Journal of a Plague Year, Thursday, March 26

Stay-at-orders have not stopped the scam marketers. It’s only changed the spiel.

I get calls from a woman who begins by asking if I’m satisfied with my medical insurance. Or words to that effect. I hang up as soon as the recording begins.

I got an email today from today from a man who claimed:

"As the pandemic hits the world, the online market and social media is flooded. more importantly, amazon is hiring 100,000 workers to help with book orders and purchases worldwide. This means a lot to authors like you, and we'd like to propose an online publicity campaign for your book."

Amazon is hiring, but not to process books. In fact, it made clear on March 17 that it was not bringing any non-essential items into its warehouses. [1] It is either ignorance or an extreme form of self-centeredness that would lead anyone to believe Amazon was doing something for his or her special benefit.

I have gotten some emails from book sellers who hope enforced leisure will lead me to read more. I can’t complain about them. They are among the small businesses who hope they can survive the enforced closure of their stores. Sending out emails to all their past customers keeps them occupied, is free, and might just generate some sales.

I also got an email from a company that specializes in jigsaw puzzles. It, too, thought the requirement that people stay inside was a business opportunity. Or, as it put it, its products were "perfect to make memories that will last a lifetime even during this rough time."

It couldn’t know when it sent the email on March 18 that that would be the day the pandemic became obvious. The number of Coronavirus cases in New York City jumped from 923 to 2,009. [2]

For many, doing puzzles or playing board games is not a family tradition. Mother Jones reported instead domestic violence has increased in places like Seattle and New York City. [3]

In 2017, Rio Arriba County reported 7 domestic violence incidents per 1,000 people, or 289 for a total population of 40,040. Those reports were spread fairly evenly between city, county, and state police, and included some from Santa Clara. [4]

Statistics are always suspect. Nationally, experts have found individuals may or may not trust the police enough to call for help, and police may or may not write a report for every incident. [5]

Given that caveat, 36% of the cases in Rio Arriba county involved alcohol or drugs, and 25% involved a weapon. [6]

Sources:
1. Garett Sloane. Amazon Tells Suppliers It Won't Accept New Shipments of Nonessential Items until April 5. Ad Age website. 17 March 2020.

2. Wikipedia. "2020 Coronavirus Pandemic in New York City."

3. Madison Pauly and Julia Lurie. "Domestic Violence 911 Calls Are Increasing. Coronavirus Is Likely to Blame." Mother Jones website. March 2020.

4. Betty Caponera. "Incidence and Nature of Domestic ViolenceIn New Mexico XVI: An Analysis of 2016 Data From The New Mexico Interpersonal Violence Data Central Repository." New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence website. The Española Police Department received 89 calls, the Rio Arriba County sheriff 76, the state police post 89, and Santa Clara police 34.

5. Pauly.

6. Caponera.