The goal of flattening the curve was to avoid overwhelming the health system. If we’re now shifting the argument to “buying time” so we can develop a vaccine, let’s just say it, and be given some prospective timelines.
Are we looking to simply “buy time” while re-opening the economy to the best of our ability? Are we going for herd immunity like Sweden? Two different things. Those strategies actually look similar for those who have pre-existing conditions or who are 60+: stay home as much as you can until something changes. But the strategies begin to diverge with regard to everyone else, those who are strong, healthy, and not afraid.
For many, wanting to end the lockdown is not about greed or being selfish. It’s survival. People can’t buy food or pay rent or mortgages. Small businesses are closing. Dentists and doctors are going into the red. If the real goal was the destruction of the American fabric, it’s working.
What will happen to general MDs, physical therapists, or home health aides? How many small dentists will survive. How about private schools? No restaurants or caterers. No hairdressers or nail technicians. No gyms. No summer camps or daycares.
“Re-opening the economy” isn’t just about making money. It’s also about avoiding unemployment, poverty, hunger, depression, domestic violence, and the dissolution of family life. A healthy economy is a social justice issue, a human life issue.
Trust the expert scientists they said. This lockdown is the most unscientific, medieval policy error perhaps in world history. Little or no data indicate it was effective, with the worst COVID deaths in the hardest locked down states. The costs are in the trillions, with massive health consequences ignored by modelers.
Millions of young workers that were once solidly middle class are reliant on government checks to feed their families.
Of course, now we find the code for projecting the pandemic is garbage – if it was a commercial release it would get sued. The climate “models” are probably even worse. If anything, this farce should release us from all such “models.”
Question authority, trust yourself.
Tim says
“What will happen to general MDs, physical therapists, or home health aides? How many small dentists will survive. How about private schools? No restaurants or caterers. No hairdressers or nail technicians. No gyms. No summer camps or daycares. ”
As has happened so many times elsewhere, these businesses will be available for plunder by Big Money for pennies on the dollar. You might just think this wasn’t just by accident, but that’s a forbidden thought.
Plandemic, indeed!
Paul Plante says
I always find it quite helpful for the sake of perspective to look to history for a guide, because this is certainly not the first time we as a people have been here.
Has everyone forgotten the 1918 flu pandemic, which is said to have been the the deadliest in history?
It was here in Virginia, afterall.
So what did they do?
How did they handle it?
“Strange Malady Causes Camp Lee Quarantine,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 15 Sept. 1918, 8
“Base Hospital Filled by Influenza Epidemic,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 17 Sept. 1918, 7
“Crusade against Spanish Influenza is Being Waged by State Health Officers,” Richmond News-Leader, 18 Sept. 1918, 1
“Spanish Grip in Modified Quarantine,” Richmond News-Leader, 28 Sept. 1918, 1
“Spanish Influenza Makes Gains in Richmond; Cases Total 340, Doctors Busy,” Richmond News-Leader, 30 Sept. 1918, 2
“May Close Movie Houses to Protect Public Health,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 29 Sept. 1918, 10
“Influenza Safeguards Taken by Dr. Flannagan,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2 Oct. 1918, 14
“Influenza Responsible for 167 Deaths at Camp,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 3 Oct. 1918, 3
“With 466 Cases Reported, Authorities Are Closely Watching Fly Situation,” Richmond News-Leader, 1 Oct. 1918, 1
