Coronavirus spreads. But don't panic! (topical thread)

[Cavebear]

On a pro rata comparison with the US daily death rate, Australia
would be currently experiencing a daily death rate of 270 people.

Whereas we've had no new deaths for nearly 7 weeks now.

I readily recall the public anger and anguish after those 2,974
people lost their lives during the WTC attacks.  Where is that
outrage now?  Why has the American population become inured
and/or apathetic to the outrageous COVID-19 death numbers?

And why is their collective society allowing the tyrant Trump to
totally ignore this national catastrophe, and largely needless loss
of human life?

Please don't cite your outdated Constitution—cobbled together by
men who had not the faintest concept of something like the
machinations of COVID-19 nearly 250 years ago.  I've said it
before, and I'll keep on saying it:  America MUST rewrite its
Constitution in 21st century terms if it wants to survive until the
22nd century.     Remember the fall of Rome.

Human nature, and not mostly, in this case, anything particular to Americans, I'm pretty sure.

9/11 was a discrete, sudden, violent, undeniable outlier event.

The pandemic is of a much more pervasive, longer, slower growing, ongoing nature. People adjust, they overload, they ignore it to manage anxiety and fear and dread. It's a management / coping strategy. Also, scientific studies in the past have shown that people are engaged by smaller, relatable events. When the scale is enormous -- the pandemic, the genocide in Rwanda some years back, etc -- people vapor lock and it isn't real to them.

Most particularly this is true of people who were doing relatively well. I am debt free, have savings, am still working full time at good pay, and can afford to not leave my house, have everything delivered, buy plenty of PPE and so forth. It would be the easiest thing in the world for me to say, well, I don't know anyone in my neighborhood or job that has died or even fallen sick. So ... there's no sense of urgency. If, that is, I have zero empathy and pay zero attention to the suffering of my fellow man.

Something that might or might not be more specific to Americans is the prevalence of the rugged individualist / Protestant work ethic mindset, where one believes diligence is rewarded and sloth punished. If you think you're better off because of your sterling character and genius, rather than understanding that it's largely dumb luck, then you might even take some smug satisfaction in the suffering of others, shrug it off, and move on.

Contrast my family's situation with the checkout clerk at the local grocer. The store doesn't provide her with PPE. She can't afford to buy her own on $10/hr. My wife gave her several of our masks when she noticed the ragged, filthy, uncomfortable thing the clerk was wearing. As far as I know my wife was the first person in months to notice, much less do something about it. One of the reasons I'm delighted to be married to her!

So I think this is mostly a matter of people being shitty by default, rather than Americans specifically. Although dog knows we have many of our own particular shittinesses, this isn't one of them, except when it goes to the level of denialism, advocacy of herd immunity, etc. Such attitudes on the far right DO seem more specifically 'Murican.

Outstanding post.  I am in much the same situation.  I'm single, retired and cautious about going to stores.  I don't personally know a single person who has died from Covid19.

So, in a way, that makes me more concerned about others.  I can't do anything about Covid19, but I can do other things.  I keep a battery pack in the car and have helped a couple of people get their cars running again.  I am more alert to others having troubles.  If someone just seems "down", I ask if I can help (from a respectful distance).  

This whole thing has made me look for others in trouble.  I don't mean to sound all great or anything because I'm not, but I have become more watchful the past months.  It isn't that hard.  You keep your eyes and ears open to people in need. Sometimes you just push that button on the card-reader machine in a store and hit "yes".  I can afford it.

I bought a new car last June.  I could have traded it in for money or sold it.  I donated it to place that teaches people car repair and then gives them to needy families.  It just seemed right.

I think we all have to step up a bit.  The troubles aren't all Covid.  People need help for lots of reasons.  But it is good reason to start helping more than usual.