oldsalt Loc: Holland Pa

As a baby boomer I grew up during the cold war. In grade school we participated in “duck & cover” air raid drills. We crawled under our wooden desks to protect us against nuclear blast – yeah really. Parents talked about building bomb shelters. I was born into this reality, so it was my normal, I didn’t lay awake at night fearful that the end coming.

But now – CV – is a real game changer.

Sobering thoughts
The pandemic won’t end until enough of the population is immune to the disease (at least 60 percent, experts say) either by surviving it and becoming immune, which may or may not happen – or through a yet to be made vaccination - still a year away.

Overwhelmed hospitals will be making critical decisions – who gets the life saving resources and who doesn’t. For anyone infected, survival could be in question.

Not to get political, but with over 85,000 CV cases in our country now, the message from the White House is to minimize the pandemic – contradicting their own experts – and failing to mobilize all available assets. That’s a problem.

OK – I admit I am now spooked.
I maintain physical distance from others.
I handle incoming mail with pliers & let it sit for days before opening.
I shop once a week for food wearing an N-95 mask, safety glasses, ball cap and gloves – all discarded to my garage and left untouched for a week - until the next shopping trip. (wife thinks I look ridiculous – I don’t care)
Food & it’s packaging are washed or discarded immediately, excessive hand washing during & after.
I carry hand sanitizer and use it any time I touch something that’s been touched by someone else.

As a senior, I am doing everything possible to protect myself and anyone I come into contact with. This should be the new normal for everyone.

Larry M Loc: North Clairmount, San Diego

Morning Old Salt,
I remember the build a bomb shelter ads.
Do you remember some people saying "better red then dead?"
When I was in the Navy we had a brace yourself for the nuclear blast wave drill once on the destroyer that I was on.

kpt Loc: texas

I hear u Oldsalt. I am a senior too and have been reacting the same way. What pisses me off is that most of these young people who think that their invincible and are out doing everything the gov. has told them not to do ! Well now we have found out that the largest growing population of carriers of the virus in people 18 to 30 ! And a 17 year old kid who had no health issues at all has died. Bet that woke their young ass up real quick ! Well everyone out their stay safe and be carefull ! Also God bless us all, we are going to need it !

JimRed Loc: Coastal New Jersey, Belmar area

"Overwhelmed hospitals will be making critical decisions – who gets the life saving resources and who doesn’t."

Under government administered socialized medicine, those decisions would be made by partisan bureaucrats, even when not overwhelmed. Let your voting be guided accordingly.

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

Most will not learn until it hits someone close to them unfortunately.

JimRed Loc: Coastal New Jersey, Belmar area

"When I was in the Navy we had a brace yourself for the nuclear blast wave drill once on the destroyer that I was on."

My ship conducted drills for washing down to remove nuclear fallout.

Larry M Loc: North Clairmount, San Diego

We had the same drill.
DD871.

JimRed Loc: Coastal New Jersey, Belmar area

Must'a been interesting bouncing around in that Tin Can, guy! USS Vulcan, AR-5
A 530 foot floating machine shop/fix anything facility with four 5" guns to make it a warship...but they let me drive!

JustRight Loc: Hernando, FL

Ha,ha! I had not thought about the “duck and cover” drills for over half a century. But, I do remember while hunkering under those wooden desks, wondering a couple things: “Will this desk protect me from the flying glass of those tall windows, will I actually see the fireball coming, and will that fat kid in the back ever get under the desk before the blast gets here?” And then the black & white films of what the ”A-Bomb” does to trees, tanks, and barracks didn’t allay any fears; similar to most of the misaligned “news” we are delivered today. Ya’ll stay safe out there.

Larry M Loc: North Clairmount, San Diego

I was a radioman, we went through a hurricane once. I took a message up to the bridge once during the storm. The seas were pretty high and we plowed through a wave and the water came up to the bridge. I had never seen anything like that before.
The radio room was on the top of the superstructure, nothing like being bounced around trying to send and receive messages.

kvothe Loc: West Deptford new jersey, but the salt calls

Was on a carrier for 4 years, used to feel sorry for the little guys around us . Was pn a headboat a few weeks ago and went thry " a few hours of nasty shit" as the captain put it. I now know how those men felt, lost my cooler and fish over board comng back to boot , deathly sick as well. Funny thing os, I only regret losing the fish, getting sick was secondary

Gordon Loc: Charleston South Carolina

And my 46 year old stepson is having a pool party next door as I read this post. At least 8 people over there. Told him to stay away from my house.

Larry M Loc: North Clairmount, San Diego

It's a shame but we all have to be careful.

EasternOZ Loc: Kansas City Metro

Don't blame you a bit.

Sure hope none of them get sick.

DUMMIES

USAF Major Loc: Sea Bright, NJ

My best buddy was a radioman on the DD 721 William Rush out of Charleston. Got caught in a huge storm and they were escorting a Midway class carrier across the Atlantic. He says he distinctly recalls seeing all four screws on the carrier out of the water at one time. Must have been one hell of a storm especially on a tin can!