“Influenza Situation Considered Grave,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5 Oct. 1918, 10
“Epidemic Forces Drastic Action,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 6 Oct. 1918, 1
“Turns Schools into Grip Hospitals; Soda Founts Closed,” Richmond News-Leader, 7 Oct. 1918, 1
“Quickly Organize to Fight Plague of Spanish Grip,” Richmond News-Leader, 8 Oct. 1918, 1
“Hospital Head is Stricken Down,” Richmond News-Leader, 9 Oct. 1918, 1
“Flu Besieges City; 10,000 Cases Here,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 8 Oct. 1918, 10
“More Doctors and Nurses Stricken Ill with Malady that Grips the Community,” Richmond News-Leader, 10 Oct. 1
“Influenza Deaths to Date Total 112 out of 3,853 Cases Reported Officially,” Richmond News-Leader, 11 Oct. 1918, 1
“City Probably Will Take Over Operation of Dairy Business, with Jail Help,” Richmond News-Leader, 12 Oct. 1918, 1
“Doctors Beg for Nurses, Men and Women Alike,” Richmond News-Leader, 12 Oct. 1918, 1
“Peak of Grip Epidemic is Reached Here,” Richmond News-Leader, 14 Oct. 1918, 4
“Doctors Think Influenza Situation Here Continues to Improve,” Richmond News-Leader, 16 Oct. 1918, 1
“Grip Patients No Longer Admitted,” Richmond News-Leader, 26 Oct. 1918, 9
“Epidemic Tide Continues to Ebb,” Richmond News-Leader, 29 Oct. 1918, 15
“Will Lift Ban at Midnight Saturday,” Richmond News-Leader, 30 Oct. 1918, 1
“Defers Action on Lifting the Ban,” Richmond News-Leader, 31 Oct. 1918, 1
“Board Tables Flannagan’s Original Letter,” Richmond News-Leader, 1 Nov. 1918, 1
“Ban Will Not be Lifted Tomorrow,” Richmond News-Leader, 2 Nov. 1918, 1
“Ban is Lifted, Board Voting Two to One in Favor,” Richmond News-Leader, 4 Nov. 1918, 1
“Open Schools at Date to be Fixed,” Richmond News-Leader, 4 Nov. 1918, 1
“Pupils from Grip Homes Barred,” Richmond News-Leader, 5 Nov. 1918, 13
John Marshall High reopened on Thursday, November 7, and Baker School on Monday, November 11. See “High School’s Opening is Tomorrow, Richmond News-Leader, 6 Nov. 1918, 2
“Influenza Patients Will Not Be Received In City Hospitals Until Notice,” Richmond News-Leader, 5 Dec. 1918, 16
“Influenza Again Is Almost an Epidemic” Richmond News-Leader, 2 Dec. 1918, 1
Roy K. Flannagan, “Report of the Chief Health Officers, in Annual Report of the Health Department of the City of Richmond, Va., for the Year Ending December 31, 1918 (Richmond: Clyde W. Saunders, 1919), 7
“Sees No Reason for Closing Public Schools at This Time on Account of the Influenza,” Richmond News-Leader, 13 Dec. 1918, 1
“Closing of Schools Is Deferred by the Administration Until Dr. Flannagan Returns,” Richmond News-Leader, 14 Dec. 1918, 1,13
“Only 87 Cases Reported up to Noon,” Richmond News-Leader, 18 Dec. 1918, 1
Roy K. Flannagan, Annual Report of the Health Department of the City of Richmond, Va., 1919, printed by Clyde W. Saunders, City Printer, 7.
“January Deaths Less than Half as Many as in October,” Richmond News-Leader, 7 Feb. 1919, 7
Roy K. Flannagan, Chief Health Officer Richmond, in 1918 City Health Report
end quotes
Makes one really have to wonder at how absolutely stupid our so-called “leaders” have become since then.
Paul Plante says
THE TROY RECORD
“Rensselaer County sees small increase in COVID-19 cases”
By Nicholas Buonanno nbuonanno@medianewsgroup.com @NickBuonanno on Twitter
May 10, 2020
McLaughlin went on to discuss the need to safely reopen sooner rather than later.
“These numbers show progress, and also show that as a county, we can begin to carefully reopen much of what has been closed.”
“We are looking for a balanced approach that allows for stores and services to be reopened, but with an eye toward maintaining some semblances of social distancing and crowd reduction,” he said.
“We recognize the health impacts of COVID-19, but also recognize that there are growing instances of financial pressure, depression, and anxiety that are also taking a toll.”
“There have been a significant increase in fatal overdoses since the COVID-19 outbreak which should also be recognized,” he added.
