3-20-20 - Rethinking the Plan

Kyle finally posted on FaceBook that we arrived safely to Antigua are settling into our new temporary home for the unforeseeable future. 

This morning Kyle receives an urgent FaceBook message from his cousin in New York. He points out that Antigua’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism and with tourism shutting down, there is the real possibility of civil unrest.  Without the kind of the bailout money the US has, he pondered there may be food shortages.  He urges us to consider returning to Los Angeles.

Anything can happen anywhere but the message does make Kyle and Leanne revisit the decision once again.  Anytime you wrestle with making a tough decision, there is a natural tendency to second guess onself,. We will only know in hindsight if it was the right decision or not.

First of all, we do now look at the world in a different sense. For minor illnesses amongst the seven of us, we have collectively successfully accessed the health care systems in Japan, China (Tibet), Myanmar, Croatia, UK and Colombia. While we used to think that the U.S. healthcare system was the “end all be all”, we have since widened that lense. In our initial conversations with Antiguans, we learn that many grow food in backyard gardens and do not exclusively rely on stores, oftentimes sharing their extra fruit with neighbors.

The fact also remains that our house is rented out through June so we have nowhere to go whereas we have this sweet house right here.  The supermarket shelves are empty back home while they are stocked with food here.  Manhattan Beach has 5 times more reported cases than Antigua.  California residents have already been ordered to stay inside by the Governor. 

In the end, we deem the probability and risk of going back into the US which is on the verge of a Coronavirus explosion that could overwhelm their healthcare system and getting the Coronavirus on the way is higher than our risks here sitting on a cove in Antigua. 

It’s March 20th and the number of worldwide cases has passed the quarter million mark with 275K and the US having gone from 13K cases yesterday to 19K today.  The governors of New York, Illinois and Connecticut joined California and Pennsylvania in shutting down non-essential and ordering residents indoors resulting in ¼ of Americans being quarantined at home.  Hospital are starting to burn through supplies of masks and gloves.  

Despite this, Trump says he doesn’t think a national lockdown will be necessary.  Maybe Trump is trying to protect and reassure the stock market which is currently in a precipitous free fall. 

The US Department of State is coming under pressure as thousands of US Citizens are stranded abroad in countries like Colombia, Peru and Morocco with very little information or very expensive flight options.  Celebrities such as Andy Cohen, Kevin Durant and Tom Hanks have all tested positive. 

Dr Anthony Fauci, the US’ top infectious disease doctor and member of the White House Coronavirus task force, is becoming a celebrity and the go to source for perspective on all things Coronavirus. Today, he says that it will be very difficult to predict when the stay-at-home orders will end.  “Really?  I could have told you that.  Does that me a leading expert on the virus as well?” Kyle asks rhetorically.

Fauci also throws cold water on Trump’s touting that the malaria drug Hydrocholorquine will save the US from the Coronavirus saying there is only anecdotal evidence that it’s an effective treatment and not to count on it.  Despite this, Kyle runs to the suitcase to check our anti-malaria medicine only to find it’s a different type.

On the positive news developments, liquor stores were deemed “essential” businesses under New York’s statewide executive order.  Grey’s Anatomy TV Show rides to the rescue donating medical supplies.

And you know the world is nearing an end when the National Spelling Bee is called off. Yes, the news is coming faster and more furious and getting worse.

Kyle responds to his cousin with our logic and analysis but it does get Leanne thinking. “Maybe we should do another run to the food store,” she says.  Yeah, makes sense, thinks Kyle. 

So the balance of the afternoon is spent buy enough ramen noodles, rice and beans and pasta to last us through the Zombie Apocalypse which we now know is well on its way.