Consequences!

14 Apr 20
“Inside its shell, the three of them went about their early evening routine, like microbes trapped in the intestine of a monster.”
Stephen King
Consequences!
1. Residential burglaries are spiking, and a high percentage are occurring when residents are home!
Most burglars will not break-into a home they believe to be occupied, at least until recently. Now, finding an unoccupied residence is difficult, so desperate burglary suspects are throwing caution to the wind and breaking into homes almost at random.
Meanwhile, state governors are emptying prisons, and all these newly-freed inmates, many of them extremely violent, are predictably “making a living” the only way they ever have!
Homeowners confronting violent burglary suspects, while in their own home, is becoming a common occurrence!
Electronic security, good locks, good lighting, arms are all highly recommended!
2. Cabin fever! After six weeks of being cooped-up and mostly idle in their own homes, cautiously emerging only long enough to get groceries, people are becoming restless and impatient, disputatious!
“Domestic dispute” calls are spiking, as even family members, not accustomed to being herded together into a small space more or less continuously, wax irritable!
3. Loud, sometimes violent, arguments are now common at local retailers. Heated quarrels over “social distancing,” masks often require a police response!
4. Unemployed doctors. Scheduled surgeries, many not “elective,” are being postponed indefinitely, because hospitals cannot accommodate them. Thus, many orthopods, hand surgeons, OB surgeons, et al are out of work!
My doctor students are are all telling me:
Don’t get sick and don’t get hurt!
When you don’t have Covid19, going to a hospital is very dangerous!

We’re hearing from some quarters that the worst is over. I hope they’re right.
But, I think it is safe to say that things will not “get back to normal” all at once!
It may take months!
Right now, most people have enough to eat, the power is on, someone still picks-up the trash, and toilets still flush.
When any of that changes, all predictions, including mine, are pure speculation!
/John