About That Coronavirus…

The US Govt. via Ready.gov is advising Americans to store 2 weeks of food and water in case this Coronavirus outbreak turns into a full blown pandemic. They also advise that everyone stock up on their prescription medications, over the counter medications, vitamins, etc. and other common sense provisions. Gee, why didn’t I think of that! Note: this is pretty much what Ready.gov says Americans should always do, but few actually listen.

First rule in any crisis; don’t panic. Yes, this could be very serious, but be aware that the media has quite a history of blowing EVERYTHING out of proportion. Should you have at least 2 weeks of supplies, of course you should, and if you don’t then you need to get busy now. Local news this morning is reporting a shortage of face-masks in our area, so it appears some panic buying is already taking place. The time to prepare is BEFORE something bad happens, but some preparation is better than nothing.

That stock market panic. What to do; the markets are tanking on the potential damage to world commerce that the Coronavirus outbreak could cause. Yes, that is a logical fear, however, if you sell stock or dump your 401K now you simply lock in a loss that is likely temporary. On the other hand, if this is THE pandemic that wipes out half the population, the status of your stock portfolio will likely be the least of your worries.

OPSEC If you are stocked up and prepared to hunker down; if you have stocked up on food, water and medical supplies or have a secure bug out location, now is certainly not the time to brag about it. Desperate people do desperate things; do not attract attention to yourself or your family.

OK, so a couple of final tips: