In the spring of 2020, Americans were busy shopping for toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and hand sanitizer and panicking about empty store shelves. COVID-19 was in the news 24/7, and before anyone realized, the TEOTWAWKI event predicted by prepping and survival experts for years had arrived.
Prepping novels, forum discussions, and shows like Doomsday Preppers had programmed us to expect a sudden event, something startling, even violent. The response to COVID-19, including the lockdowns and the subsequent vaccine controversies, started gradually but escalated to a peak of intense anger and heartbreak. Loving family members were forced to isolate from one another over what many considered to be a virus similar to the typical flu.
At the time, the impact of the virus and the catastrophic responses distracted us from realizing this event, a Black Swan event that ultimately changed the entire world. We aren’t going to turn a corner at some point, and magically, it will be as though the pandemic never happened. There is now “remember what life was like before Covid” and…where we are today.
Initially, nearly everyone believed that the virus itself was the TEOTWAWKI event. However, in hindsight, it was merely the catalyst. We went from “slow the spread,” “wash your hands for at least 20 seconds,” to now, altering everything about our lifestyles as we wait for a vaccine, which may or may not ever come.
Our lives have been upheaved in almost every way. New divisions have emerged between people that didn’t exist in the “before time.” Both elected and unelected authorities have expanded their powers. Data has been skewed, misrepresented, and sometimes falsified to uphold an official narrative. Meanwhile, a near-panic-level fear has deeply rooted itself in the hearts and minds of millions.
Trust in leaders and institutions is at an all-time low. COVID-19 revealed that even a virus declared to be deadly, something that should have brought us together, was cynically manipulated for political gain. As the vaccine rolled out, it was clear that eventually, it would be mandated. There was no other way to continue the narrative of a uniquely deadly virus without forcing people to be vaccinated. “Get vaccinated or lose your job.” “Get the vaccine or you can’t see your grandkids” — all forms of manipulation and coercion. I suspect that, to this day, there are family bonds that will never be the same.
Public education and TEOTWAWKI
Public education will never be the same. As we speak, thousands, maybe millions of parents across the country are taking control of their children’s education and are seeking to hire teachers and tutors directly.
Nebraska’s homeschool filings increased by 21% during the lockdown, and on social media, parents clamored to find other like-minded families to create “homeschooling pods.” Here’s a quote from a now-viral Facebook post:
“If you are not a parent/in a mom’s group, you may not be aware that a kind of historic thing is going on right now.
This week there has been a tipping point in Bay Area families looking to form homeschooling pods. Or maybe “boiling point” might be a better term… Essentially, within the span of the last 48 hours or so, thousands of parents are scrambling through an absolute explosion of Facebook groups, matchups, spreadsheets, etc., to form homeschooling pods.”
She adds, “This is maybe the fastest and most intense PURELY GRASSROOTS economic hard pivot I’ve seen.”
Get Survival Mom’s Homeschooling video lessons and best advice here.
Parents learned about micro-schools and dove into homeschooling, even as teacher’s unions mocked pleas from parents to open up schools and blasted parents as “racists”. 
Parents discovered different ways their children could be educated and found themselves untethered from a classroom model that, in my opinion, is outdated at best.
Sadly, school closures for months and even years have caused millions of kids to fall behind academically and socially.
Some teachers went to TikTok to describe what their students were like after being out of the classroom, but it was more than that. They were isolated from their peers, attended school on Zoom, missed out on family and school events and traditions, and were forced to wear face masks—always face masks.
One incredible story told to me was that some Zoom teachers forced the kids to wear masks even though each one was in his or her own home. Even more absurd, if students acted out, they were put in “time out”, aka a separate Zoom room.
Many in the public school world lost their ever-lovin’ minds.
Adults in charge reassured us that “kids are resilient — they’ll be fine.” But now we know that millions of kids are not fine, and it’s not because of the virus. Rather, it was the reaction, the gross overreaction by nearly every adult around them. During the face mask craze, my husband and I were at a small nail salon when a young college-age girl confronted us, two complete strangers. We were sitting in a corner talking with each other, our face masks were down, and she yelled from several feet away, “Don’t you care if I die??? Put your face masks on!” That behavior is taught. It’s unnatural and never had to happen.
