We now are on the downhill side of Covid-19 pandemic and yet many think that we should continue to stay home for the present. And yet many states (and the federal government) have or are going to open parks, allow people to play golf, get your dog groomed, etc.
With advertisements running on the radio and television that tell us that the stay at home order should be followed to prevent further deaths from Covid-19 and yet where are the most deaths occurring- nursing homes! Per Time, “At least 4,813 residents with confirmed or presumed cases of COVID-19 have died at 351 of New York’s 613 nursing homes since March 1, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration’s new list. The list, released late Monday, includes the reported number of both confirmed and presumed deaths as of Sunday evening.” This is just unconscionable. The residents were confined to their rooms and yet too many have died from Covid-19. The governors of New York and New Jersey (and perhaps many more states) have been negligent. The most venerable were not protected properly and it is these deaths that the politicians must bear. Stay at home did not save them and it is not going to save us.
Murphy of New Jersey and Cuomo of New York want people to stay home so the curve would be flattened. Why? So that hospitals would not be overwhelmed. That worked if you listened to them or is the virus running its course and dying out all by itself? Most pandemics do die out because viruses mutate and get weaker and/or because we develop anti-bodies that give us immunity. One problem is that the mutation is different in different regions. With some mutations being stronger and even more dangerous. From New Medical Life Sciences, “With many mutations occurring in the virus, it may become more challenging to develop a vaccine that is effective in preventing the coronavirus disease. Patients with COVID-19 are being treated in hospitals using one treatment, regardless of the strain they have. The researchers suggest that knowing the different mutations can aid in providing the right treatment to patients.” So this means that we may not be able to develop a vaccine in the near term. Many governors do not want to completely reopen without a vaccine.
The big problem is that we must not forget that if our economy tanks, as it is showing signs of doing so, the stay at home order will crash our economy! That means people will not be able pay for the basics like housing, food, transportation, healthcare, etc. There has to be a balance between keeping the public healthy and not destroying our economy. My problem is that while the Economic Stimulus Relief package helped many it is not a substitute for people working to earn a living.
In Wisconsin the Republicans have sued their governor to end stay at home orders and this is what Justice Bradley said, “My question for you is where in the Constitution did the people of Wisconsin confer authority on a single unelected Cabinet secretary to compel almost six million people to stay at home and close their businesses and face imprisonment if they don’t comply with no input from the legislature without the consent of the people? Isn’t it the very definition of tyranny for one person to order people to be imprisoned for going to work?” The Republicans want to end the stay at home order and restart that states’ economy. The problem is that while these orders are done by the politicians with some input by doctors, they want to second guess what will happen when people go back to work.
What should happen? Should we go back to working as we doing before the pandemic or do we hide in our homes? I say we should use some common sense along with science to reopen the door to people going back to work. If we do not do this then who will be able to pay the bills we all have?
That is my opinion- Jumpin Jersey Mike
PS This does not mean that we should not use the CDC guidelines and nor do I suggest that we go about our merry way without using precautions to prevent flareups.
