Author of The Blackout Book and the online course Bloom Where You’re Planted
As the world tries frantically to contain a rapidly spreading outbreak of Covid-19, schools, public venues, tourist attractions, and workplaces are being closed in an attempt to keep even more people from contracting the illness. Quarantines and self-isolation protocols are also being instituted across the globe for those who may have been exposed.
Of course, everyone knows that millions of people in China have been in lockdown for more than a month. People are told to stay home, many businesses have ceased to operate, and Chinese New Year celebrations simply didn’t happen this year. China’s debts are all coming due now, at the worst possible time as the financial loss for the country has been astronomical. For example, car sales are down 92% and Lunar New Year celebrations and travel that usually earn a billion dollars were canceled.
And that tourism hit affects far more than just China. In 2017, Chinese outbound tourists spent $258 billion around the world. The airline industry is bracing for a $29 billion dollar hit. All in all, this virus could end up costing the global economy more than 1.1 trillion dollars, a number that is practically unfathomable.
While the numbers cited here are outrageously large, obviously, these losses aren’t only going to affect “the economy” and “the businesses.” They’re going to have devastating effects on normal folks who just want to go to work, pay their bills, and keep living their lives normally.
A great deal has been written about the economic hits on a global scale as well as the shortages we could soon expect as production in China grinds to a halt, but what about simply being able to pay your rent when your workplace or business is ordered to shut its doors?
Something nobody is really talking about is the financial hit that people will be taking during such closures. This is a very real concern, and for families who already live paycheck to paycheck, the loss of income could prove devastating.
How will containment efforts affect average folks financially?
All over the world, cities are frantically attempting to contain the virus.
Yesterday came the news that 10 cities in northern Italy had closed all public venues due to a new cluster of coronavirus patients. The towns, in the Lombardy region, have shuttered restaurants, stores, and schools. Public gatherings like carnival celebrations, church masses, and sporting events have been banned for at least a week. In one town, Casalpusterlengo, an electric sign reads, “Coronavirus: the population is invited to remain indoors as a precaution.” Seventeen people in the region have tested positive for Covid-19, and two have perished there from the illness.
Millions of people in South Korea have been told to stay at home. Preschools have been closed and public gatherings and demonstrations have been banned.
Thousands of people in the United States are under voluntary self-quarantine, not to mention the hundreds who have been repatriated and put into mandatory quarantine. Obviously, unless these folks have jobs to which they can telecommute, they’re not working.
All of these containment measures are certainly wise and in the best interest of peoples’ health. But what about their bank accounts?
Here’s a scenario that’s seeming less and less farfetched.
If you’re the owner of a physical business like a store or restaurant, you’re going to have to shut down under any of the kind of mandates mentioned above. When you’re closed, of course, you’re not making money. It’s the same thing with factories (who will be there to produce the goods?) and offices. Your business will grind to a rapid halt.
And what about employees? Obviously, if you don’t go to work, you’re not going to get paid. And this isn’t just a case of “evil capitalists” who are too stingy to give their employees paid leave. If the business is not running, there is no revenue coming in. That means that even if the business owners were the most generous people alive, they probably couldn’t afford to maintain payrolls for very long.
So how are you going to pay your bills? It’s safe to expect that the mortgage company, the credit card companies, the utility companies, and all those other businesses with their hands out each month are still going to want their money. And their businesses could potentially carry on to some degree, remotely. That stuff isn’t just going to magically disappear. You’re going to owe that money. Even if companies try to work with folks as they did during the most recent government shutdown, the money will still be owed and you’ll still be unpaid for a week, a month, or however long you were out of work.
This doesn’t include the cost of food, medication, general expenses, and medical bills – heaven help you if you do get sick.
What can you do to prepare for this financially?
Here’s where the situation becomes even more difficult.
I strongly, adamantly advise getting prepared for being home for a period of time whether that quarantine is official or self-imposed. I advise also that you get prepared for other ramifications of a potential global pandemic, too. And if you aren’t already pretty well-prepped, that is going to cost money.
That leaves us in a quandary.
Do you save your money for the possibility of being without work or do you spend your money to feed your family while you’re without work? It’s like a choice between the rock or the hard place.
If you have an emergency fund, avoid cracking into it for supplies. This will be your cushion for bills if you go for a period of time without work. If you do not have an emergency fund and you’ve been struggling with a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle, things will be a lot tougher.
