So, with that understanding, my views here aren't meant to judge or criticize people. I'm not trying to tell people what to do or make them question the value of what they are doing. Just to give someone who want's to understand me better the opportunity to do so.
I feel like the world has gone completely insane.
While it didn't involve a worldwide pandemic, it did involve irrational fear, absurd behavior, traffic jams and, in the end, mindless mob mentality. Fortunately, it was a comedy, and everyone's reaction to Spencer Tracey's actions survived to see another day (and star in another movie).
Unfortunately, what's happening in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic's spread, isn't funny at all, and too many people are going to die. It's unlike anything any of us have ever seen, with every day bringing a new understanding of the virus's rapid spread and its unbelievable impact on our daily lives. No March Madness (still having trouble with that one), no new movies, no church, cancelled vacations, no wine tastings, delayed planting of spring flowers and worse of all, no visits to family and friends.
But not everything with this virus has been bad.
In addition to bringing a better understanding of the difference between a pandemic vs. epidemic, quarantine vs. isolation, and respirator vs. ventilator, I have expanded my useable vocabulary to include asymptomatic, community spread, contact tracing, wet market, "flatten the curve," herd immunity, essential businesses, apocalyptic surge, "social distancing," patient zero and "shelter in place." When I'm really frustrated I use words like covidiots, "Let the experts talk!" and blue plague.
It has also spawned an epidemic of a different kind -- toilet paper -- and bringing out some of the funniest memes and social media posts in the history of the internet. I'm sorry if you are upset by jokes about such a serious subject -- but they're not really about the virus itself. Instead, these funny memes are about stupid human beings doing stupid things like hoarding a commodity unrelated to the virus. I have not yet talked to someone who hoards toilet paper, but if I did, I doubt I'd get a good reason, beyond "I don't want to run out!" I suspect some of these people also think Trump stole the election by colluding with Russia. Or worse, that Trump wants people to go back to work by Easter so he can be re-elected in November.
Which leads me to ask -- must we kill the economy to kill the virus?
Washington D.C. has, for the most part, recommended shutting everything down. State governors have follow along. With the exception of some essential businesses, people are working from home or have been laid off. Dr. Anthony Fauci (a member of Trump's COVID-19 response team) feels this is necessary to contain the spread of the virus. Dr. Fauci is an American physician and immunologist who has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. So it stands that he is THE expert when it comes to virus pandemics. And his advice, with Trump's support, have saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives. Of which I am thankful.
But do we just assume these people are always right?
I'll be the first to tell you government officials and experts have been wrong over my lifetime. They have hurt the American people through government regulations, taxation, healthcare and deficit spending. Could they be hurting us with their reaction to COVID-19, as well?
Yes, doctors are experts -- but aren't economists experts as well? In less than three weeks we've destroyed much of the growth we experienced over the past three years. Was it really necessary to shut down so many businesses to contain COVID-19? I don't have an answer, and I doubt anyone else does either. We are being proactive in our response, because no one wants to harm people we love who are susceptible to the deadly virus. At some point we will learn enough to answer that question. If my prayers are answered, the infections and deaths will be much lower than reported by the press.
But what if the "benefit" of closing so many businesses causes more damage than if everyone kept working and we protected those most vulnerable? EVERY DAY, heart disease or cancer takes 3,000 loved ones, 63 are lost to the common flu, car accidents kill more than 465 people, and more than 129 succumb to suicide. If we use the same method to determine the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19, we'd be at 3 per day.
Our solution to COVID-19 guarantees an increase in poverty, promotes poor social interaction and other community factors. Even before our decision to shut down and shelter at home, researchers at Columbia University found poverty and poor educational support contributed to as many deaths in the U.S. as heart attacks, strokes and lung cancer.
So how many more are going to die because we want to remain safe?
Again, I don't have the answers and I don't mean to upset anyone who thinks staying at home is the right thing to do. By all means, do so. And we must protect those in danger.
I just fear our government has taken our economy and damaged it in a way I'm not sure will ever be the same again.
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How do we flatten the curve on panic?
