Exactly. The real problem is the supply chain. I am no kind of expert on it but have been doing some reading. Here's an article from HBR that I found informative and fairly basic:
How Coronavirus Could Impact the Global Supply Chain by Mid-March
My biggest concern is about the American public panicking. Not because the virus is so deadly but because of things like certain items disappearing from stores and transportation and business being disrupted because of employee absence or people being laid off because of lack of merchandise or other necessities at a particular business. I honestly am uncertain as to whether people can deal rationally with that. If they can't, panic will ensue. I already see people online talking about stockpiling beyond their personal needs, basically overbuying and hoarding. To much of that causes even less availability and thus more panic. In reality we can all live without some of our favorite whatever for a while. This is not an apocalyptic event but if the "pandemic" declaration comes I fear people will react as if it is.
I always have enough in my "larder" for at least a month of meals (at least when my twin boys are away at college). And that's pretty easy to do. We live in a rural area with lots of dairy and other farms and I always buy certain things there like meat, milk, cheese. You can identify local sources and support them. Amazon & Walmart type places will be harder hit.
I grew up with stories of the depression and WWII. The American people still had it pretty good-no war on our streets but plenty of deprivation and uncertainty-beating Hitler was not a given. Many Americans today have basically known nothing but abundance and "shop" as a hobby. You can order any food or groceries and have it delivered at your command. I worry that we're so "spoiled" people will not be able to react calmly to any deprivation. I so hope I'm wrong.
