I wanted to take some time and mention that Ham Radio is a great way to spend time at home and isolated. I unfortunately am one of those essential workers since I work for the Metropolitan Transportation Agency so my days are no different (Besides there being no traffic on the roads) I do keep busy though with hobbies kids and an understanding wife.

While we are in the early parts of this pandemic the state of California seems to be doing all the right things. They brought the USNS Mercy Hospital Ship to Los Angeles. To put the size and scope of that ship into view look at it this way. Los Angeles is the 2nd largest city in the country. The Mercy has 1000 hospital beds, this ship effectively increases the amount of available beds in Los Angeles by 33%. Based on some of the numbers I have seen this will be needed.

I live in Riverside County which when I last checked has a population of around 2 million people. The population has doubled since 1990 (Which sucks since I have lived here most of my life except for 5 years in the Navy and 5 Years in Washington State with Union Pacific) but I digress. We currently have 185 cases of the Wuhan Chinese Covid Virus. They put out a report that by May 1st there will be 50,000 cases. This sounds like a lot but it is also a figure of extended testing. The scary part is the deaths 1,000 people could die, young, old it doesn't seem to matter. So what to do? Stay at home, don't hoard (The tap water is not going to spew out Wuhan at you so stop buying bottled water) you won't need any more toilet paper then you already have. BTW the N95 masks do nothing for the healthy the virus fits into that 5% it does not filter so leave those for the people that are sick (It will keep the cough and sneezes trapped in the mask).

Daniel