How much is worth it?


As fears over and public response to covid 19 continues to grow, I must ask the question……   Where is the line?  How much effort is too much effort, in the battle to stop this virus?

 

As we learn more, it seems likely that this virus will be no more dangerous than the flu, when all the data comes in….. maybe a little more.  (part of what is letting it spread easily is that 80% of those who get it never even know they had it.)  the thing that really sets it apart and makes it dangerous is the transmission rate, which looks to be about twice that of the flu.  It spreads faster and easier…. And there exists no one with immunity.   That means that the risk to overwhelming hospitals for those suffering from the worst symptoms is a very real possibility.  Because of this, some response is appropriate and needed.  We do need to flatten the curve, so to speak.  We need to reduce the peak number of cases we will have at any given time in this progression.  It is in the wild, and the ship has sailed on preventing it.  Any vaccines are at least a year out, and it will be several more years before enough could be made to give us herd immunity.  I think everyone has forgotten that this has moved past prevention, and we are now talking about management.  It is about keeping the spread slow enough to not overwhelm the hospitals.  we are unlikely to eradicate it.

While the efforts are needed, there must be some point where we say, “that is far enough.”  Real people’s lives are being destroyed by the response.  Whole industries are collapsing overnight.  Workers, primarily in the poorest professions, suddenly have no work.  To a point this is not avoidable, but when does the destruction of those lives become too high a cost?  The personal awareness and campaign to wash hands and practice all the things we should have learned when we were 4 is great.  Canceling or postponing of large events is great.  The work from home being voluntarily implemented by most companies is great.  I would maybe even grant some wisdom in closing high risk restaurants like buffets.  But does it really make sense to shut down everything?  And it if does, to you…. What would be a step too far?  Do we need marshal law?  Military patrols to enforce compliance?

Personally, the thing that makes me think we need to ask this, is because there seems to be no allowance for exceptions.  People are dying and the family can’t get together and grieve.  Marriages are happening with no celebration.  I understand the technicality of these being “public gatherings,” but we really need to not let the fight against this thing became a fight against living your life….. and consider giving people a pass for these significant and infrequent events like funerals and weddings. 

Posted by Foodd

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