Temporarily halt your efforts to pay off debt faster. Pay only the minimum payment for a month or two while we see how this plays out. Put that extra money into your savings account and you can build a small emergency cushion. And if things don’t get bad, you can use it for debt later when things settle down. People always like to say I’m wrong when I suggest that paying off debt isn’t your first priority, but in this situation, keeping your utilities on and a roof over your head is more important than paying some extra interest.
Raise some money. Now’s the time to try and raise a bit of extra money. Do you have anything you can sell for a chunk of change? Is there a possibility of getting a second job temporarily? Put an ad on Craigslist for that exercise bike being used as a clothes-hanger in the basement. Sell a piece of unwanted jewelry. Get rid of the car nobody drives. Use this money for your emergency fund or for supplies. You will have a lot more difficulty selling it after a crisis because then everyone is going to be broke. If you’re going to do it, do it now.
If you’re flat broke, things will be more difficult. This isn’t news to you if you’re in this situation. Please know I’m not judging – I’ve been there, so broke that I literally cried over a gallon of spilled milk because it was a week until payday and I couldn’t afford to get more for my children. But this isn’t about emotional responses – it’s about practicality. If you have only a limited amount of money, you’re going to have to prioritize where you spend it. Your credit is most likely already shot if things are this tight, so don’t worry about that right now. Keep a roof over your head, utilities on, food in the kitchen, and a car in your driveway if your job depends on it. Credit card debt should be the last thing you pay in a situation like this. Go read this article, How to Survive When You Can’t Pay Your Bills, for more detailed information.
Prioritize your supply purchases. While people are frantically buying up N95 masks and PPE, spend your money on the things you need to have on hand during a month or more at home. Sure, I think it’s great to have medical supplies for a possible pandemic, but these measures are to be used if you go out into the germy masses. And your goal should be to avoid doing that. Other reasons you’d need these supplies would be if a family member became ill – you’d want to do your best to avoid contracting the illness yourself while you care for them and you’d want to protect your other family members. The more I learn about this virus though, the less convinced I am that gloves and masks are going to be preventative enough if you’re living in close quarters with an infected person. Look at the rapid rates of transmission aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship for more information on that. While of course, it is best to have both medical supplies and food, if you can only get one type of supply or the other, focus most of your money on food and other essentials – not PPE.
Use some of the money coming in for supplies you need to buy. Think about what you would need if you couldn’t leave your house for a month, two months, etc. (It’s pretty difficult to put a time on something like this. China has had people in some areas locked down for a month with no real end in sight.) Here’s some of the stuff I bought to top up our supplies and be prepared for lockdown. Use my list only as a general guideline – you know what your family needs and it will be different from mine. Be sure to include plenty of nutrients in your supplies – you want your immune system to remain highly functional when you could be at risk of contracting an illness.
At the same time, go for quantity over quality if money is an issue. Get some stuff that is cheap yet filling as the last resort of your pantry. Remember, you want to be able to stay home and not send someone out to be exposed while trying to acquire food. So if that means some peanut butter and crackers or mac and cheese in the back of your pantry, it’s better than getting sick to go out and seek fresh veggies. (And you most likely wouldn’t even be able to find them – expect the supply chain to break down pretty quickly.)
Talk to the people to whom you owe money. Contact utility companies, mortgage companies, banks, credit card companies, etc., and let them know about your situation. Everyone will be in a similar boat and these businesses may have some suggestions for you. Mortgage companies may be able to offer you a month of grace, credit card companies may make arrangements with you, etc. Do this early on and it will help you plan where your money is going to go during the crisis.
Prioritize your bills. You need a place to live (although I doubt they’re going to be running around evicting people during a pandemic, you could lose your house afterward unless you can work something out.). You need to keep your utilities on. You may have some other essential spending, too – this will be very individual. Credit card debt and unsecured loans come dead-last in bill-paying during a crisis like this. Other things that are not essential? Cable, which seems like a great option for whiling away the hours when you’re cooped up in the house, is not a priority. Nobody in your family will die without television although some people may act like they’re going to perish from the very idea of it. Each family member having an operable cell phone? Not a priority. Extreme situations may call for measures that people find less than pleasant. Make these decisions early on. A monthly cable bill of $120 would buy you quite a bit of non-perishable food.
