Ok, I run MGC. One week later than Texas. I do t speak for them but...

First, calm down.

We have this stupid leadership vacuum on this issue. We knew it had the possibility to come over here. For whatever reason, we didn't decide to develop tests or whatever until just recently. This gives us terrible data to actually understand what is going on.

There was a great article on the mortality rate from Vox and how it will change. Here's a link to it

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/2020/3/5/21165973/coronavirus-death-rate-explained

The problem is that our officials keep changing the story. I'm not trying to make a political statement on any way, but Trump handling it by dismissing it as a hoax, by telling people that people with the virus were probably still going to work, and contradicting people right after they share information.

What's frustrating is a lot of what he's saying isn't too far off base, but the way he's saying it allows fear, uncertainty and doubt because if one organization is saying the death rate is super high, and then he's saying it's not but your coworker probably has it and doesn't even know, now in people's heads they go my coworker probably has it and it kills a ton of people! Thus sowing further doubt.

This has left everyone with this weird leadership vacuum right now. The truth is, I don't know the best course of action to keep everyone in Milwaukee safe - nor should I. I organize a show. I rely on medical professionals to help guide things like this, but without their leadership right now, more and more people are asking me what should be done.

I hope, and I assume this is the same for any show, that in the future weeks as our shows approach we get more information from health officials who can tell us what is really going on with the situation. There is a lot of evidence that seems to point to it not being as bad as it is made out to be (see the Vox article above). On the flip side, it could be just beginning and could get significantly worse very quickly..

We should have professionals in the world that can better predict this than I, and I hope their voices are heard more. I do believe and have hope that next week we will start to see actual tests in the US, and that by the end of the week we'll have a lot more information on what is really going on. If so, a couple weeks with the best health care professionals from across the planet working together with decent data will, I believe, allow us to start to get a grip on this.

I would suggest at this point, no one changing their plans unless you feel you would be particularly at-risk
In a week, let's check back in and see what more data there is.

Again, I'm totally not repressing TPF here, but if anyone has any questions for me I can answer as best as possible from the MGC planning side. I am going camping with my son this weekend so I'll only have access once in a while however.

Again, I am doing my best to keep politics out of the discussion here as those are the rules, *however* it is impossible to address this matter without noting the presidents role in it.

Your sarcasm is I think lost on some people.

The media is absolutely just as much to blame here. I've said recently that what sucks is we don't know how bad this is or will get, but if it isn't super terrible, then the reporting is very chicken little-ish in nature.

The problem is, when a terrible thing happens, we won't be prepared because people won't trust it if we act like this all the time.

Social media doesn't help, but it more parrots what leaders do. And yes, I lump the media with that.

But, ultimately, we need data, and we have only just started to address that for whatever reason.

China is a bad example because they haven't been overly clear about it. However, the data points to an understanding of it and treatment of it having as much of a positive effect on it as anything else.

Containment is imperfect. The cruise ship it was on contained it to a population that contained a higher percentage of at risk people.

Actual testing is the key.

Anyway, for the most part I'm going to drop back out here before Iceman calls on me to shut down the world more.