But there was power to grab! Hundreds of millions of sweet federal dollars for the taking, and “kids are resilient, don’t you know?”
TEOTWAWKI and the family — some surprising results
It hasn’t all been negative. One positive result in many households was that families like being at home together. A friend of mine living in Brooklyn was astonished by how well his family, including two teenagers, got along in their apartment, with only a nearby park available for outings and fresh air.
I read this quote from a mom who said, “It’s going to be very difficult to get back to normal because for the last eight weeks we’ve been having dinner together as a family, every single night. And for the previous ten years, we never did that.”
Many hundreds of thousands of families decided to continue with homeschooling. In some cases, parents able to work remotely, took their families on the road in RVs for the adventure of a lifetime.
How the TEOTWAWKI affected the medical and business worlds
Sadly, politics infiltrated the medical world, with well-meaning, reputable doctors being shut up and shut down when they dared to go public with observations about the virus that contradicted the official Fauci/Birx narrative.
From the article: “A news conference by two California doctors that downplayed the threat of the coronavirus and made dubious claims that the disease had already spread widely, and therefore was not dangerous, struck a chord with those itching for states to ease stay-at-home orders – but is being condemned by public health officials and experts.”
These two doctors had their finances investigated and their video taken down from YouTube. In retrospect, they were right, but even now, with a quick Google search, I see old narratives still in place and staunchly defended, e.g., “masks work,” and “the vaccine is safe and effective.”
But the damage done to the reputation of individual doctors, hospitals, the CDC, pharmaceutical companies, and the vaccine industry is beyond repair, at least among people who have made the effort to peek behind the Fauci/Birx curtain. We’re in the tens and tens of millions, and among us, the level of trust the medical and pharmaceutical industries once knew is unlikely to ever return.
On the upside, during the lockdown, many businesses found creative solutions to stay afloat and thrive. When I saw dozens of local restaurants offering family meals for pick-up during the quarantine, I said, “Bingo! They’ve found a need and are offering a solution.” My favorite taco shop found new life with nightly family dinners, and their business has been successful ever since.
But companies were also pressured into implementing heavy-handed tactics, including mask and vaccine requirements. Thousands of federal employees and members of the military lost their jobs when they refused to take the jab. My husband’s company forced remote employees to take Covid tests ON CAMERA while at home, alone.
In mid-2020, over 75% of business leaders in one survey believe the impact of the pandemic will last up to four years. Now, as I revise and update this article in mid-2024, the economy has entered a recession with double-digit inflation, something millions of Americans have never experienced before. Interest rates for homes and vehicles have placed those large purchases out of reach for many, especially our young adults, as they enter the job market.
It turns out there are long-lasting and negative effects when you shut down an entire country and its booming economy and then pump trillions of freshly printed dollars into that stalled economic machine.
How do we move forward?
So, TEOTWAWKI didn’t quite happen as we expected, in a mushroom cloud or the infamous EMP. Instead, a pandemic changed our societal and cultural landscape permanently, both in subtle and monumental ways. The question we face is, what now?
Prepping is more important than ever, but from my vantage point, surviving this newly precarious world includes the ability to quickly accept a rapidly changing reality and adjust accordingly. That’s the tricky part. Stocking up on food supplies and filling your pockets with Everyday Carry was easy. Adjusting your mindset and adapting to events that are unfolding in an unexpected way, not so much.
The end of the world that we once knew happened while we were expecting something very different.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Disagree? If you’d like a copy of my Covid notes which detail how I came to my conclusions, shoot me an email, lisa at thesurvivalmom.com
Yes, it has happened, and changed a lot of things. It has also alerted a lot of people to the fragility of their jobs and income. In my area of east central Ohio, a lot of small businesses have closed their doors permanently. They were the backbone of our little economy, since we lost most of our manufacturing base in the late 80’s and 90’s. It will be interesting to see how we recover.