Be frugal. Let’s assume you’re able to work out a deal with the utility companies to pay your overdue bill a month after the crisis has resolved. These aren’t going to be the only bills you are behind on. It would behoove you to be as frugal as possible with utility usage. Don’t leave on every light in the house, don’t crank your heat or air conditioner, and try to keep your bills low so that the amount you pay when things go back to normal isn’t quite as daunting. Trust me, paying 2-3 electric bills at a time will still be a big chunk of money, regardless of how careful you are. Don’t make it worse by acting like you’re in a hotel where you don’t pay for the power used.
Be ready for the long haul.
This is a crisis that could have snowballing repercussions and they could last for a very long time. Hopefully, it gets contained and blows over without affecting us too badly. Hopefully, we get lucky and in a few years, the Covid-19 outbreak warrants the same eye-roll that the 2014 Ebola scare does.
But if it doesn’t – if the scenario described in this article comes to pass – you need to be prepared for a long-haul. You need to be ready for your lifestyle to change fairly dramatically. A loss of more than a trillion dollars from the global economy isn’t something that we’ll bounce back from with “business as usual.”
- Jobs will be cut as businesses struggle to stay afloat.
- Businesses will fail.
- Properties will not sell.
- Shortages of food and other supplies will occur.
- If people are unable to pay back debt, expect a banking crisis that makes 2008 look like a rainy Sunday afternoon.
The same measures taken to contain the virus can cause these economic effects.
…experts like Richard Schabas, Ontario’s former chief medical officer, worry that draconian measures that stoke fear in the population do more harm than good.
“Recessions kill people, in fact will probably kill more people than this virus does,” he told CBC News host Michael Serapio last week…
…”Our world has become so interconnected,” says Jia Wang, deputy director of the University of Alberta’s China Institute.
Wang suggests that the next few weeks will be critical, showing whether the epidemic, with its global economic impact, is moderating or getting worse…
…Fear and government restrictions mean people in China have been staying home, slashing the business of retailers and restaurants. Some reports say property sales are down by more than 80 per cent, affecting a business that represents about one-quarter of China’s gross domestic product.
Wang says that while the country’s giant companies are big enough to outlast the crisis, especially with government help, a significant and dynamic part of China’s economy is based on much smaller businesses that could disappear, leading to lingering economic effects.
“If the quarantines and shutdowns of many cities around China continue for a few more months or even just one month, many of the smaller companies may not survive,” she said.
Wang says there are also worries that the coronavirus and its economic effect will spread outside China. Last Friday, Singapore’s president, Lee Hsien Loong. warned the disease could push that country into recession.
Putting a figure on the global impact is not easy, and estimates of the damage vary widely. Oxford Economics says global growth will fall to 2.3 percent in 2020, the lowest level in more than 10 years and below the IMF’s global recession level. (source)
Currently, it’s impossible to predict how far this will spread and how bad it will be. There’s no way to know how long quarantine and containment measures will be put into place, or even if they’ll be necessary.
But be ready for anything, economically speaking. Covid-19 is the wild card that nobody expected.
About Daisy
Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, globe-trotting blogger who writes about current events, preparedness, frugality, voluntaryism, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, The Organic Prepper. She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site, PreppersDailyNews.com. Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and runs a small digital publishing company. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Wow, I’m not the only person who still uses words like “behooves”!! 🙂
I feel quite fortunate when I read this. I live alone, so I do not have to worry about a loved one becoming ill. OTOH, that means there will be nobody to care for me if I become sick. But I am more prepared than many. I still have 4 or 5 liters of fire cider from last fall’s batch – perhaps I should start another batch brewing now though. I have stocked up on over 1,000 pairs of disposable gloves and many boxes of N95 masks and procedure masks, plus I just received a reusable Cambridge mask. I also stocked up to a probably ludicrous extent on OTC medicines and vitamins, including elderberry, and have enough minor first aid supplies to outfit several Boy Scout camps. 3 Freezers full of meat and veggies (remember, I am a household of one!!) and crammed canning shelves. Right now, nobody is interested in buying frozen turkeys at a discount (believe me, I’ve tried!), but if we start to experience severe food shortages and people cannot get what they need at stores, I can probably earn enough to pay the electric bill by selling off frozen turkeys and whole legs of pork (I snagged 4 of those at 50 cents a pound! A whole leg of pork is a LOT of meat!!) Right now I am working on creating home’made freezer meals – my tendency has been to freeze main courses, but then I get lazy and just heat those, no sides or veggies. So now I have got a pile of divided food prep trays and am making a lot of individual well balanced meals to put in the small fridge freezer – they stack easily and are easy to grab and nuke if I’m not feeling well. I recently purchased an outdoor turkey fryer and a Mr. Buddy, so once I get fuel (next weekend’s to-do list), I should be all set for off grid cooking and heating. Lots of soap and cleansers, personal and household, and many jugs of hygiene water in addition to my barrels of drinking water. I had been working on getting the house ready to sell (a lengthy task), but for now, it might be best to work on transforming a room or two into bedrooms and starting to network with other single older ladies in an effort to find someone who might be compatible and want to house share – one roommate at current rental rates should at least cover the mortgage and heating bill. Two, and I have electricity and water covered too. I’ve blathered – I’m just reviewing things in my mind and seeing where any holes might be, and perhaps musings on what has been stockpiled thus far may be useful to others wondering where to put their funds.
