There’s no other way to title our current reality.
Science doesn’t care what your political beliefs are. Nor your religious beliefs. It doesn’t care what propaganda you listen to and believe in. COVID-19 is a virus.
I am utterly baffled about what people thought was going to happen when we “opened up” given we had no national test and trace policy. We have no national policy at all regarding this pandemic except a president who today, once more, stated it will “simply go away”.
It won’t. Based on the current surge we’ll top 200,000 dead by the end of this month. We still have national shortages of PPE, testing, and more. We have a propaganda channel that publicly is downplaying the pandemic while privately following strict pandemic protocol. I’m at the point where I don’t understand the point. Why? What’s the upside of downplaying wearing masks? Social distancing? Basic, life-saving protocols?
Beyond that, the economy teeters on an abyss with no relief in sight. This is a bottom up disaster so the people at the top pretty much don’t care. But it will get to them.
The only positive note is that the mortality rate seems to be declining percentage-wise of those catching it. The research I’ve done shows we’re not quite sure why. But that might be offset by a slight mutation of COVID-19 that appears to make it more contagious. The numbers we’re seeing in Texas, Arizona and Florida should scare the crap out of people in those states.
Do Americans understand we’ve handled this so badly the European Union has banned Americans? We’re a plague nation as I predicted on Day 98. We’re in a worse place than one of my early posts where I simply linked an article on possible outcomes of this pandemic and one of my West Point classmates said it was a “load of crap.” I guess we’re in a load of shit now?
We’re headed into a holiday weekend where I suspect, based on recent actions, many Americans will ignore basic protocols. They’ll get together for barbeques, attend functions where there are lots of people. Our own president will lead the way at a fireworks display where there will be no social distancing and no requirement to wear masks. Think on that.
The surge we’re seeing now will turn into a tsunami near the end of July. The overload that was feared in New York City on the healthcare system that many people laughed of later saying it was fear-mongering is going to slam rural areas and states that screwed up. Arizona. Florida. Texas. South Carolina. Georgia. And more. I just watched a video of protestors in Florida marching with American flags flying shouting “my body, my choice” about not wearing masks. The problem is, its other people’s bodies too. It’s all of us.
What can you do? WEAR A MASK. Don’t go to parties or firework shows.
Understand we’re not even halfway through this. There will be no miracle.
The science doesn’t care what your beliefs are.
The Green Beret Pocket-Sized Survival Guide (same as above, minus the preparation part in order to be smaller in print)
The Green Beret Preparation and Survival Guide. Also in Kindle Unlimited.
Why didn’t you mention the protests spreading the disease in your blog? In California, we were showing declining numbers at the reopen point, then we had the protests, and 1 month later a huge spike.
Certainly. And if the protests didn’t occur, then all the problems are solved. The Federal Task Force in charge of testing and contact tracing can do its job. The emergency act to produce PPE can get going. The nationwide federal policy on masks can work. The Federal mandates on opening/closing can be enforced. The fine leading by example from the Administration can have effect.
Oh wait. None of those things exist. But hey, have some beans.