EPIDEMICS NOT FOREIGN TO KEY WEST

Key West may be small. Key West may sit out in the Atlantic as the southernmost point in the United States. Until it became a tourist mecca, few visited Key West.

Key West has had is share of epidemics. Some pretty bad. Others, a mere touch.

Yellow fever the big winner. The most epidemics over the years. Infected many, killed many.

Other epidemics included smallpox, cholera, chagres fever, dengue fever, leprosy, and influenza.

And now coronavirus. Though no reported cases yet, it has to be here. A tourist community, cruise ships, airlines, and spring breakers. Inevitable!

There has only been one reported case in the Keys. The upper Keys. A man who brought it with him from the U.K.

No other “reported cases” for a very simple reason. No test kits. No way to legitimately identify and verify.

Yellow fever was the most flagrant in the late 1800’s.

Quarantines were common. In homes and on ships.

The 1899 epidemic the worst. One thousand three hundred twenty infected, 68 died.

The nuns at what was then known as the Convent of Mary Immaculate all became infected. None died.

At some point, there was a vaccine. The population during one of the bigger epidemics was 16,500. Thirteen thousand were vaccinated via a door to door program.

It is interesting that many ways of dealing with yellow fever are similar to what is being done today with coronavirus. Basic medicine is basic medicine yesterday, today, and will be tomorrow.

Cholera was limited. A ship came in with some persons affected. The ship was immediately forced away from the island. No one in Key West was affected.

Leprosy had its day in Key West. Still does, though on a minimal basis.

The disease was in and out of Key West over a period of many years. One year, 96 cases were diagnosed. Seventy eight of them contracted leprosy while living in Old Town.

Leprosy was dealt with in days gone by as were diseases mentioned in the Bible. In 1909, a man died of leprosy in a house on Virginia Street. The house and all its contents were destroyed by fire at the direction of the Fire Chief.

In the Keys overall, there were 9 cases in 2015. Amazing. So recent. Records indicate 2-12 cases a year.

The “today” cause are armadillos. They are carriers, though the disease does not affect them.

It is difficult to understand Trump’s thinking. We are in “dire” need of test kits, N95 face masks, rubber gloves, medical attire, inhalators, etc. What does Donald do? He offers help to Iran and North Korea.

He takes from us to give to them.

Wrong! They are our sworn enemies. God is not going to love us for helping them. They will smile and laugh with glee: Look what dumb Trump is doing now!

You take care of your own first!

Trump gives us a daily update on the fight against the virus.  Generally does more harm than good as regards his image. He promises, says next week, things being delivered…..And nothing of any significance happens next week or the week after or the week after.

The man is inept. He lacks the mental sufficiency to be President.

Yesterday, he spoke more of the billions it was costing him to be President than the reality of satisfying his people’s needs. Like he is doing us a favor!

He further failed to spend much time on the Senate vote. The one that failed to pass the $1.8 trillion stimulus. The vote along party lines. 47-47. Sixty votes required.

The problem has to do with what the bill favors, who it helps, etc. The big corporations. Working Americans though not ignored, not taken care of.

Trump does not know what he is doing. I wonder if the Senate does. Perhaps they are greasing their own pockets.

Bailing out the airlines an example.

The airlines say they need $50 billion. They need nothing! I wrote last week and spoke to the issue on my podcast and blog talk radio shows as well why the airlines for example do not require money. Money that should go directly to help working Americans.

The airlines want loans, guarantees, and outright cash grants.

Trump favors giving the airlines the money. Says he does not want them to go out of business.  Such shows how little he knows about the issue. Or, perhaps he knows but is playing dumb.

Recall Trump’s Atlantic City debacle with the casinos. He has to understand.

There are 2 ways the airlines can save their asses. The first is to negotiate terms of credit with lenders outside of court. The other, and the one frequently used, is to seek Chapter XI Bankruptcy protection.

Either the way the planes keep flying.

Chapter XI does not contemplate “death.” Business goes on. Not all employees are fired. Assets are not sold off for scrap.

Between 2002 and 2011, Chapter XI was frequently used by airlines: American, Delta, Frontier, United, and US Airways.

A Chapter XI gives an airline breathing space. Old bills do not have to be paid while in the XI. Sometimes 2-3 years. They are renegotiated and generally paid off at a lesser amount.