You sound like a wise and prudent person to me.
Yes, good job! Now tell us about the electricity option and water may be helpful too.
This is a very difficult topic to broach. It’s complex because we don’t know if the companies will still be collecting or who’s job will still be working and paying. Companies take people. Foreclosures take people. Process servers, deputies etc. you get the idea. If no ones working then who’s doing all this?
If my job isn’t running then are these?
It took more than the standard 3 months in 07-08 during the crash to foreclose. That would possibly give you a gap to get through a pandemic and back to work.
This thing is only running a 3% death rate on elderly, compromised immune etc primarily. The rest are surviving and back after a short period so that makes a huge difference in it and a killer pandemic.
It’s a good conversation to be having though for sure. I know my retirement is going to take a hit.
It’s not only killing the elderly or immune compromised; notably killed 34 y/o and 29 y/o doctors in China among other young adults. Also, it appears that one can catch this again after getting sick with it and then the second time it’s often fatal.
I’m just curious were the DRs healthy or did they have issues too? I’m not seeing info regarding that.
77,809 coronavirus cases with death toll reaching 2,372 was a few hours ago.
Regular flu : This flu season alone has sickened at least 19 million across the U.S. and led to 10,000 deaths and that’s with a “vaccine”.
I don’t think the case or death numbers are at all accurate. You have to remember that this is China and we only know what they tell us. I don’t think they’d have locked down half the country for only a couple of thousand dead.
I agree the real numbers aren’t out there but really? What’s your number for shutting things down? A few thousand dead is more than enough for me.
IF those numbers are correct and 10,000 died even after having a flu shot then what was the point of having a flu shot to begin with. Also they must think ALL of us are dumb. We were told that the mask and gloves sanitizer etc. was to be kept for the medical workers, ambulance paramedics, and doctors, nurses et. that they didn’t them for protection, yet on the other hand we were told that WE (the general public) should not buy them, hoard them or wear them (Mask and Gloves) etc. b/c they were not going to prevent us from catching this virus. My questions is WHY ARE THEY NOT GOING TO PROTECT US BUT THEY WILL FOR SURE PROTECT ALL MEDICAL PEOPLE????? as if the masks and gloves really do know the difference. PLEASE if they will protect the medical staff at hospitals and in emergency rooms et. they will ALSO protect you and me and my neighbor and their father and all of the rest of us that think we need them. I see on television where MANY people in MANY countries including the USA are wearing masks as well as gloves. GOOD FOR THEM! It just goes to show that not everybody is dumbed down or just plain stupid. There are some like DAISY and many of her readers that still know what is going on and use their common sense and wisdom that they have and do what is necessary especially in a situation like we are all now in. GOOD luck and stay safe from harm…We can do this if we are smart and listen to our guts…
Or did they refuse to listen when they were told to be quiet? The President was correct when he said not to be afraid of the virus, we need to be prepared for is the unhinged rioters, the consequences of shutting down our economy and the impact on our farmers and supply chain from these factors plus natural disasters.
