We don't know where or how far this pandemic will go. It may die out or it could be catastrophic. We do need to take precautions (as described in the CDC guidelines) and we may be able to slow or contain its spread.
The predictive models are all over the place and depend on the assumptions made; we do need to prepare for the worst. We knew it was possible that the virus might become a pandemic by January 1 and we lost over 2 months before the alarm bell rang. We need to do all we can now with precautions and research to reduce the severity of the pandemic.
