The truth is the scariest part of this pandemic. That truth is that people showing no apparent systems can have the virus and give it to anyone who breaths in their “exhaust”. That means that screening is not enough and isolating the infected is currently impossible. We do not have enough resources to monitor everyone and even if we did the logistics are mind boggling. Drive_Thru testing sites will be a key part of the logistics. Deciding who gets tested is a major error in my opinion. Testing everyone is the only way to stop this. We need to find the way to build the testing capabilities required to do this. We should also do everything possible to find a vaccine, but best estimates are that we are at least a year before one is approved. To that end you can expect that the approval process will be shortened if a vaccine is developed that kills this bug now. Side effects can and I predict, will be ignored. The focus should be on killing this thing now.
As one of the group of people most at risk of dying from this virus if infected, I have watched or read about everything being presented to the public that I can find on News feeds and Youtube. The Experts are saying that this is going to get much worse. The Politicians are pointing fingers, telling us not to worry and looking to score political points on their incredible lack of knowledge about the science surrounding the virus. I don’t mean just Trump and republicans, there is an equal amount of confusion coming from democrats. Neither side can be trusted. It is the sinister side of the concept that Problems = Opportunity. That phrase was meant to mean the Opportunity side is devoted to solving the Problem, not gaining votes. Fortunately, we have experts to believe that are not polluted with political disease. You need to find them and listen to them. You need to change your behavior to incorporate what they say.
To his credit, Trump has acted decisively. Curtailing Travel from abroad was a good step, but it did not solve the problem. It only delayed the inevitable. You can expect the current guidelines to change in the next few days or weeks. We are headed for a mandatory lockdown. Social distancing is only the tip of the iceberg.
I also expect the states to suspend lotteries nationwide in an attempt to keep us old folks home instead of going to a retail establishment where they can get a Whiff. A Whiff is all it takes to get this bug. Imagine that you are buying the Tickets from an infected symptom free youngster at the 7-11. You take a breath a few seconds after the clerk exhales. I don’t know how many of these bugs you have to inhale to give them a place to live inside of you, but I am opting for Zero. To that end, I am staying home. It will not be a big adjustment for me. I rarely went to town before this started, but I did go there just to by some tickets using my “systems”.
Everyone needs to understand that things are different now. We can only hope that most of what is normal will come back. Do not expect all of it. There will be a new Normal as yet undescribed. Only time will tell.
Pray for a Vaccine and a Cure. Stay home if you can. Follow the Experts and change your behavior. Accept the things that you have to give up right now. I have accepted that myself and it means that I will miss two of my granddaughter’s birthdays in the next few months. It won’t last forever. It will get better (I hope).
Be Smart. The Lottery is not worth dying for.