What is the Corona Virus?

 Back in January we started hearing about a virus called the Corona Virus. The 1st few cases were in China and lots of people were getting sick and dying. In China there was a doctor who tried to "warn" his fellow citizen's about this virus and his government told him to be quiet.  A few weeks later he died from the virus himself.

We now know that the Corona Virus has actually been around since the 1960's. However the virus has mutated and we now have what is called the COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2.  The symptoms of this new virus is very similar to the flu/cold; fever, cough difficulty breathing.  This virus seems to be effecting the elderly and those with a compromised immune system. Some people recover, some people don't and die. What has everyone going crazy is that it is highly contagious and spreading super fast.  

This virus soon spread from China to Europe and then many other countries. Countries soon started closing their borders NOT allowing anyone in. 

The end of January the virus had made it's way to the United States. 

We were told that the incubation period (the time you contract the virus and when your symptoms start) can be 2-14 days.  The virus is transmitted through close contact or droplets like from a sneeze. Nasty! A person is more contagious when having the symptoms. And so we are being told to "wash your hands with soap and don't touch your face!" Shouldn't be that difficult, right? 

Mid February people started to panic. I'm still not sure what specifically caused it. But stores were selling out of toilet paper and water bottles. Why? This is a respiratory illness not the upset stomach, diarrhea sickness. Why the need for hoarding toilet paper? I wasn't too worried. We buy our toilet paper from Costco and we had just opened our last package the beginning of January. Surely this will pass...

Then the end of Feb/beginning of March Italy was forced into self isolation. People were NOT allowed out of their homes. People were dying by the dozens in their country. Trying to slow the virus down only people that worked in the medical field and grocery stores were allowed to leave for work. Everyone else was being asked to work from home or not work at all. Schools, library, the malls everything was shut down. Oh wow! This might be more serious than us common folk thought. 

This is our local Wal Mart. Not a case of water bottles or toilet paper in sight.  People are also starting to stock up on the basics. Rice, beans, flour, sugar and things like that. We get so many of our products form over seas I think people are getting worried that one day toilet paper and such will be hard to come by. 

I am NOT panicking. I am NOT scared. We still have several rolls of toilet paper, we have water bottles but most importantly we have running water. This virus does not compromise our running water. We also have a nice supply of food storage. My little family will be O.K  I'll admit it is crazy to see empty shelves at the grocery stores.