"Opening up" means risking your life

[jsteele]

Here are a few things that I think are readily apparent:

1) Without a vaccine, near universal testing, or sweeping use of PPE, "opening up" will spread the coronavirus. We don't have to guess about this. Just look at the Smithfield Foods meat processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Nearly 600 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, 135 others have caught it from those employees. The plant has now been forced to close.

2) Many of the loudest voices calling for "opening up" will not be putting themselves at risk. Higher income folks will continue to telework and socially distance themselves. Trump and Pence dispute the need for widespread testing, but require anyone coming into contact with them be tested beforehand. This sort of hypocrisy will extend throughout the ruling class. "Opening up" means telling working folks to risk their lives for the stock portfolios of those who will remain safely protected.

3) It is true that job losses and economic suffering are being caused by the shutdown. The impact of this can be reduced through government assistance. There is no cure for death.

4) Trump, by offering public support for those protesting shutdown polices, is willing to sacrifice even his own supporters. Similarly, with deaths heavily weighted toward the elderly, Trump willingly endangers the most dependable source of Republican votes.

5) The "original sin" of the US response to COVID-19 was the failure to introduce widespread testing. This, combined with a lost six weeks while Trump attempted to deny the reality of the epidemic, has caused a deep setback for the US response and led to countless unnecessary deaths. Trump is simultaneously pushing testing responsibility to governors and supporting protests against those same governors. He may well have calculated that renewed disease outbreaks in Democratic-led states would help him politically. He is desperate to place blame on everyone from mayors, governors, and members of Congress, to the WHO, or to the media, but will accept no responsibility himself. He is driven by political expediency and willing to sacrifice lives in the process.

The bottom line is that if someone wants to "open up", tell them to go first. Don't put yourself at risk for someone else's stock portfolio or Trump's political goals.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Here are a few things that I think are readily apparent:

1) Without a vaccine, near universal testing, or sweeping use of PPE, "opening up" will spread the coronavirus. We don't have to guess about this. Just look at the Smithfield Foods meat processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Nearly 600 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, 135 others have caught it from those employees. The plant has now been forced to close.

2) Many of the loudest voices calling for "opening up" will not be putting themselves at risk. Higher income folks will continue to telework and socially distance themselves. Trump and Pence dispute the need for widespread testing, but require anyone coming into contact with them be tested beforehand. This sort of hypocrisy will extend throughout the ruling class. "Opening up" means telling working folks to risk their lives for the stock portfolios of those who will remain safely protected.

3) It is true that job losses and economic suffering are being caused by the shutdown. The impact of this can be reduced through government assistance. There is no cure for death.

4) Trump, by offering public support for those protesting shutdown polices, is willing to sacrifice even his own supporters. Similarly, with deaths heavily weighted toward the elderly, Trump willingly endangers the most dependable source of Republican votes.

5) The "original sin" of the US response to COVID-19 was the failure to introduce widespread testing. This, combined with a lost six weeks while Trump attempted to deny the reality of the epidemic, has caused a deep setback for the US response and led to countless unnecessary deaths. Trump is simultaneously pushing testing responsibility to governors and supporting protests against those same governors. He may well have calculated that renewed disease outbreaks in Democratic-led states would help him politically. He is desperate to place blame on everyone from mayors, governors, and members of Congress, to the WHO, or to the media, but will accept no responsibility himself. He is driven by political expediency and willing to sacrifice lives in the process.

The bottom line is that if someone wants to "open up", tell them to go first. Don't put yourself at risk for someone else's stock portfolio or Trump's political goals.

Good points. I would argue though that the original sin was not calling for use of masks immediately. Testing would have needed to start way earlier and with full contact tracing. The US dismantled its public health system a long time ago....so no infrastructure to get that going. Compare to Canada, which is kicking ass with contact tracing and keeping numbers in control.

[Anonymous]

I agree with Jeff. I also want to point out that Canada has fewer people than CA, which is also kicking ass.

[Anonymous]

Pretty certain that at least some people who aren’t part of the “ruling” class would benefit if some businesses opened up if it was deemed safe by reasonable governors of their respective states.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Pretty certain that at least some people who aren’t part of the “ruling” class would benefit if some businesses opened up if it was deemed safe by reasonable governors of their respective states.

They will benefit right up to the point that they are infected with coronavirus.

[Anonymous]

Let's stay shutdown for the next 18 months.