As far as schools go, they still don’t know what they are going to do. They change their minds a lot! Each area is different. Going to be a long year! So glad I am not raising kids, but have 3 grands in middle and high school, and one great-grand going to preschool.
Catherine, one of the main problems for schools is that no one wants to be the adult in the room and make the tough decision, which is — it’s more important to get kids back to school than worry about someone getting sick. We went from “slow the spread” to “we can’t start school because someone might get sick.” Never mind that schools have returned to normal in other countries without calamitous results and mass deaths.
The loss of small businesses breaks my heart. Back in April, I started questioning the official narrative — why do mom-and-pop stores in Podunk, USA have to shut down because New York City is a mess? It didn’t make sense then, and it doesn’t make sense now.
I totally agree with all you have stated. It’s amazing how it snuck up on us that way. I keep telling my grown children it won’t be the same. I actually don’t think it’s done, there is more to come and what will come may even be more disruptive. It’s a scary and sad time especially for those without work. I can see this leading to a depression. We are not a full blown prepper family but we are taking steps to be better prepared for what is yet to come. I hope our children will listen to our thoughts.
I agree, Sandy. There is still a lot of unpredictable, possibly chaotic stuff that lies ahead. I’m glad to hear you are doing more prepping.
Totally Agree!!! Another “side-effect” [tho some will get mad at me for saying this] is that many of the weakest people are gone, freeing up those resources for those that can survive. I always wondered why everyone didn’t have supplies set aside [or at least bought ahead] to be used in an emergency. Almost everywhere has seasonal weather problems and having supplies ahead would help relieve the panic that those weather problems bring. Those with snowstorms, hurricanes, etc would not have to rush to the store for supplies, which probably disrupts their budget. Those with tornados would [naturally] have a storm cellar of some sort, to shelter in if one nears their location. Prepping always just seemed like Common Sense to me.
You’re not the only one, Lynne. I’ve often wondered if, engineered or not, the virus would prove to be approaching Malthusian*, if not Darwinian levels (not in a micro/macro-evolutionary sense, but in a “survival of the fittest immune system” sense). And MR and Larry below remind me that that could apply on an economic level as well as biological. Of course, I don’t dare express those opinions to my liberal family, co-workers, friends…
*I know, Malthus was “wrong” about arithmetic food growth due to technological advances, but what if we LOST those advancements? Say, due to cut off trade, lost labor/knowledge, etc?
I believe that we are suffering those lost “advancements”. Through some combination of government gratuitous programs, the labor pool has shrunk. Nobody can control the drought conditions in the Western half of the country which threatens our grain supply. China, it appears, is stockpiling corn, wheat and other grains in anticipation of a global shortage. That alone portends a disaster for nations that rely on imports to feed their population. That shortage also impacts feedlots for cattle, swine, and other meat animals.
Upon hearing the Scout motto, someone asked Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell the inevitable follow-up question.
“Prepared for what?”
“Why, for any old thing,” he replied.
Nice article but the main thrust of the United States economy since before the Vietnam war has been systemically looted of productivity.
It completely flipped from 70% industrial bases like factories making washing machines to a service-based economy at 70%.
The nail in the coffin so to speak was The United States economy went off the Gold standard with Richard Nixon (Tricky Dick).
On the afternoon of Friday, August 13, 1971, these officials along with twelve other high-ranking White House and Treasury advisors met secretly with Nixon at Camp David. There was great debate about what Nixon should do, but ultimately Nixon, relying heavily on the advice of the self-confident Connally, decided to break up Bretton Woods by announcing the following actions on August 15:[12][13][14]
Nixon directed Treasury Secretary Connally to suspend, with certain exceptions, the convertibility of the dollar into gold or other reserve assets, ordering the gold window to be closed such that foreign governments could no longer exchange their dollars for gold.
Nixon issued Executive Order 11615 (pursuant to the Economic Stabilization Act of 1970), imposing a 90-day freeze on wages and prices in order to counter inflation. This was the first time the U.S. government had enacted wage and price controls since World War II.
