Living Well Coronavirus killed common sense yesterday.
I sat agape as I watched TV in disbelief. A Georgia resident and retiree, Clay Bentley, said he went to the hospital after feeling sick. The only thing the staff there asked him was if he'd been out of the country. He hadn't... and so, in spite of having the signs and symptoms of the coronavirus, they sent him home.
Then he got worse. "You all sent me home to die," he told the hospital staff. Once readmitted, they finally tested him for COVID-19. And he had it, along with double pneumonia.
Here's the worst part: They missed the fact that Clay's wife is a flight attendant. Though she doesn't fly out of the country, airplanes are flying petri dishes. Chances are very high that she got it from a passenger and passed it on to Clay.
This kind of oversight kills me. But that's why at Retirement Millionaire, I've tried for decades to empower people to take control of their wealth and their health.
I'm predicting that with this kind of stupidity, this virus will quickly infect 50% of Americans in the next four weeks.
And that's going to be the hardest part... this will happen quickly. The bad news is that we trusted the government to properly prepare. I've read that there is only a one-day supply of the N95 masks needed for health care workers. The speed of this virus's spread will overwhelm hospitals and ICU resources. Folks will die because there isn't room in the hospitals.
That's an alarming message, I know. But despite that... I don't want you to panic.
I want to empower you again to remember your common sense and arm yourself with information. That's why I wrote this simple guide to COVID-19.
I want you to read it and share it with everyone you know. It could save your life or the life of a loved one.
As a bonus, in the interest of public health and common sense, we've put together the definitive report on the outbreak. And we're not just making it available to my paid subscribers, but to all Health & Wealth Bulletin readers.
Keep an eye on our website. Later tonight, we'll be posting our full special report, Doc Eifrig's Coronavirus Care Kit, on www.healthandwealthbulletin.com.
But in today's Health & Wealth Bulletin, I really want to stress the concept of social distancing...
The real problem is that the United States doesn't have enough health care resources to give proper care to everyone if folks all get sick at the same time. With the exponential rate of infections we're seeing, this could get ugly quickly. And to me, this looks to be starting already – mainly because government leaders have once again claimed to be testing when in fact, they didn't have tests.
So people didn't know they actually had coronavirus until they'd spread it around to many others. By the time someone in their group actually got a test that was positive, they had already spread it to dozens – if not hundreds – of people. Leaders also allowed health care workers treating quarantined patients to work without proper precautions or personal protective equipment (PPE).
The only way to change that is by YOU and ME shutting down our normal routines for a while to slow the spread of this new virus...
Do what I do and plan to not travel anywhere for a few weeks. I've slowly stocked up on staples like soups, beans, nuts, root vegetables, and cheeses. I will probably not go out to public places for the next few weeks either. Researchers now call this "social distancing," and it makes a lot of sense from a scientific point of view.
Speaking of banning... Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced on ban on travel to the U.S. from some European countries. Don't be surprised if he comes back on TV in a week, after the number of U.S. infections have suddenly jumped to 150,000, and declares even more bans on schools, gatherings, air travel, and possibly public transportation. Some form of martial law would be next.
I realize that a lot of folks are worried. My research team tells me they've seen empty store shelves as people panic-buy. And yes, it's likely that within two months, most Americans will currently have or will have had the virus. Hopefully, this will be a seasonal virus. That means it should burn out as the weather warms and won't mutate much.
Meanwhile, taking simple common-sense measures will make a big difference. As with most illnesses, prevention is key. That includes washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, not sharing utensils, and covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough.
And if you or someone you know is ill, stay home and stay isolated.
This situation is constantly changing. And some of the headlines out there might make you fearful. But my team of researchers and I are monitoring every change. We're wading through the muck of information – and disinformation – out there so you don't have to. We'll keep you updated as we continue to learn more about the coronavirus and the best ways to combat it. So keep your eyes on your inbox.
If you're not already a Health & Wealth Bulletin subscriber, you can sign up for free right here.
As longtime readers know, we read every e-mail you send us. Please keep writing in with your questions and concerns... [email protected].
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
March 12, 2020