[Anonymous]

there's no magic pot of money for perpetual government assistance. High unemployment and prolonged lockdowns will cause civil unrest. You don't care about job losses because you can afford to hunker down in your comfortable house with your adequate savings while millions suffer.

Mortality rate less than 2%. We have ramped up our medical preparedness, and there are empty beds and unused ventilators even in "hotspots". Drug overdoses, suicide, influenza, heart disease, cancer kill more people annually. Crazy anti-vaxxers will never immunize. We need herd immunity to squelch the virus, not hiding in our homes.

The WHO is in China's pocket, the director is corrupt. If they are squealing about funding, let China fund them. China pays about 10% of what we pay the WHO, and they can afford more.

Since you had to make it about Trump, I'll flip the script. This plan to control everyone's movements, make people dependent on government payouts, and destroy civil liberties is a leftist wet dream. Don't pretend you're not enjoying this.

[Anonymous]

So much nonsense.

Let's see. What's the mortality rate for children? And for healthy adults under 50?

Based on actual data already available, covid-19 is less lethal than the flu for those huge groups of people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:there's no magic pot of money for perpetual government assistance. High unemployment and prolonged lockdowns will cause civil unrest. You don't care about job losses because you can afford to hunker down in your comfortable house with your adequate savings while millions suffer.

Mortality rate less than 2%. We have ramped up our medical preparedness, and there are empty beds and unused ventilators even in "hotspots". Drug overdoses, suicide, influenza, heart disease, cancer kill more people annually. Crazy anti-vaxxers will never immunize. We need herd immunity to squelch the virus, not hiding in our homes.

The WHO is in China's pocket, the director is corrupt. If they are squealing about funding, let China fund them. China pays about 10% of what we pay the WHO, and they can afford more.

Since you had to make it about Trump, I'll flip the script. This plan to control everyone's movements, make people dependent on government payouts, and destroy civil liberties is a leftist wet dream. Don't pretend you're not enjoying this.

So I guess everyone being dead from the virus is a Trump/GOP wet dream, then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So much nonsense.

Let's see. What's the mortality rate for children? And for healthy adults under 50?

Based on actual data already available, covid-19 is less lethal than the flu for those huge groups of people.

Statistic suggest this is not the flu. Please stop trying to compare it to the flu.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:So much nonsense.

Let's see. What's the mortality rate for children? And for healthy adults under 50?

Based on actual data already available, covid-19 is less lethal than the flu for those huge groups of people.

Those groups will still spread it to others. Feel free to get yourself and family infected. If you want to sacrifice yourself to further Trump's political future and improve my stock portfolio, by all means proceed.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:there's no magic pot of money for perpetual government assistance. High unemployment and prolonged lockdowns will cause civil unrest. You don't care about job losses because you can afford to hunker down in your comfortable house with your adequate savings while millions suffer.

Mortality rate less than 2%. We have ramped up our medical preparedness, and there are empty beds and unused ventilators even in "hotspots". Drug overdoses, suicide, influenza, heart disease, cancer kill more people annually. Crazy anti-vaxxers will never immunize. We need herd immunity to squelch the virus, not hiding in our homes.

The WHO is in China's pocket, the director is corrupt. If they are squealing about funding, let China fund them. China pays about 10% of what we pay the WHO, and they can afford more.

Since you had to make it about Trump, I'll flip the script. This plan to control everyone's movements, make people dependent on government payouts, and destroy civil liberties is a leftist wet dream. Don't pretend you're not enjoying this.

There actually is a magic pot of money -- the US Mint. None of us enjoy the lockdown. But without a vaccine, widespread testing, or near total adoption of PPE, opening up will only spread the virus. The choice between staying shut and returning to normal does not exist.

[Anonymous]

Jeff look at South Korea and Germany

They aren't testing everyone

I disagree with you politically but you are a smart guy

Quit spreading fear/falsehoods

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty certain that at least some people who aren’t part of the “ruling” class would benefit if some businesses opened up if it was deemed safe by reasonable governors of their respective states.

They will benefit right up to the point that they are infected with coronavirus.

I’m but sure I follow. The better recommendation, then, will be to remain “shut down” nationwide until a reliable vaccine and universal testing are in place? That would seem to dovetail with Dr. Emanuel’s suggestion that the “shut down” needs up to 18 more months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's stay shutdown for the next 18 months.

This. Anyone who can afford to stay home, should stay home. Done.