EVERYTHING SHOULD BE CLOSED EVERYWHERE NOW!!!
Since the plague of Justinian back at the end of the Roman Empire through the “Black Death” (a name not applied until the 400 years later) beginning in 1347 and the recurrence of the Bubonic plague in 1890’s China, the great influenza death pandemic after WW I, through today there is one common denominator.
Social distancing SAVES LIVES. There was never any cure found for the influenza plague and none yet for this COVID-19 pandemic so we still have no medical treatment, however we do know that simply staying at home and out of crowds WORKS. (The Bubonic plague is bacterial and, except for a new antibiotic-resistant strain in Madagascar, can easily be treated.)
Now that all but the terminally resistant to the truth know what is happening there is less need for articles about the coronavirus, or so you might think. But on Thursday many were amazed to hear the Governor of Georgia (which hadn’t been closed down yet) say that he had only now learned that people without any symptoms could still spread the virus.
That information was widely known for several weeks so if one of the 50 people who will determine if Americans live didn’t understand such basic facts, obviously more discussion is necessary and perhaps even useful.
Here are a few things I want to suggest or tell you about.
1 Face masks are to protect OTHERS from YOU.
If you have the virus so when you see someone without a mask near other people they are showing absolute anti-social tendencies.
Unless they had just been tested and then totally isolated they can’t know whether they are killing others by their mere maskless presence or not.
The mask is to catch the small droplets of moisture carrying the virus which we all breathe out even when talking.
That’s not dying for fashion, but murder for fashion. The first is admirable because Darwin always wins out eventually. The latter deserves a lifetime of shunning and job rejections. They are either too selfish or too stupid to contribute to the gene pool in a civilized society.
A note on facemasks and President Trump
His choice not to wear a facemask is fine. There might be a psychological benefit to his wearing one by removing any stigma or showing how important it is, but there is also a benefit to him showing he is healthy. He, VP Pence, and several others in the White House are being tested daily and, since the mask is to protect others – he is not endangering anyone, therefore, he is one of the few people for which a mask is not necessary.
2 This Disease is incredibly easy to transmit to other people, far worse than the common cold or influenza.
The coronavirus can stay active and dangerous for up to an hour in the air just from someone breathing so we must avoid even walking through the space someone just left. That person who just jogged past you might kill you without ever even knowing you were there.
3 #2 explains exactly why “almost” isolating is not isolating at all.
4. What can YOU do to help?
If you are over 60, have small children at home with you, or have any underlying condition which includes obesity, diabetes, asthma along with the many other diseases, you should NOT try to help anyone else physically.
In all seriousness, the absolute BEST thing you can do is stay completely isolated so you don’t take up hospital space. Order food and necessities then are very careful about handling them since they will remain contaminated for between hours and days. Leave drygoods in the sun or outside if practical. Use extreme caution with anything cold perhaps putting it in a plastic bag you already have before placing it in the fridge. I spray most things with alcohol or a generic disinfectant or highly diluted Clorox.
Sitting on a couch watching TV, or chatting with friends on the phone is an act of patriotism even if your local or state government hasn’t yet realized that crowds equal DEATH! No exaggeration or hyperbole at all, going among a crowd of other people (ANY CROWD which means more than one person), is risking death or murder, manslaughter at a minimum.
4a Church.
Many people get great comfort from their religion but from a COVID-19 standpoint going to a crowded church is just like going into a crowded nightclub.
It has been said that God protects fools and innocent, but there has seldom been any real-world example.
Religious gatherings were the epicenter or starting point of massive infections in South Korea, Japan, Italy, England, and several U.S. States, including New York where a Manhattan lawyer attended services north of the city and unknowingly infected scores of others.
That was weeks ago when we didn’t know how dangerous this was and he certainly didn’t know he was infected, but church services and funerals have been the major source of this infection in a number of cases so even if the Governor of Florida is terrified of political backlash and permits churches to stay open, please don’t be an idiot. Pray at home.
And, in all seriousness, as an ordained minister myself (an online ministry) I seriously say that if years of religious devotion hasn’t been enough to endear you to your supreme being, one more Sunday won’t help.