What I can’t figure out is how anyone who doesn’t have a lot of money can afford to stock up on any prescription meds they take. A close family member gets meds(generic) he needs in a 30-day supply; not allowed to get more than that. He checked and discovered it would cost about $700 plus to pay for a single month’s supply on his own(not that he could even afford to do that). What are people in this situation going to do? If people need to shelter in place to stay safe, are we going to force them to visit the drugstore which will be filled with sick people to pick up a prescription? If they are even able to get a supply shipped there from wherever it’s made…… I don’t know what to tell him. I know it makes sense to be ble to at least get a 90 day supply now. Ideas?? Any reputable mail order drug sites that have low prices?
OK. Clarification. He actually can get a 90 day supply(which is better than 30 days) but still not great should we end up with an extended virus outbreak.
Back when I took a prescription medication, I could get a 90 day supply. The mailorder company my insurance required me to use would refill it for me 2 weeks before I ran out of the previous fill. It took a little time (which, admittedly, is in short supply at this point), but I eventually built up a fair amount of extra medication. I’m willing to bet a local pharmacy would be able to do a 90 day refill early for you on most medications.
Not only that but my healthcare provider does not let me renew prescriptions until I’m about 2 weeks from being out of the pills. So they is no stocking up allowed
If you use that 2-week window every time, you can get a little bit ahead 🙂 It will take you a few months but you can sock away at least an extra month or so this way.
Unfortunately his medicine is more than likely made in CHINA. They have threatened the USA that they are going to withhold ALL medicine made there as their pharmacies (that manufacture the drugs) are not operating at this time. MOST of the drugs that AMERICANS use unfortunately are made in CHINA so that may be a problem…I take 1 type of medicine for High Blood Pressure and I am thankfully allowed to get a 90 day supply of it. I did that that insurance paid for minus my co-pay. But then when I found out about this I rushed back to the pharmacy to find out what a 90 day supply would cost me and it was under $50.00 b/c it was generic. SO I paid for that 90 days supply plus I had my other 90 days that the insurance paid for minus my co-pay so I have 180 day supply now to use and that will be 6 months worth. I hope I will be okay. My blood pressure now is only moderately high so if I skip a dose chances are It will not kill me…Knock on wood!!! I hope he’ll manage somehow, and good luck.
Daisy– Yes, if the electric grid, banks, USPO, etc., shut down… or if one’s employer closes down… we’ll all be in the deep end together. That’s when it will pay-off to be prepared. But the impossibility of paying monthly obligations will not negate the fact that they are due. As a society, how will we handle this?
If my reading is correct, the British Parliament suspended contractual obligations in August 1914 at the outbreak of WWI. Not so many people had monthly bills at that time, but if you were buying a hould or other property by making monthly payments, at least you were saved for a month. I don’t know whether the contractual obligations were extended after early September. The banks and stock market closed for several weeks… but that’s how they dealt with payment problems. It’s tough to pay an obligation in Delaware or South Dakota if banks are closed, the electric grid is down, and the USPO is not delivering.
I’m in NZ where we don’t even have a case of CV yet. My area is big onto forestry and logging, and this has ceased due to China ceasing purchases. Someone I know built up a business with logging trucks, and there is a photo in our local paper of his 50 trucks all lined up IDLE. That would include all his drivers, and all the people normally involved in log cutting.
People are avoiding Chinese food.. just because of the link to China I guess.
It’s only just starting.. huge economic impact..
Read article. You just won’t hear about this on TV.
https://news.yahoo.com/dozen-towns-northern-italy-locked-155111378.html
I keep reading that there is no remedy for the viral pneumonia which kills people with 2019nCoV. This is incorrect. I refer you to https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Article/276280-2020-02-04-what-real-medical-scientific-and-clinical-experts-have-to-say.htm . Therein is the fact that colloidal silver administered with a nebulizer can treat pneumonia. Furthermore, silver kills all microbes, including all virus, fungus and bacteria. Silver ions (ionic silver) quickly react with salts in the body and become ineffective, so its important to use a good product with plenty of silver nanoparticles and no contaminates. The vast majority of colloidal silver products are not appropriate for this, because they are really ionic silver or/and contain contaminates. The best page I’ve seen to help someone to identify a good product without a lab is at http://smartcolloidal.com/RealColloidalSilver.html . Bottom line us that a nebulizer and a good/real colloidal silver product is essential for being prepared for nCoV. Nebulizers are already becoming short in supply. The nebulizer without the compressor, including breathing attachment and compressed air tube are still readily available. These can be used with an air brush compressor, inline air filter and flow control valve, adjusted to produce the desired slow mist of colloidal silver (test it with water first). 5 ml of a good colloidal silver product administered several times a day with a nebulizer is reported to be effective against bronchitis and pneumonia, as long as it has not been allowed to become too severe. Its best to begin as soon as symptoms appear. I have multiple experiences with this and it has worked in all of them. Hope this helps more to be prepared and survive if they catch this.
