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March 28, 2024, 08:41:13 PM

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People who still somehow haven't heard of the coronavirus

Started by Mister Six, March 24, 2020, 06:40:54 PM

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Mister Six

"Excuse me, sir, is something happening? Why are all the restaurants closed?"

This from a 60-something woman as I walked the dog at around 11pm yesterday. She was missing a few teeth, but seemed compos mentis and well-dressed. And apparently living, as I do, in the quite densely-packed, typically rather busy Upper East Side in Manhattan.

For context, it's been:

  • two months and three weeks since the virus was confirmed by Chinese authorities
  • two months since the virus spread outside China
  • two months since it was found in the US
  • one month and three weeks since the WHO declared a global emergency
  • one month and two weeks since the famous Diamond Princess cruise liner debacle, which involved Americans
  • three weeks since the first reported US death
  • two weeks since New York declared a state of emergency
  • one week and a half since Trump declared a national emergency
  • one week since every mobile phone in New York blurted out an emergency warning about coronavirus
  • one week since you looked at me, threw your arms in the air and said "You're crazy"

How does this happen? Have you encountered someone clueless about this phenomenal imbroglio? Are we all just too reliant on technology to get the word out, or is it unreasonable not to expect someone to have picked up on the whole situation by now?

(For the record, I gave her a brief summary of the story so far, explained the concept of social distancing, advised her on washing her hands for 20 seconds and not touching much in public where possible, advised she call the CDC for more info, and ran off with her purse.)



Icehaven

The woman upstairs from my Mum either hasn't heard of it or simply thinks it doesn't apply to her, as until the last few days when my Mum (who's 82) finally stopped letting them in she was still sending her small kids down to "visit" her (free childcare for an hour or two). She was apparently also still planning to take them to school every day at lunchtime to get a meal, but I don't know if that'll still be happening with yesterday's announcement, but if it isn't she'll probably just take them round to a friend's or something. Thick as fuck.

Nowhere Man

Poor sad crazy woman, she probably doesn't know which way is up anymore. She probably thinks it's still 1962.

Mister Six


timebug

My mate Colin, is notorious for being completely oblivious to the current news on anything. So it was no great surprise when he emailed last week and asked me if I had heard of this 'virus thing,that's supposed to be very dangerous'?
(Colin is forty eight years old)

Vaguely related, a mate broke the news of Brexit to a guy in a pub a year after the referendum. Was utterly furious about it.