It’s fortunate that Wuhan is the major supplier of only a few drugs, most of which are not important in the USA, or are retail drugs with a vast supply chain. Because Wuhan was out of action long enough that people noticed.
Oh, also, it looks like this time the wet markets in China will never reopen.
They’ve been illegal awhile already, right? Why expect good behavior now? Are enough un-bribed cops and officials in the vicinity?
I look forward to being Legend.
They were closed during SARS, but only temporarily. The Hubai wet market at the epicentre wasn’t illegal.
Here is an unanticipated consequence I don’t think was mentioned previously and which I saw on a late-night chat show; monkeys in Thailand stampeding. The explanation was that normally they’re fed bananas by tourists, but with no tourists, there are no free bananas.
Some of the wild species being sold however are illegal.
In answer to RioRico’s question though, there’s illegal and there’s illegal in China.
While most people know there are certain rules they can bend, or even flout, once the government says “Thou shalt not…” people get in line, fast.
It’s still the same government as Tiananmen, and an individual’s life means nothing. And in terms of coronavirus, there have been a lot of these triple-underlined decrees.
Or at least: I would feel as comfortable selling pangolin skins now as cocaine. Maybe to some people the risk will be worth it, but not to most.
The history of the wet markets, and why trading in wild meat has been tolerated up to now, is interesting though. Wild meat became popular following the famine of the early 60s for obvious reasons. In the modern era though, as downmarket as they may look, apparently most of the customers are wealthy members of the ruling class buying the meat for its supposed medicinal benefits (ironically). This time though for sure the consequences have been so severe that it will all but disappear.
Isn’t that how they keep getting new Tupak albums?
Perhaps that’s a good thing for the endangered species that have been trafficked?
Hell yeah. Good for animal welfare too (and by “good” I just mean: one very cruel practice may become less common but may be replaced by something only marginally less cruel :()
Net streaming services will get a boost in membership.
We’ll leave bats the fuck alone.
As travel and production diminish air quality in large cities will improve.
At its worst 200 million people catch the virus and a million+ people die. That will make a dent in the social security liability.
If our health care system gets overwhelmed, that death toll could be 10 times that.
This is also assuming that our health care system doesn’t get overwhelmed. if hospitals get swamped because we fail to flatten the curve, then the death toll could be several times higher.
I see many suggestions of anticipated consequences but few of those unanticipated. The rise of the frogs. Psychotic crop circles. Antidotes sprayed from helicopters over populated areas causing clothing to dissolve. Artistic beauty created by intelligent fungi. A trumpet fad. Disappearance of marshmallows from marketplaces. Squirrel shortage.
C’mon, let’s have some brainstorming. What’s the next unlikely teenage craze?
The tourist-fed monkeys in Thailand will rise up in revolt.
Already mentioned by me.
It didn’t happen to be the police chief that was forced to walk homein his underwear?
https://www.newsweek.com/fired-police-chief-walked-home-underwear-1488313
I just hope it blows in a month or two and there aren’t continued buying panics and shortages. And sure hope people don’t start panic buying fuel leading to gas shortages because that would truly suck.
well I knew I read it somewhere.
the Saudi’s are dumping oil on the market. Panic all you want.