[Cue Panic Music]

The world, or at least the world as framed through national media in the United States, is gripped by panic.

Mad maybe panic isn’t the right word. Others come to mind: Hysteria. Opportunism. Whataboutism and Itoldyousoitis.

All linked to coronavirus, of course, that little itty-bitty not-quite-alive thing that, while serious from a health standpoint, has been exploded to Gaussian proporitions

And toilet paper. Lots and lots of toilet paper being bought and hoarded because the general public must be found to be DOING SOMETHING to address the panic.

Cue the music:



Of course, the best way to battle coronavirus – the best way to be found to be DOING SOMETHING – is to wash hands, to stay home if you’re sick, and to watch those in vulnerable populations for any sign of illness or complication. You know, the standard advice for any illness, SCARY CORONAVIRUS or not.

So amid all the calm advice, the panic, and the MOAR TOILET PAPER blips out there, there is, of course, increased ridiculousness.

Slate.com wants you to watch a Hollywoodized version of events, namely 2011’s “Contagion,” which of course will lead into the inevitable politicizing of the virus: Trump can’t handle it while Obama or a boatload of babies could clearly do better.

The Atlantic suggests combating coronavirus with money. Not money for research, or medical equipment. Just money. Free money to everyone.

They also suggest cancelling everything.

Everything?

Everything.

Twitter was ablaze with fury at the Trumps: At Meliana for posing for pictures in a hard had ostensibly supervising the construction of a tennis complex at the White House, because ALL CONTSTRUCTION AND RECREATION BY ANYONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BAD ORANGE MAN must STOP and all must instead board a helicopter to frown at areas of the nation impacted by coronavirus. And Trump himself must not golf at a time like this, particularly when the Democrats are pulling all of their pet programs out of mothballs and spray-paining CORONAVIRUS FIX on them because, hey, they can’t hoard toilet paper so must be seen as DOING SOMETHING by those who are looking inside the beltway for answers.

Looking inside the beltway for answers is akin to going to the bus terminal at 2 am and expecting to see normal things there.

I’m not even going to look at what Russia Today has to say on the topic, because HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

At least Buzzfeed, of all places, is offering statistics rather than scaremongering, at least at this link.

Do I have my head in the sand?

Maybe a tiny bit. But I did get my flu shot this year. The CDC says of 6.4 million US residents sick with the flu between October and the end of 2019, about 55,000 were hospitalized and 2,900 died. That’s not in the news. But it’s not new and scary and making people buy MOAR TOILET PAPER, so, you know.

Maybe this coronavirus strain will be as scary as it sounds. But I’m tired of the hype.*

Total US deaths as of today: 26.

What’s the best thing we could do?

Well, wind the clock back 20 or 30 years or so and figure out who thought a demanding 24-hour news cycle was a good thing.

Or turn off the TV and wander away from the Internet.

Not that we need a news blackout. But one small, informative dose daily. Or only when events warrant. The constant yammering is harmful to mental health.

And get that cone off your head.

*This will be ironic in a year if I’m dead of coronavirus, but I’m not counting on it.