So what if “wolf” has been cried dozens of times by the media if we are prepped up?
This wolf, appears to have a host of other wolves in its train. The best prep is such a case is to be prayed up.
Interesting question to ponder on.
How do you earn money, pay the bills, if your work place is closed for a undetermined period of time?
Would the government pass some kind of law allowing a grace period for everyone? But no incurred fees or interest? That would upset the banking system.
Parts of the economy are going to take a beating.
Might off set the decline in births though.
Jarhead, were you really a jarhead? You use lots of big words for a marine. Seriously though, I do enjoy your posts as they are thoughtful and insightful.
This pending pandemic is not likely to be a world killer. For those like me it is very risky. Getting up there in years and chronic lung disease means I probably won’t survive if I become infected.
I do believe that there are bankers rubbing their hands in glee. It is likely that a lot of properties are going to be foreclosed on. You may have paid 250,000 on a 300,000 mortgage but if you can’t work it just means you were renting it from the bank. They will own it lock, stock and barrel. Heck, they already do until you make the last payment.
There are going to be many cascade events. The law of unforeseen consequences will also be rearing it’s ugly head. What is going to happen in the nursing homes when it hits them, and it will. Hospitals will rapidly fill and staffing shortages will be the rule not the exception.
I forget his name but a Chinese general once said the way to defeat the U.S. would be to strike us in our soft, electronic underbelly. Can you think of a better time to launch a cyber attack then in the midst of a pandemic?
Just a few of my thoughts.
Well, howdy there Me.
Yep, I am a Jarhead (once a Marine, always a Marine). Got the DD214 (honorable) to prove it. I just read a lot.
I have to wonder about the possible foreclosures. All those mortgage back securities would also go bad and we would have the housing crisis (along with a pandemic crisis) of 08′ all over again. A lot of wealth was wiped out. But as you point out, someone out there may see it as an opportunity.
On the flip side, a housing market “correction” might bring housing prices back down allowing more younger people to buy a house . . . IF they still have a job.
Damn Daisy, you ROCK GIRL. I’m contacting my mortgage company Monday and inquire about having my payments taken out electronically,so I don’t miss a payment and lose this house I have worked so hard for. Blessings to you and your family.
Sylvia, likely you already set up auto pay, personally, I pay electronically but I control when the money goes out using electronic bill pay. It is generally better to decide on your own when you want the money to be sent. Usually there is a grace period of up to 15 days so if you are a bit short and pay late, the consequences are minimal. However, if the bank pulls the money when they decide, there are number of problems that could arise for you. E.g. a. you are short and get charged a fee b. you needed to pay something else by the mortgage payment deadline but expect to receive additional money in a day or two but now you pay the other bill late.
Just saying, it is best to be the one who decides when and how your money is spent.
One other thing….I work as a correctional officer in Az. I brought up the subject of this virus and was told not to worry because somewhere they have gloves and masks stored . Oh and by the way,we cannot know if an inmate has the virus because of ‘patient privacy’. This includes a civillian contractor who just returned from China. No one is allowed to ask if she ever got tested.
One of the differences in state and fed corrections is that questions are asked and some but only some info is passed on.
None have an adequate pandemic plan nor supplies.
If you can’t ask them think the worst for your own safety.
https://fox40.com/news/coronavirus/california-tells-7k-people-to-stay-home-because-of-coronavirus/
I’m sure they will just not go to work, school etc (Sarc)
Thanks for the link, Matt – I added this to today’s report.
Wait till this thing hits the homeless population in CA.
I do not understand why none of the news outlets have investigated the air quality issue in Wuhan and its impact on the intensity of disease and death rate as it unfolds.
What if this coronavirus had developed in a city that does not have this many years’ history of filthy air? Would we have noticed? Or we would just have a blip on the radar that a new flu variant had joined our winter party.