Earlier today, The New York Times became the epicenter of the Blue Plague by stating people in hospitals throughout the city were dying, as desperately under-prepared and under-equipped doctors and nurses could not find ventilators for thousands of arriving patients in a state of panic. This is incitement at its worse.
This week's newspaper's had these headlines on their front pages -- "Atlanta hospitals overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases;" Governor Cuomo slams feds - "You pick" who's "going to die;" and 14 million job's at risk. Are we entering another Great Depression?"
Last night's CBS Evening News lead off the broadcast by highlighting "skyrocketing" unemployment numbers exceeding 3.3 million. In the "highest unemployment numbers not seen since the Great Depression" questioned its impact on President Trump's re-election bid. Next was a story on the U.S. surpassing China with the most confirmed cases of coronavirus at 85,000 and counting.
Does anyone really believe anything coming out of China? Earlier this year we had one of our Chinese students say how the Chinese government would always use the same number for fatalities no matter the tragic event being reported. She knew it wasn't true, but what could she do? If China can't tell their own people the truth, why would they tell the world the truth?
Another breaking story highlighted the "surging" anti-Asian hate -- a result of Trump's use of "Wuhan virus" during his daily press briefings. And finally, for good measure, there were interviews with unemployed people "feeling very, very afraid."
Apparently CBS had no time to spend on this good news from today -- the stock market (and many people's retirement accounts) was up more than 6%. This marked the third day in a row when the market posted gains. The last three days saw market gains of over 2000, then 500 and now 1300. I'm sure the market will rise and fall over the next few months, but isn't it note worthy that they only report on the market's freefall, but not its rise?
Nonetheless, the bad news went on for 20 minutes, before I couldn't take it anymore and turned it off. A quick change to Pandora and a little rock n' roll from Journey and Foreigner had me in a much better mood in no time.
So is there some way we can report the news without constantly hyping worse case scenarios, and without using doom and gloom adjectives to describe daily results?
Of course there is. During the 2009 world pandemic, resulting from the H1N1 "swine flu," more than 60 million U.S. citizens were infected by the flu which caused pneumonia and acute distress syndrome (ARDS). Most patients needed immediate respiratory support with mechanical ventilation. The virus was spread mainly from person to person, through coughing or sneezing. Sometimes people became infected by touching something such as surfaces or objects containing the virus. Unlike the current pandemic, it affected younger people and was not an issue for people over 60 years old. But on the whole, it sounds very familiar doesn't it?
The numbers I have read for swine flu the U.S. are eye-opening -- 60 million people infected, more than 11,000 people died. That's just the United States! Compare that to COVID-19. As of the end of March, we had 85,000 infected and 1,300 deaths according to John Hopkins Hospital. I realize the numbers aren't final, and the virus may be more deadly than the swine flu, but isn't it interesting that in 2009 we didn't cancel sporting events, stop all international flights, order restaurants and bars to close, cancel schools (even though it affected the young, including children), or put "stay at home" requirements on all of us?
What was different in 2009 than in 2020? The media's response. And which political party was in power.
When the media wants to drive a narrative -- and you know what I'm suggesting -- it's easy to see why the New York Times and CBS News are spending so much time accelerating the panic curve. In the words of the New York Times, be very afraid...
I thought I would end on a high note, as I've never been one to stomach bad news, so why should I contribute to it?
A coworker sent me a link to a comedy special called "What's Wrong With People," starring stand-up comedian Sebastian Maniscalco (he played Johnny Venere in the movie "Green Book", if you saw that movie). It's a hilarious skit about people who ring your doorbell. In this small bit, he remembers how forty years ago, family and friends would come over to his parent's house and eat cake and drink Sanka. They were called company, and everyone looked forward to seeing them and spending time together.
Fast forward to today, where if someone rings your doorbell, everyone hits the floor and turns out the lights. Instead of welcoming people into your house, you avoid them like the plague.
It's really funny and you should watch it. You can find it here: just copy and paste https://youtu.be/0Swzvm-gXHg
My wife's suggestion was that when this COVID-19 nightmare is over, we should plan on ringing a few doorbells again. It's time to spend time with company again, and I think we are all looking forward to it being sooner than later.
Thanks Liz and Pat, you've made my day.
