The most important thing that has to be done is to keep the supply chain running. Everything else in not important. This means that the quarantine will be lifted and people will go back to work in a few weeks, maybe sooner.
Why?
Diesel. Without diesel our whole society collapses. From the ubiquitous UPS truck to the long haul trucker, all need diesel. The oil refineries can not only produce diesel. It must be a mix of different fuels. So to get diesel you must make gasoline. If no one is buying gas, then it has to be stored. Storage is limited.
The trucks must roll.
At first I was ambivalent about the “stay at home” rules. Now I think these rules will have to be lifted soon. I would not have thought that Boris Johnson’s approach of benign neglect would be correct. Yes, at the South Korea death rate 500,000 might die in the US if 100 million are infected, but that is better than 100 million dying if the trucks don’t roll.
The trucks must roll.
Supposedly at 65, I am at risk. I actually got modestly anxious at Costco yesterday even though I was totally equipped for the outing. Instead of mass quarantine, we need self quarantine of those at risk with a way quickly developed to bring stables to those who should stay at home. This too will require trucks.
The trucks must roll.