An import surcharge of 10 percent was set to ensure that American products would not be at a disadvantage because of the expected fluctuation in exchange rates.
So here we are 49 years later with a planned shattered economy along with a worldwide depression.
The only reason we are not having a global war yet is winter has not set in yet for the northern hemisphere hence food is still being harvested for the 2.5 billion people in this region.
Europe, Russia, China sit in this region. All three are economic enemies to the US interests. Plus the U.S. is having a presidential election year this coming November.
Whoever sits in the president’s office will start a major war for economic reasons in 2021 that will drag the rest of the world into the conflict.
Been in conflicts witnessed many civilians die in alarming numbers at that time.
I hope you have armed yourself and have food backups.
You are going to need them when the lazy run out of money, food, water, fuel along with losing the shelter of their houses.
Your article was excellent. Preppers will do well as they already have the right mindset. I am a doctor and have been prepping for a pandemic since 1975. There have been many threats of a pandemic since the Spanish Flu. The surprise is that the virus was less deadly medically than expected, but more deadly to our economy and society. Prayers are the best preparation for all of us.
Thank you. I agree but I do believe that there is possibly another and bigger version of TEOTWAWKI coming. TEOTWAWKI 2?
I don’t think the future is all rainbows and unicorns. 🙂 Tumultuous times bring hardships as well as opportunities. The current riots that continue well past the George Floyd death will likely spread to other cities and become more and more destructive, but at the same time, there are new advances in technology, medicine, education, etc. that could usher in a new Golden Age. Prep and then prep some more, and then pray and hang on for dear life. 🙂
As we move forward and learn to adjust, I think the biggest unknowns are economic-related. Real estate values with fewer people renting for college, or being able to go to the gym. Family businesses that were forced to shut down while major corps remained open, and the increase in online shopping. It will be hard for some but others will benefit the problem is these types of changes generally happened over long periods of time but we may see a societal jump into a new world as part of this health crisis.
Great Article.
Not a “mom”, I’m a guy. But great information. For my small Mom & Pop Shop, things haven’t really changed much. We never closed during the Great Shutdown because we decided that our business was “essential”…least it was for us. Our 2nd quarter actually was UP $3,000 from the 2nd quarter of 2019. We don’t speak of the 1st Quarter, it’s an ugly, twisted mess.
Our business is Mask Optional, because we believe in Freedom. You want to wear mask, go ahead. You don’t want to wear a mask, go ahead. We do have sanitizer on our counter and wipe down the counter and doorknob.
If you wonder what we do? We own a Media Conversion Business (VHS,8mm Film, etc. to digital formats) for over 20 years.
Our only child is a Sophomore in College and he will be back in school in August. He makes money going to college with all the scholarships and grants he gets. Zero loans = zero worries.
My wife and I really didn’t eat out much before the Wuhan Flu. We have our little garden and chickens. Our preps really helped during the outset of the TP/Food Shortage Freak Out. Now that shopping is back to somewhat “normal” we quietly restocked. We still make most meals from scratch and not much is prepackaged and now that it’s us 2, food lasts longer.
Besides the Wuhan Flu, now we have to deal with the Rioting Leftist Mob. This Race War, my wife and I believe can morph into a 2nd Civil War pretty quickly. I’m glad we don’t live in a big city or a city run by Democrats. Being preppers, we’re prepared for that disaster too.
Y’all be safe out there.
I’m afraid the worst is still ahead of us–the upcoming election and subsequent lawless behavior regardless of who wins. I keep an ear on the alt-news and began to get alarmed about the Chinese virus at the end of December. This meant huge shopping trips as I began to store everything I thought we needed. Then the riots began. I’m still buying food and also buying fresh squash and beans for the freezer; they’ll taste great on Christmas. Yeah, I know an electrical device isn’t dependable, but I’ve done it all my life and don’t want to change.
Americans nowadays have short memories. Only the few who lived through it remember the Great Depression or what people had to do to survive it. No one remembers or knows about the 1346-1348 plague that killed approximately half of Europe. Half. Try applying that percentage to modern America. It changed a lot of things, but enough people survived for life to continue. During our rather insignificant pandemic, I watched a Great Courses series on the Great Plague. Quite a difference.
