Even after a vaccine is discovered and deployed, the coronavirus will likely remain for decades to come, circulating among the world’s population. Experts call such diseases endemic — stubbornly resisting efforts to stamp them out. Think measles, HIV, chickenpox. There are already four endemic coronaviruses that circulate continuously, causing the common cold. But COVID-19 kills and permanently disables. The USA desperately needs a road map for the trillions of dollars needed, and a fixed navigational point to replace our nation’s current, chaotic state-by-state patchwork strategy.
It’s what a May 27, 2020 Washington Post article is saying. In fact, it’s what a February 25, 2020 article in The Atlantic said as well (James Hamblin’s articles are worth reading, regularly).
On our way back from Baja, California, Mexico, I knew things were going to be different for months, not for just weeks. People saying “this is only for two weeks” – I couldn’t understand those comments at all. All you had to do was spend 15 minutes a day reading the news and that was obvious.
Within a week of being home, at the end of March, I wondered why there wasn’t a nationwide lockdown declared through July 5th, with a massive mobilization for widespread, frequent testing – it seemed obvious to me that that was what was needed in order for schools to be open in the Fall.
And everything I’ve read since well before COVID-19 has said that while face masks don’t do much to protect you, but they protect others FROM you and whatever you might be carrying – and the February article referenced earlier said that most people don’t get sick.
In April, I asked repeatedly on Twitter where the social media messages targeting 20 somethings and 30 somethings were, why no one was targeting that age group specifically. I never got an answer.
I just don’t get it. We all had this information. Why are we pretending we didn’t? Why is everyone acting shocked now that our world may be different?
Not that I like it. I hate it. But I’m furious at the state of denial the world seems to be in. And I’m furious that it’s very likely I’ll pay the price for it. 😡🤬
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