virus which affects humans begins to infect our dogs and cats? I really don't know. I'm not sure I've heard of such a jump before. Our systems are so different that such a jump isn't common. And, yet, a cat and two dogs have tested positive for COVID-19, assumed to have caught it from their owners.
It feels, and I know that's a bad word, but it's the right word, it feels like this just puts another nail in the coffin of this being a naturally occurring virus. With complete certainty and zero facts, hold on - I'm going full progressive, I'm just going to say that this is now officially a bio-weapon. Oh, sure, DNA studies and all of that already go there, but, come on, China, targeting our dogs and cats? That's just low, and I mean low.
To pile on the good news, some recent studies are saying the CDC and WHO have been wrong all along, yeah, shocker, I know, and that COVID-19 is airborne. Studies of not only the air inside patients' rooms, but in the hallways outside tested positive for the virus. Or, for the virus which causes COVID-19, which is technically the disease. But, you get the gist.
I've always felt this, "Don't worry, it's not airborne," to be a bit disingenuous. Certain viruses which do live in the air, but not for long, are often labeled as "not airborne." What if someone in a crowded airport coughs, the virus goes into the air, and someone else walks by in a minute and breathes it? "Oh, that's most likely them breathing in the droplets of spittle left by the cough." Yeah, whatever, Karen. He breathed, he caught the virus, the virus is airborne.
Trump, in a beautiful fit of political incorrectness, followed Illinois' lead (can you believe it?) and called gun shops, firearms manufacturers, and ammunition manufacturers "essential". This entire "essential/nonessential" authority is pretty suspect to begin with, and completely irrelevant when it comes to Constitutionally protected rights (unless we can call the New York Times and Washington Post non-essential, but then where would the slow movers get their TP?), the government is implicitly accepting the fact that they cannot protect everyone all of the time. We've been through this... recently... everyday. Ask a career cop how many times he's made it to a call in time to save the victim from violence and I'll bet they come up with a number that can be counted on two hands, if they are lucky. Distance = rate x time. The physics simply don't allow anything different. If you haven't bought a clue yet, you have the obligation to protect yourself and your family. The police will help fill out the paperwork after the fact.
So far, the social fabric is holding together remarkably well, I must say. Give yourself a pat on the back. But, we're still on the upwards angle of this thing, quarantines are being extended, and we don't know how long the plateau is going to last. Tis always better to have and not need than need and not have. I've been lazy and been carrying a small .357 magnum revolver when I go out. It's going to hit something very hard five times, but then it's dry. Replaced that with a 20+1 Sig stoked with +P+ 9mm and though I'm wearing the same clothes, I've suddenly become a one man fire team. Need it in the Phoenix suburbs? Probably not, this isn't NYC, but again, better to have and not need....
Good luck out there, people. Stay calm.
When a virus mutates enough to make the jump from an animal to a human we have things like the "Swine Flue" and "H1N1".
But, what does it mean when a virus which affects humans begins to infect our dogs and cats? I really don't know. I'm not sure I've heard of such a jump before. Our systems are so different that such a jump isn't common. And, yet, a cat and two dogs have tested positive for COVID-19, assumed to have caught it from their owners.
It feels, and I know that's a bad word, but it's the right word, it feels like this just puts another nail in the coffin of this being a naturally occurring virus. With complete certainty and zero facts, hold on - I'm going full progressive, I'm just going to say that this is now officially a bio-weapon. Oh, sure, DNA studies and all of that already go there, but, come on, China, targeting our dogs and cats? That's just low, and I mean low.
To pile on the good news, some recent studies are saying the CDC and WHO have been wrong all along, yeah, shocker, I know, and that COVID-19 is airborne. Studies of not only the air inside patients' rooms, but in the hallways outside tested positive for the virus. Or, for the virus which causes COVID-19, which is technically the disease. But, you get the gist.
I've always felt this, "Don't worry, it's not airborne," to be a bit disingenuous. Certain viruses which do live in the air, but not for long, are often labeled as "not airborne." What if someone in a crowded airport coughs, the virus goes into the air, and someone else walks by in a minute and breathes it? "Oh, that's most likely them breathing in the droplets of spittle left by the cough." Yeah, whatever, Karen. He breathed, he caught the virus, the virus is airborne.
Trump, in a beautiful fit of political incorrectness, followed Illinois' lead (can you believe it?) and called gun shops, firearms manufacturers, and ammunition manufacturers "essential". This entire "essential/nonessential" authority is pretty suspect to begin with, and completely irrelevant when it comes to Constitutionally protected rights (unless we can call the New York Times and Washington Post non-essential, but then where would the slow movers get their TP?), the government is implicitly accepting the fact that they cannot protect everyone all of the time. We've been through this... recently... everyday. Ask a career cop how many times he's made it to a call in time to save the victim from violence and I'll bet they come up with a number that can be counted on two hands, if they are lucky. Distance = rate x time. The physics simply don't allow anything different. If you haven't bought a clue yet, you have the obligation to protect yourself and your family. The police will help fill out the paperwork after the fact.
So far, the social fabric is holding together remarkably well, I must say. Give yourself a pat on the back. But, we're still on the upwards angle of this thing, quarantines are being extended, and we don't know how long the plateau is going to last. Tis always better to have and not need than need and not have. I've been lazy and been carrying a small .357 magnum revolver when I go out. It's going to hit something very hard five times, but then it's dry. Replaced that with a 20+1 Sig stoked with +P+ 9mm and though I'm wearing the same clothes, I've suddenly become a one man fire team. Need it in the Phoenix suburbs? Probably not, this isn't NYC, but again, better to have and not need....
Good luck out there, people. Stay calm.
