I think it's the difference between communities.

by nedhead, Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 11:28 (1567 days ago) @ Greg

The Chinese/Chinese-American community here is freaking out; everyone else is pretty relaxed. If you go to HMart, 99 Ranch, or the mall, the Chinese will probably be wearing masks; businesses here that cater to the Chinese community have been hit hard, during the prime shopping season (Chinese New Year). People are scared to go to restaurants. My friend's pre-school Chinese New Year celebrations in Cambridge, MA was cancelled.

Yet nobody is wearing masks at Ralphs or Trader Joes. Both responses actually makes sense, in that if the virus spreads here (and, if I were still betting, I'd say odds are 75% that it will), the Chinese community will be the first to get hit, so others have more time. I'm straddling the fence between being a bit panicked, being fascinated by the panic, and being genuinely worried about friends/family back in China. Spring semester is delayed indefinitely. The solution (which I fully support) is grinding the economy to a halt and quarantining large populations. I'd guess that there'll be a ~3% hit to the GDP, which may lead to global repercussions from decreased demand.

I didn't know you are city attorney for Temple City, but that's the heart of the community around here. [And possibly the best Chinese food in the US].