5 Social media lets you do what I am doing – warn, comfort, encourage, and educate others.
You should stay in contact with everyone you know as often as possible, even organizing Skype parties – if you didn’t know, Skype is Microsoft’s FREE video conferencing program. Poker would be difficult, but some board games can be played remotely, checkers as well as chess, and even Monopoly, countless others. This is important both to keep up your spirits but also to help others stay connected so they don’t get cabin fever so bad they violate isolation.
6 Money – U.S. Only
The present information from the government is that anyone who gets Social Security or SSI payments already has direct deposit information on file with the government and don’t need to do anything, your $1200 should be direct deposited in two or three weeks. If you have a dependent and do not file taxes then you need to do so to register the dependent otherwise you may not get the $500 they should receive. The system for doing so has not been launched on the Web as of Saturday, April 4. Apparently the IRS just fouled up the text the other day when it appeared to be saying we would all need to file blank tax returns.
7 Tokyo is going to be much worse than NYC.
Japan doesn’t even have a state of emergency in place as of Saturday, April 4 and Tokyo the most densely populated city on earth with the possible exception of Hong Kong which is now experiencing a resurgence of the coronavirus due to returning nationals.
But the big danger is that Japan’s over 60 population is 33% of the total population, higher than the percentage of Italians which was in part why there was such a disaster in northern Italy.
There is even a dark suspicion that this first world country with a high percentage of elderly and already facing catastrophic demographics has top government officials who would not mind seeing a lot of seniors passing away if they can avoid blame.
Finally
While thanking doctors and nurses for bravely doing their professional best, we need to remember that orderlies, janitors, and other people who may only be making a bit more than minimum wage are taking exactly the same risks.
When this global and national disaster is over people will remember which sources were quick to provide useful and factual information.
You should also make note of which government officials and neighbors ignored the threat their decisions posed to you and your relatives or friends.
U.S. President Donald Trump has stated “I take no responsibility” and “Governors should have been better prepared,” even “The National Stockpile is NOT for the States to use.”
New York, facing a disaster and after weeks of begging for Federal help finally received a large shipment of the mechanical ventilators which were so desperately needed. CHINA sent 1,000 and Oregon sent 100.
POTUS is repeatedly giving out highly misleading or actually false information which pandemic expert Dr.Fauci repeatedly has had to correct only moments later. When people need to trust the government there are constant mixed messages from the White House. Early on test kits were offered by the WHO more than a month before the CDC developed one but the U.S. government refused the offer.
I’ve been cautioning people and organizations to prepare for this pandemic since mid-January.
My latest articles about the pandemic threat
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Summer won’t slow the spread of COVID-19
https://newsblaze.com/usnews/health/summer-wont-slow-the-spread-of-covid-19_162003/
COVID-19 It’s all about the numbers, just multiply by 2.
https://newsblaze.com/usnews/health/covid-19-its-all-about-the-numbers-just-multiply-by-2_162008/
Comparing US COVID-19 response to a bus filled with grandparents teetering on a cliff edge.
https://newsblaze.com/usnews/health/comparing-us-covid-19-response-to-bus-filled-with-grandparents-teetering-on-cliff-edge_161969/
U.S. Government grinds to a stop from COVID-19 as trust fails.
https://newsblaze.com/usnews/health/u-s-government-grinds-to-a-stop-from-covid-19-as-trust-fails_161918/
Growing anger over the response in the U.S.
https://newsblaze.com/usnews/health/covid-19-growing-anger-over-the-response-in-the-united-states_161916/
Preparing for the coming pandemic
https://newsblaze.com/usnews/health/covid-19-preparing-for-coming-pandemic_161847/
Who am I to write about this pandemic?
25+ years as an emergency management coordinator for two municipalities.
I hold 3 FEMA certifications, one is specifically about FEMA logistics.
I have access to the press-only WHO press briefings and embargoed press releases.
I subscribe to Science, The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, and receive Nature. Science is the top U.S. peer-reviewed general science journal and Nature is the UK equivalent.
COVID-19 Infections and Deaths by U.S. state and by country.
NEJM COVID free access online information https://www.nejm.org/coronavirus?query=RP
