In the interest of balance, let's be fair. If you spread the virus--say, through recklessness--and that causes someone to die who otherwise would have lived, then there is motive to take measures to stop the spread. Without virus: person A lives, with preexisting health conditions. With virus: person A dies. Does not get to see relatives in-person when they die, hardly anybody at their funeral. Your last words are basically to an anesthesiologist who puts you on a ventilator.
There is a problem there. We don't stop the world for influenza, and people die from influenza. And even before Covid, we were always told to wash our hands, not touch our face, don't go to work sick, etc.. If Covid is one order of magnitude worse than influenza, then an increased level of measures to try and stop its spread is warranted. Doesn't mean we stop the entire world over it, stop the meat-packing plants, let the crops out in the fields rot rather than hire seasonal workers, and rush in martial law to "protect" us. But it does mean do more than what we already did for influenza.
Excellent point, and this has been my issue with lockdown measures all along, the overwhelming feeling that the measures are completely out of proportion to the level of the threat.....we've never seen anything like this done to protect human life, ever.
Take Peanut allergies, a serious and life threatening issue. We took steps, in pretty much every school now peanut butter sandwiches or anything with nuts is strictly verboten. But we didn't ban the sale or use of peanuts and nut related products like peanut oil across the board. Other than that its up to individuals and their parents to protect themselves, to read labels and to ask questions in restaraunts.
This novel coronavirus and the Covid-19 illness that can result is so hard to get a handle on though. Reporting seems to be all over the map. In the United States the Federal Government is doling out lots of cash to hospitals that have been hard hit, which lends a c level of logical credence to many anecdotal claims that numbers have been inflated....the more covid patients being treated and the more deaths resulting from the disease can mean more money for a privately run hospital, and who doesn't like extra funding. So, when in doubt, call it Covid....if this is happening it would not surprise me one single bit.
Then there's the whole question of mortality. What's the rate? We're told that the identified cases are just the proverbial tip of the iceberg, that the number of actual infections is likely at least 10x higher than what is typically being identified, and possibly as high as 55x greater based on larger random sampling from places like NYC and California as well as Great Britain.
I'm looking at Iceland, which has 1,802 confirmed cases and just 10 deaths. If those 1,802 cases represent just 10% of the real total then the mortality rate is almost insignificant. Even if the 1,802 is the total actual number of cases (meaning there were no untested asymptomatic carriers in Iceland at all) then the mortality rate is still just 0.55% if my math is right....which is about 5x greater than season flu, but way lower than the 4 to 5% we were told justified putting national economies into a coma.
The sooner things open back up the better in my opinion, but I know that's just my opinion and that others are genuinely afraid about the coming second wave. Obviously governments can take measures to keep people locked down....but there's no way to force people to go back to normal. I think its going to be a long time before a majority of people are at ease with engaging in something like a trip to the mall, or even having people over for an outdoor BBQ for that matter.
Its going to come down to individual responsibility, as with so many things in life. Those who are elderly and/or with health conditions, its going to be up to them to be hyper vigilant, or if they're in a care facility....for the staff to do everything possible to keep them safe. As for those who are younger and otherwise healthy, obviously its not a good idea to visit vulnerable people....I have an 87 year old aunt that I adore and would love to visit....and I will, even if a vaccine isn't developled....but I'll see her outside and I won't get closer than 6'.....
Such a strange time....I just can't wait to get back to church. Streaming an on-line service, rather than bringing me closer to my Lord I find it just annoys me....I can't centre myself sitting in my living or dining room the way I can during worship inside the sanctuary....the beeps and noises, the dog barking....it takes me out of the space I need to be in, and I miss it so much my frustration boils over.
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