Reflections on the pandemic.
Apr. 21st, 2020 03:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Who do I know who has either tested positive for COVID-19 or is presumed positive? Effrontery (aka Snuffleupajoyce, my long-time friend from Philadelphia, lives in rural PA), Doctor Dave (cousin's ex-boyfriend, lives in Jersey City, works in Manhattan), Marilyn D. (older woman, friend from AA here in Denver) & her husband Dick (who was hospitalized), Rob R. (friend from AA, visited daughter in NYC & got sick there), TMcD & his wife & their daughter (live in Brooklyn), Mer-Mer (lives here in Denver, presumed positive but couldn't get tested).
It's possible my younger brother had it WAY early, like late November. He spends all his free time skiing & the resorts worldwide have been giant international petri dishes, leading to outbreak hotspots. He had a hard, hacking cough that lasted for weeks, & in December he was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. Obviously at that time there was no testing for COVID-19, so we may never know for sure.
I've become increasingly dismayed at the scientific illiteracy - & especially the innumeracy - of the American public & many of our political leaders. People do not understand how dangerous this disease is. They do not understand what a fatality rate of 0.1% would mean if we were not trying to control the spread. But worse, they do not want to understand. Understanding just gets in the way of their rage, it seems. They want to go on thinking this is "just a flu", despite Every. Single. Infectious Disease Expert. specifically saying this is NOT like the flu at all.
I wonder if there will be any long-term effects of this pandemic. Perhaps settlement patterns will disperse somewhat - now that it has been demonstrated that teleworking can be done for many, many jobs, why pay high prices to live in the city? I wonder if people will start to prioritize genuine relationships with other people. I wonder if certain jobs - grocery workers, delivery workers, others who have generally been looked down upon - will be recognized & recompensed at levels appropriate to "essential workers". I wonder if states will continue to ignore the Federal government & work on public health initiatives on their own.
I wonder if the American electorate will hold the Republican President, governors, Senators, & House members responsible for this country's abysmally slow & uncoordinated response accountable on November 3rd. Like a Twitter wise-ass said, Maybe you can't cure stupid, & apparently you can't quarantine it either - but you can vote it out. Here's hoping.
Who do I know who has either tested positive for COVID-19 or is presumed positive? Effrontery (aka Snuffleupajoyce, my long-time friend from Philadelphia, lives in rural PA), Doctor Dave (cousin's ex-boyfriend, lives in Jersey City, works in Manhattan), Marilyn D. (older woman, friend from AA here in Denver) & her husband Dick (who was hospitalized), Rob R. (friend from AA, visited daughter in NYC & got sick there), TMcD & his wife & their daughter (live in Brooklyn), Mer-Mer (lives here in Denver, presumed positive but couldn't get tested).
It's possible my younger brother had it WAY early, like late November. He spends all his free time skiing & the resorts worldwide have been giant international petri dishes, leading to outbreak hotspots. He had a hard, hacking cough that lasted for weeks, & in December he was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. Obviously at that time there was no testing for COVID-19, so we may never know for sure.
I've become increasingly dismayed at the scientific illiteracy - & especially the innumeracy - of the American public & many of our political leaders. People do not understand how dangerous this disease is. They do not understand what a fatality rate of 0.1% would mean if we were not trying to control the spread. But worse, they do not want to understand. Understanding just gets in the way of their rage, it seems. They want to go on thinking this is "just a flu", despite Every. Single. Infectious Disease Expert. specifically saying this is NOT like the flu at all.
I wonder if there will be any long-term effects of this pandemic. Perhaps settlement patterns will disperse somewhat - now that it has been demonstrated that teleworking can be done for many, many jobs, why pay high prices to live in the city? I wonder if people will start to prioritize genuine relationships with other people. I wonder if certain jobs - grocery workers, delivery workers, others who have generally been looked down upon - will be recognized & recompensed at levels appropriate to "essential workers". I wonder if states will continue to ignore the Federal government & work on public health initiatives on their own.
I wonder if the American electorate will hold the Republican President, governors, Senators, & House members responsible for this country's abysmally slow & uncoordinated response accountable on November 3rd. Like a Twitter wise-ass said, Maybe you can't cure stupid, & apparently you can't quarantine it either - but you can vote it out. Here's hoping.
