# What does COVID-19 compare to in your lifetime ?



## gigi495 (Apr 18, 2020)

Hi, I'm just curious. I want to know what this pandemic compares to in your lifetime.

Also please ignore my profile picture I do not know how to change it. ):


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## Becky1951 (Apr 18, 2020)

There is nothing to compare it to in my lifetime. Never lived through a shutdown and had to stay home for weeks and possibly months. Never lived through a fear of expected death if I caught a virus. I am almost 69 with dang near every health condition the CDC lists. How can one compare this pandemic to anything in our lifetime.


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## win231 (Apr 18, 2020)

I've been comparing it to the "gas shortage" in the '70's.  As soon as the price went up to $1.00/gallon, there was no more shortage.


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## C'est Moi (Apr 18, 2020)

Becky1951 said:


> There is nothing to compare it to in my lifetime.


^^  This.


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## jujube (Apr 18, 2020)

Nothing of this magnitude.

Every several years, we get hit by a bad hurricane here in Central Florida.  We might be without electricity for 3-7 days.  No hot water, refrigerator full of spoiling food, NO TV!!!  But then, unless your house has been flattened, things go rapidly back to normal.

I afraid it's going to be a long time before we use the word "normal" again...….


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## Don M. (Apr 18, 2020)

The bad thing about this virus is the "helplessness" that most might feel...knowing there is nothing they can do, short of total isolation, to avoid becoming part of the statistics.  

The last, and perhaps the only time I felt such an inability to control events around me was back in October of 1962....during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  I was stationed in Germany, and as the Soviet ships neared Cuba, we had every available aircraft loaded, and ready to launch.  We had all written what might have been our Last letter home....in hopes that there would be someone left to read it.  Most people don't realize just how close we came to nuclear war during that time.  Had Khrushchev not "blinked", it would be doubtful that any of us would be here today.


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## Keesha (Apr 18, 2020)

gigi495 said:


> Hi, I'm just curious. I want to know what this pandemic compares to in your lifetime.
> 
> Also please ignore my profile picture I do not know how to change it. ):


Just click on your profile pic for photo software which brings up your computer library to choice a photo . Click the one you want and it automatically replaces the old one.


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## terry123 (Apr 19, 2020)

The only thing I can compare it with is the massive stroke I had in 1997 which changed my world and others lives completely.  Like my stroke we will be living with this virus for the rest of our lives.


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## Buckeye (Apr 19, 2020)

Can't think of a thing.  The Polio scare in the 50s, as a I recall, was minor compared to this.


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## Judycat (Apr 19, 2020)

The feeling is similar to the grief one feels after the death of a loved one.


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## OneEyedDiva (Apr 19, 2020)

Nothing as serious, tragic and traumatic as this  Hurricane Sandy left us without power for almost a week in my area but we didn't lose much in the way of food because a friend had an extra freezer we were able to use. Also stayed with my son, DIL and their family after a couple of nights with no lights or heat.


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## Lc jones (Apr 19, 2020)

The threat of nuclear war during my lifetime. The Cuban missile crisis, the cold war overseas near the Berlin wall when we were stationed there those were scary times.


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## Manatee (Apr 19, 2020)

There was a flu pandemic in 1957.  I was on a navy ship that left Gibraltar headed back to the states.  In addition to the crew we had 300 marines on board.  The flu went around the ship.  Some could not get out of their bunks, I had a mild case and continued to stand watches in one of the engine rooms.  We had no TV at sea, no internet, so we really had little idea what was going on.


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## Ruthanne (Apr 19, 2020)

It doesn't compare to anything in my lifetime.


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## MarciKS (Apr 19, 2020)

This is nothing like anything I've ever experienced. This is the scariest thing I've ever lived to see and I'm only 54.


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## chic (Apr 20, 2020)

In 2013 the Tsarnev brothers set bombs at the finish line of the Boston marathon killing a few people and maiming many.

During the police search for the bombers, MA transit was shut down for the first time ever. Residents were forced by law to shelter in place. You could not leave your home for any reason, nor open your door to anyone except a confirmed police official. This lasted 3 days.

I was so glad when it was over because it was a horrible experience and I promised myself never again. Only a few of us here lived through that the way I did. Never felt so helpless or frightened. But I would compare this pandemic to that time. Only this is going on and on and on and good behavior is being rewarded with tighter restrictions.

For the past 2 & 1/2 months all I see is the virus on the news 24/7. I've stopped watching for the sake of my own emotional well being.


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## C'est Moi (Apr 20, 2020)

All the horrific incidents mentioned in this thread were life-changing.  But none of them have affected our lives in the same manner as this pandemic.   From the financial devastation, loss of life, and on-going anxiety I don't believe anything has come close to this, and it's far from over.   We will have fallout from this for years to come.

I suppose if there are any forum members old enough to have lived through WWII, they'd likely consider that  to have been worse.


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## CarolfromTX (Apr 20, 2020)

Nothing. Absolutely nothing compares.


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## chic (Apr 20, 2020)

C'est Moi said:


> All the horrific incidents mentioned in this thread were life-changing.  But none of them have affected our lives in the same manner as this pandemic.   From the financial devastation, loss of life, and on-going anxiety I don't believe anything has come close to this, and it's far from over.   We will have fallout from this for years to come.
> 
> I suppose if there are any forum members old enough to have lived through WWII, they'd likely consider that  to have been worse.



My mom lived through the great depression and WWII. She says this is worse.


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