The only advice I have to give is make a list as you remember things you forgot. While watching a prep video I realized I needed liquid soap for my washboard, Immodium, and baby aspirin. I’ll probably be in some store on November 3.
Good luck, everyone.
What surprised me the most is the normalicy bias the supposed “preppers” adapted during all the recent unraveling… it’s as if they choose not to believe the evidence right in front of their noses, and continue to either complain about politics or some other 3rd party cause and effect instead of treating this as the TEOTWAWKI event it is…
I live in a community that (allegedly) is prepper-friendly (which is why we relocated here), where a lot of folk claim to be preppers, BUT… we found out they aren’t so much preppers as complainers, who complain about the local laws and government loudly (as if THAT makes a bloody bit of difference!) and spend most of their time politicizing rather than prepping… but as I am finding out, the sheeple are everywhere – even in the pastures we call home.
Please remember the only reason why schools have been able to open in other countries with out problem is the adults acted like adults before school time and wore mask and social distance. That didn’t act less mature than their kids and complain. A friend who lives in Europe with the covid19 virus is under control told me how well they did to protect each other there when America is more concerned about Someone asking them to wear a mask to then grocery store.
The stories about fights breaking out over masks/no-masks are actually very rare and creates a false narrative. They make the news, but I’ve traveled in 5 states in the past few weeks and plenty of people, nearly all, are wearing masks if required. In a recent data report, Americans were far more compliant re: masks than Mexico, Canada, UK, Finland, and Norway. Only Italy, Spain, and France had higher rates of compliance. I have the data if you’d like to see it to confirm. Now, European countries are only very rarely wearing masks.
All for (unless you’re over 80) the flu.
The “CCP flu” has been around for over a year now. Every blip in the “numbers” has to be re-examined under a microscope by the “powers” to see whether we have to go back to phase 2 or continue on to phase 3.
Fortunately for us, we moved to the countryside three years ago. We sold our house in suburbia and built new on our (paid for) camping/vacation property.
In that three years, our old home was remodeled and just sold for nearly twice what we sold it for. Part of that was the remodel, but a large part was inflation.
Unemployment: With (some) folks being paid not to work (sometimes MORE than what they made before) there WILL be consequences down the line.
Food prices: Have you noticed that the food industry has either, 1) decreased the size of the product to save money, or 2) increased the size of the product and charged more money? I have. A jar of pickles is now 30% smaller, and a packet of hot chocolate is now 20% larger. Same goes for individually packaged potato chips, etc., etc.
Fuel prices: Part of this is the increase in taxes due to shortfalls in state revenues, part of it is the decrease in driving during the first months of the pandemic (we’re practically back to ‘normal’ now), and part of it is due to current “green” policies with the attempt to eliminate fossil fuels.
Building materials: This has been the most outrageous increase in my lifetime (except for that period in the 70’s when inflation went wild). A sheet of wallboard went from $3.99 to over $12.00, a fence board went from $2.50 to $7.00. Who knew? Yeah, part of the increase was due to Canadian suppliers (and tariffs?), but the increases are obscene and will only drive inflation through the roof.
What is (or soon going to be) the newest/scariest ‘teotwaki’ event for the ‘average citizen’? INFLATION. And if the powers that be don’t get inflation under some semblance of control, the United States dollar will certainly collapse and we’ll be just like Weimar Germany. Of course, the government doesn’t mind too much, they pay their debts with printed money that has less and less value. But, how long will other nations accept that worthless dollar?
The folks hoarding gold or silver (or ANY commodity, for that matter) will be the ones who come out the other end ‘relatively’ unscathed.
it has never been the way we thought it was in this world or in America.the rich who r the ones really running the world & America want to be in control & want the resources for themselves.things have been going on a long time in the schools,the govt,the news.the average people were too busy working to notice.its never going back.its done.some people r starting what some call parallel societies.u have to choose.whats best for u & ur family.