Banks love to loan to Chapter XI companies.  The loans receive “high priority” for repayment.

Food does not seem to be a major issue. Yet! True, people are hoarding. That will stop as soon as their is no more room in their freezers and cupboards.

Store shelves are emptying rapidly. Might even be described as empty.

I am into my 12th day of self quarantine. My food is delivered. Primarily Publix and Walmart.

Great, if they have food.

Publix is running out. Those who call or otherwise communicate with me tell me so.

I am experiencing it with Publix deliveries. They have fewer and fewer items I want. Down to about 50 percent. I am required to cancel that portion of the order or take something else in its place. The something else is not what I want or generally eat.

Walmart has been terrific till this past week. I sat down ordered $200 plus of food yesterday. I’m hoarding! Most of the items I wanted were not in stock.

Fewer people are working. Families are without sufficient dollars. Who is manufacturing the food products? Will they be in good supply again and soon?

I question it.

When people are without monies to purchase food or food is in insufficient supply, things happen. Bad things.

I recall one of my Greece trips several years ago. During the time Greece was in deep shit financially. No work. Government assistance insufficient. Food stores closed because no food to put on shelves. Farmers stopped farming because they could not get paid what it cost them to grow their product.

I have written this story in the past. Families ate every other day. Including babies. Milk ran out. They ate their pets first. Then they raided the zoos, killed the animals and ran home with pieces of meat.

Cooked and ate anything that grew. Even grass. Then roots.

The Greeks expressed their unhappiness. They were downright pissed off!

I was in Athens. Athens has a famous top of the shelf street. Something like New York’s 5th Avenue. Ermous Street. Expensive goods for sale. Top of the line designer stores.

The people rioted. Destroyed the stores along the street. Some to get rid of their pain. Others to steal and sell in hope of finding something that was for sale at an exorbitant price.

Ermous looked like it had been bombed. Beggars overtook the street. Walking and sitting. Seeking money.

These were for real “beggars.” Not the homeless we see in the U.S. Painful to see. Mothers holding their babies out with one hand and the other out opened asking for money. Cripples sitting or lying on the street seeking money.

The worst was a man without arms or legs. His face badly scarred. His hair crazy. The only way I can describe it.

A bucket sitting in front of him. His friends had set him up somehow so he would not fall.

All this because people were not working, there was no money, there was no food.

It could happen here. We live in strange times. Things are moving fast.

I worry.

Enjoy your day!

 

33 comments on “EPIDEMICS NOT FOREIGN TO KEY WEST

      • And it appears to be sort of a lottery as to how COVID affects you. It is not monolithic. Some people age 90 and over survive while 16-year old teens in Italy are on a ventilator. Also, the so-called “mild” cases I have heard about lasted two weeks and the people, all otherwise healthy, said it was the worst “flu-like” illness they have ever had. Check-out the situation of the infected Utah Congressman, NOT a walk in the park.

  1. all was going fine till Miss Nancy got in town.
    We need jobs now not tax credits for solar heaters in two years. And the Commie chines–bad.

      • Trump basically would sacrifice as many Americans as necessary so his businesses are not impaired. If you are so blind that you cannot see that and the fact it is always about HIM then you have serious mental issues.

        The fact he gives away badly needed medical equipment to Little Rocket Boy is Trump being desperate to be Kim’s bud for some weird reason. Pathetic.

        Pathetic. That sums-up the worldview of the Repugs (Republicans) whom I find repugnant in their idiocy and hypocrisy. They are also usually very nasty people who are never wrong, always right and better than everyone else. The party of bullies and losers.

          • No, on the contrary, Good sir (or madame?) I believe the Red States with their Ayn Rand healthcare systems will kill far more REPUG voters. Sort of like taking out the trash on a bright morning.

            Or as the good Doc Holiday says, “I’m, your Huckleberry.”

        • 1) Trump called for Congress to immediately put cash into the pockets of Americans who need it.
          2) The bill is blocked by Dems. Only Dems.
          3) Businesses large and small are in need of financial help.
          4) Newsflash!!! Large businesses and corporations employ millions of people.
          5) The US sent ZERO medical supplies to North Korea

          • Because North Korea said NO, you fool. So did Iran. They probably both believe WE started the virus, as does a lot of other countries.