If you search for terms “Wuhan” and “air quality” – anyone can pull up many articles from 2016-2019 about the ongoing impact of Wuhan air on health and well being of this otherwise seemingly thriving city. CNN ran an article in July of 2019 that people of Wuhan had recently protested the construction of yet one more garbage burning plant being built.
A few months later, Wuhan is ground zero for a devastating flu effect. If it is worse for those with lung damage, compromised immune systems – the elderly and frail – are perhaps the younger Wuhan adults who have died had the same pre-existing compromised lung and immune issues as the elderly and ill?
Perhaps Italy can show us how the virus affects fresher air populations? (How is the air quality in Italy?) . Am hoping it simply acts like a normal flu that happens to be rapidly spread. Not that flu is fun, it just is manageable.
Am praying especially for those in major cities in India. Have read that some cities there rival Wuhan for large particulate matter daily for years.
Also, it seems that smoking has an effect. Curious to know of any of the statistics are tracking this as a potential link to ability to fight off?
Am glad to be alive today. And experiencing a bit of normal. Savoring the unreal sense of the beauty of “the world as we know it” right now. And am hugging my kids like mad.
Peace be with us all. And good sense. And calm planning and reacting.
I’m very worried about the financial aspect. I would love to buy gold. but just don’t see how we could afford to do it. Where would one go to buy gold coins and how would you know if they were real? You can tell I haven’t any experience with buying gold or silver. Could you do an article on this?
It would be nice if we could all just stay home, but we have to be able to pay the bills. It would not be a good time to be homeless ( not that there is ever a good time to be homeless!) ! My husband has a great boss , but he’s not going to keep an employee who doesn’t come to work “just in Case” someone has a virus to spread. Most people around here think it’s not a problem and some don’t even know what I’m talking about when I mention the coronavirus. I think until there is an official announcement from the authorities 99% of all people who want to keep their jobs and a roof over their heads are going to have to keep working. It’s a sad situation in my opinion. I’m sorry if this has been mentioned somewhere else. I read this the other day and didn’t reread it today. Thanks for the article.
DAISY, what about BANKS? Do you know, have you heard about if they will be staying open or closing????? What about the ATM machines????? Can we still use charge cards or our debit cards?????
What about SOCIAL SECURITY that goes directly into a person’s account every month????? I am over 62 and retired now…I am wondering if this month was the last month that I could drive through and take out the cash that I had from my March deposit from SS…I mean it dawned on me that come APRIL I may not be able to withdraw anything from the bank at all…I usually leave all in there that I need for my lot rent and my cable/internet bill, my elec. bill and my car payment. The money for gas and food I take out in cash, but can you PLEASE PLEASE check on banks for seniors and see if we’re going to be getting out SS next month or in May or June ????? I live in western North Carolina in a more rural area (not close to any big cities)…I bank at a BB and T bank and I really would like to know if I will have to go into my emergency fund or will they stay open? Maybe they will have their employees lock the doors inside so they will have NO personal contact with the general customers, and have people just use the drive thru windows or perhaps they are planning on having them all wear gloves and mask and still allow customers to come inside the bank…At any rate I know and trust your research and would be more than grateful if you can get this info for me. I ask at the bank but the teller said she didn’t know what they would be doing in a week from now much less next month…Oh my this is kinda scary…Seniors have bills just like younger working people and we depend on our SS, without it some will starve or not be able to pay any bills at all, b/c not everyone has money saved up for a rainy day emergency. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I will be looking for either an article on this topic or for your reply here. BLESS YOU and your family, stay safe please, your readers love you!!!
At this point, banks are still open. We do have to realize that at this point, any business could be closed at any time. A lot of banking can be done online. I know many people don’t care for doing their business online but it is by far going to be the best option for the next little while. If you have not set up online banking, I suggest you do this immediately. Then you can pay your bills, check your account balances, etc.
ATMs are currently open. If you can leave in enough money to cover your monthly bills, then take some more money out in cash. I would take out what you can as long as you leave in enough to pay bills. Have some cash on hand in small bills if you can do that.
At this point, it seems like the government intends to continue sending out all payments. If it gets to the unlikely point they aren’t sending out social security payments, we’ve probably reached the point that paying bills is going to be the least of our concerns.