Google surgical masks. Google hand sanitizer. All the top responses will return the word shortage. It’s ironic that the culture that invented brunch and sharing food as a trend rather than necessity or cultural quirk is now so concerned with hygiene. Better late than never? Who knows? We won’t truly know how serious all this is until the final death toll is counted. There are mixed messages. There are too many messages and not enough information. Or maybe there is enough information but it’s buried in hysteria. It will be impossible to exhume the truth from the bullshit landfill.

I work in live events. There is a steady stream of chatter in the office about COVID-19, or the Wuhan Virus, or Corona virus or whatever you want to call it. Half of us have already had conversations with clients and potential clients about how it will impact our plans moving forward. Yesterday saw the first requests for cancellations and refunds. It’s hard not to be frustrated when you don’t know how well-founded the fears are and it’s already digging into your pockets. The topic has already grown wearisome and it’s all really just begun. It may die down as quickly (no pun intended) but for today it’s all as in-your-face as the scarce masks themselves.

I did see a young couple (presumption is that they’re young because their faces were obscured) yesterday wearing matching black cloth masks with some fashionable design on the fronts. They were standing on the pole, with their masked faces pressed close, looking otherwise trendy, but looking like twats from the neck up. Oops! Did I say that? Yes, it’s already frustrating. Their unprotected hands were all over that filthy pole though. Hmmm. There are a lot of masks on the train lately, and for the first time it’s not Asian immigrants who have been sporting surgical masks on their commute for years. The suspicious glances and neck snaps at the sound of sneezes and coughs have increased. I sneezed into my scarf last night on the train and the young woman next to me nearly jumped out of her skin. The crowds on the train were pretty sparse yesterday too. It looked like a holiday commute.

Xenophobes are gleeful I’m sure at the calls to close borders and cancel flights from this country or that. Racists are certainly taking it all in and feeling validated. We’ll see how long this goes on before the latent xenophobia and racism amongst the more ‘liberal’ citizens oozes out. I’m falling back on the Camus quote about not siding with the pestilences. Racism is definitely a more lethal pestilence than any virus that springs forth randomly from the vapors. Fear is the more deadly contagion. We are all already impacted.

I don’t want to have these conversations with clients about our company’s decision to move forward as if nothing was happening. It really comes down to this. Rent still has to be paid. The lights have to stay on. Everyone needs to shut up unless they’re willing to suspend the bills and wipe the slates clean until the whole thing is over. It’s a no-brainer until then. It’s all just talk. I will indulge your fear if you are willing to pay my rent.

Deal?

I don’t know. I suspect there is more hype than substance. I’ve a hunch that one day there will be a greater existential threat, but that this is not it. Maybe this is practice. Maybe this is a test. So far there are a lot of people failing.