            The Senate bail out bill is nothing but a stunt, designed specifically so that Congress MUST reject it and they can then try and use that against them. Geese, they couldn’t even get it out of the Senate on their own, where they had a majority.

            EVERYbody knows this is nothing but a Republician stunt, except you, or are you just part of this stunt?

            • The letters sent by Trump to Iran and NK were diplomatic in nature with diplomatic language offering US cooperation with anti virus efforts. No offer of medical supplies was included.

              • You evidently are not aware that a Senate motion to end debate requires a 60 vote approval. So Democrat votes are needed for pas$age.

                • Oh yes, well known to everyone, including Mitch, who wet ahead anyhow knowing it would be blocked. Proof that this was ONLY a stunt meant to only attack Democrats, just as you did in your earlier post. A pure stunt.

              • I don’t understand how the relief bill could be construed as a stunt. Does that mean Republicans promised financial support to Americans while planning all along to torpedo the bill? How does that help Americans, or Republicans, or Democrats?

                • Yes, a Stunt only to get Democrats to reject it so then Republicans can try and claim they tried and Democrats voted against helping Americans.

                  Do you really need help in understanding this? It’s called a poison pill.

                  • Wow! This is great!
                    A conspiracy theory right up there with the one about the moon landing being done in a movie studio. I love a good conspiracy theory. More please!

                    • Wow, a Qanon complaining about someone else starting a conspiracy theory? Now that’s a good one!

          • It is a waste of time responding to Sandy Brains’ posts. He is a nut case whose only interest in posting here is to start a fight. He will post untruthful garbage or just go on sometimes with incomprehensible rants. Thinks he’s cute when he’s really just embarr@ssing. He’s no stranger to vulgar and full of hate. Best he be ignored and let Lou find a way to deal with him.

            • Boy, you are not kidding. Just a Ya Hoo posting to hear himself argue.

              Next he’ll start crying that he’s being abused, what a little girl.

          • Well, there is the fact that last time the taxpayer money went to buy yachts for the CEOs.

            William Barr looks a lot like a yacht wanna be….

  2. Please tell me why Donald Trump is insisting that we “can’t let the cruise lines go out of business.”

    The cruise industry has done everything in its power to skirt U.S. laws, regulations, and taxes. None of the major cruise lines fly the flags of the United States, every ship is registered in another country, some obviously with lax environmental protections, labor protections, and other rules that make it easier to squeeze out maximum profits at public expense. Now those foreign-flagged ships want United States bailouts? No wonder Mitch McConnell’s bailout bill is considered a sham and a stunt!

    Better we should put that money into protecting and helping actual Americans to get better, by buying more face masks, producing more ventilators and actually creating a vaccine. Besides what good is a cruse ship without p@ssengers?

    • One of the reasons Trump wants to bail out the foreign cruse ship companies might be because at least one of those company’s CEO is a full fledged Mar a Largo member?

    • speaking of cruse ships how much money will I have to make up to the City of KW as a result of lost revenues? How much will my lawn care guy have to pay in to the State unemployment fund due lost wages from no ships in KW. Local pilots make good money, when the are working Rachel.
      Nancy wants more mail in ballots in November. What does that have to due with the revenue generated by a ship coming to port and hold up tourism. Just More BS from the fool!

      • You are just blabbing your mouth off just to try and stir up an argument. I wonder what you say if you found out we’re bailing out a Chinese Cruise ship company, or a Mexican one? Maybe you should think through your outbursts before you bother the rest of us with your self centered verbal diarrhea.

  3. Well, there is the fact that last time the taxpayer money went to buy yachts for the CEOs.

    William Barr looks a lot like a yacht wanna be….

    • Can anyone here cite an actual case where taxpayer money was used to buy a private yacht? I know about the Angelina II owned by the city of Los Angeles. But a yacht purchased by a CEO using public funds??? Tell us about it.

      • Stupid question Galt! What kind of CEO is going to buy a private yacht and turn over his (or hers) company credit card to do so that we can get to the crime by going to google, so that you can have one of us look it up for you? Do your own f’in research.

  4. Some need to re-read their stuff before they hit “send”.
    And at what point will the hoarders think they have enough?

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