QUESTION: Can anyone out there tell me what our end game is with the Covid-19?
I have NOT done my best to respect the diverse opinions regarding COVID-19 over these past few months. This pretty much sums up my complete and utter lack of motivation to do so.
In late February as the numbers were coming in from China and the virus was reported to be spreading like wildfire, I had a serious, “ohh shit” moment. A decade ago, I had a phase where I could consider myself a ‘prepper’. Was this the time to bail out? Was society on the edge of collapse? Were we in the beginning stages of TEOWAKI (The End Of World As We Know It)? For a number of days, I was apprehensive of the worst – it was easy to let the mind wander down that rabbit hole. And like many others, I was up late hitting *refresh* on the stats websites waiting for W.H.O./C.D.C. to publish the latest data…I stayed up late trying to dig up source data on the virus. Spoke with friends, some of whom are researching MD/PHDs, an ER Chief of a major regional hospital, an owner of a medical testing laboratory, anesthesiologists, and internal medicine doctors. Somehow, I closely know a lot of people in the industry. On the whole, they were quite cautious and preparing for Armageddon. But, I decided to look at the data – I am a numbers guy.
By the last days of February, I was confident enough to post that there were some serious flaws with the way that data was being gathered and reported very much out of context. People were being terrified by numbers that had no basis in reality. The media was applying 4% death figures to the populations of the US and the world – these figures were derived from testing the worst of the worst cases at the time due to extremely limited test capacity. Naturally, the worst of the worst were dying at an alarming rate. As the testing capacity increased, the numbers of confirmed cases skyrocketed, but the death rates plummeted, and it is now clear that the only people who are truly endangered are those who are effectively on their deathbeds from other reasons. The death rates among the people reading this post are roughly quadruple compared to the common flu – which is to say, insignificant. The media props up cases of healthy young people who had a very hard time with the virus, but these cases are at best, anecdotal. Yet the panic, the shutdowns, the mandates, the divisive attitudes continue.
Can anyone out there tell me what our end game is with the Covid-19?What is the magic formula that is going to allow us to sound the all clear?
Is it zero cases?
The only way that will happen is if we just stop testing and stop reporting, which is precisely what many countries have done! A thing like that is easy to do when the healthcare system is ran by a government… If you think that New Zealand suddenly had zero cases, or that China went from reporting tens of thousands to almost none overnight, you really need to reevaluate what raises your bullshit flag. Is it a vaccine?
It took 25 years for a chicken pox vaccine to be developed.
The smallpox inoculation was discovered in 1796 the last known natural case was in 1977.We have a flu vaccine that is only 40% to 60% effective, and less than half of the US population choose to get one, and roughly 20,000 Americans will die of the flu or flu complications.
Oh, you’ll mandate it, like other vaccines are mandated in order to attend school, travel to some foreign countries, etc.
We already have a growing number of anti-vaxxers refusing proven, tested, well known vaccines that have been administered for decades. Do you really think people will flock to get a fast tracked, quickly tested vaccine, whose long term side effects and overall efficacy are anyone’s best guess? Are you seriously going to force a needle into someone’s arm at a point of gun? Or say that they cannot buy food without it? Is this really what we have become?
How long are we going to cancel and postpone and reconsider?
You aren’t doing in person school until second quarter?
What if October’s numbers are the same as August’s?
People used to joke that many diplomas and degrees have become trophies of participation. What do we call them now? The entire class of 2020 might as well have an asterisks on their diplomas, which will be with them for the rest of their lives.
You moved football to spring?
What if next March is worse than this one was?
When do we decide quality of life outweighs the nominal risks?
I understand Covid can be deadly or very dangerous for SOME people, but so are strawberries, peanuts, and shellfish.
We take risks multiple times a day without a second thought.
We know driving a car can be dangerous, we don’t leave it in the garage. Some of us even ride motorcycles, which are 23 times more dangerous than cars! I put over 15,000mi on mine last year and I am here to make adventure videos about them.
We know the dangers of smoking, drinking and eating fried foods, yet we all do it anyway.
We speed, we don’t buckle our seatbelts, we take more medicine than directed.
Is hugging Grandma really more dangerous than rush hour on the freeway? Especially if she is craving your hug?
Is going out with friends after work more risky than 4 day old gas station sushi?
Or operating a chainsaw?
When and how did we so quickly lose our free will?
Why is it primarily people in their 20’s – 40’s, who are not at any degree of statistical risk from this, that are the ones predominantly living in fear, whereas the majority of people in their 80’s are the ones most likely to be non-compliant with lockdowns, masking, and distancing?
Is there a waiver somewhere I can sign that says, “I understand the risks, but I choose a life with hugs and smiles, and the state fair and go to a bar and go hug my friends?”
I understand that there is a minuscule possibility I could die, but I will most likely end up feeling like crap for a few days.
I understand I could possibly pass it to someone else, if I’m not careful, but I can pass any virus onto someone else.
I’m struggling to see where or how this ends.
We either get busy living, or we get busy dying.
When the man upstairs decides it’s your time, you don’t get any mulligans, so I guess I would rather spend my time enjoying it rather than stressing over an insignificant risk, and I bet I’m not the only one. I’ll sign that waiver!!!(I copied parts of this post from a friend and interlaced my own comments. Feel free to do the same.)