Finding myself drawing a bit more. I'm in quarantine right now, as is the entire state of California. I can't work, thankfully I live with my parents.
It's so surreal, this pandemic. I never imagined I would find myself in such a situation, which was something I only imagined in movies and video games. But never in reality. The world is going mad, the stores in my area lack basic staple foods like rice, beans, flour, etc. There are no masks, and we've been getting mixed messages from the authorities on whether to use them or not. Luckily, I live in an area that isn't dense, so I don't really need one if I'm just walking outside for a workout and staying away from strangers.
Also, luckily I stocked up on all the important supplies (except masks). I warned my mom back in late February/early March to stock up on staple and canned foods. I told her to look at what was happening in Washington, that the people there were panic buying. Now she is thankful that she listened to me.
Everything is shutdown, millions have lost their jobs, and the Big City (Los Angeles) will eventually suffer the same fate as NYC when it comes to new cases and deaths, which is devastating. It's so bad, that it's the 3rd leading cause of death in the US.
Just earlier last month I was out and about, eating out, going to restaurants, pubs, just having a good time. And now my life has changed.
I believe this pandemic has forever changed the world as we know it. When it ends, there won't be a normal to go back to. I think that on a global scale, this will change foreign relations, have more emphasis on domestic self-reliance and less on relying on other countries for manufacturing and trade. Also, many policies will be enacted relating to limiting the spread of pathogens.
Remember 9/11 and how it entirely changed the US? Well this is what the pandemic will do. It's insane that we started off a new decade with a PANDEMIC, and it's been 100 years since the Spanish flu, which killed 17-50 million people.
I don't think this virus will be as bad as the Spanish Flu, since that flu killed even healthy young adults, but it will be pretty bad.
It mostly kills the elderly, the immunocompromised, and the those with preexisting health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, etc... which is actually terrifying once you realize that 40% of Americans have OBESITY. Which means a ton of people will die, which means mass graves. And it currently has a global death rate of 5.4%, with a r0 between 1.5-3.5 (r0 varies according to societal behavior).
Everyday I check online, that numbers are only increasing and getting worse. And we're not ready. It will be at least a year for a vaccine to be readily available, which by then the virus would of killed millions of people and devastated the global economy.
Relating to quarantine, how long are we to be quarantined? Will the world be quarantined for a year? How will be people earn a living? Feed themselves? Will my life plans be postponed? It's rather insane to think that some virus that originated in some Chinese wet market has now caused the entire world to go on pause. I thought "oh, it would probably die out like SARS did, no biggie"...and it didn't.
I hate to be blackpilled, but I have a strong feeling that this pandemic will result in a depression worse than that of the 1930's...
It is really likely that the world as we know it has ended and a new era will emerge.
STAY AT HOME!