Paul Plante says
As to questioning authority, I am always happy for the opportunity to step up to that plate, to wit:
15 May 2020
Maryfran Wachunas
Public Health Commissioner
Rensselaer County Department of Health
Ned Pattison Government Center
1600 7th Ave
2nd Floor
Troy, NY 12180
RE: “State antibody testing results murky as officials decline to release raw data – Questions remain about effectiveness and utility of tests as local leaders are left in the dark” by Cayla Harris and Amanda Fries, Albany Times Union, May 7, 2020; Inane and ignorant statements by Rensselaer County Director of Operations Richard Christ
Dear Commissioner Wachunas:
By way of review, and here I am speaking as a licensed professional engineer further qualified to practice at the associate level as a public health engineer who is quite familiar with the history of the Rensselaer County Health District and Health Department going back to 1946, according to the official record, on 8 January 2020, the CDC issued a health alert with respect to COVID-19 which was distributed to state and local health officers, state and local epidemiologists, state and local laboratory directors, public information officers, HAN coordinators, and clinician organizations, which distribution presumably included yourself as the local health officer in the Rensselaer County Health District.
Thereafter, despite that CDC alert to your office as Rensselaer County Health Commissioner concerning the very real threat of COVID-19, nothing happened in Rensselaer County for the next fifty-four (54) days, until 2 March 2020, at which time Rensselaer Couty put out a misleading and false press release entitled “Rensselaer County Officials Working with State and Federal Officials on Coronavirus Issue,” wherein we Rensselaer County residents were informed as follows, to wit:
With confirmed cases of coronavirus in the nation and the state, Rensselaer County health officials took part in calls with the Centers for Disease Control and the New York State Department of Health regarding the issue.
At this time, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the county.
Federal and state health officials have termed the spread of the illness nationally and in the state as “isolated” cases.
“We want residents to know that our team at the Health Department is monitoring this situation closely and working with state and federal officials to share information and get updates.”
“However, there is no need for undue concern or worry,” said County Executive Steve McLaughlin.
“We have been informed that New York State remains at a low risk for coronavirus.”
“While we are at a low risk, residents are advised to take simple but effective steps to reduce exposure to all communicable diseases,” said Public Health Director Maryfran Wachunas.
end quotes
As we now know, that glib information was in fact false, which raises the very serious question of incompetence and gross negligence or worse on your part as the Rensselaer County Health Commissioner, unless you wish us to believe that the state health department and the CDC were outright lying to you and the County Executive, himself having no role in the Rensselaer County Health District, given his total lack of public health education or training.
Absent proof of that, the assumption right now which is born out by the record, is that it was you and the County Executive who were lying to us when we were informed in that 2 March 2020 press release that there was no need for undue concern or worry about COVID-19, when obviously, there was, although for all those people who have died because of your incompetence or negligence and that lie, it is a bit late for them now, which raises the question of why are you still in office as the Rensselaer County Health Commissioner when you obviously cannot be trusted with the responsibility, which takes us to the May 7, 2020 Albany Times article entitled “State antibody testing results murky as officials decline to release raw data – Questions remain about effectiveness and utility of tests as local leaders are left in the dark” by Cayla Harris and Amanda Fries, where we county residents were treated to the following from Richard Christ, who also has no role to play in the Rensselaer County Health District because like the County Executive, Mr. Christ has no experience or training as a public health professional, to wit:
In Rensselaer County, Crist said they have similar questions and concerns on immunity as well as whether there are other strains of the virus.
“I think there is a lot we don’t know about this disease, and antibody testing will probably give us a window into the precursors of COVID-19,” he said.
end quotes
Given that on 1 May 2020, six (6) days before Mr. Christ made those public statements in the Times Union about Rensselaer County officials, presumably yourself, not knowing much if anything about COVID-19, an incredible statement given the plethora of technical information available on COVID-19, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), which you should have received as Rensselaer Coumnty Health Commissioner, entitled “Public Health Response to the Initiation and Spread of Pandemic COVID-19 in the United States, February 24–April 21, 2020” by Anne Schuchat, MD; CDC COVID-19 Response Team, gave a complete run-down as to what was then known about COVID-19, we can see that the 7 May 2020 public statements of Mr. Christ as a Rensselaer County Health Department spokesperson were both ignorant and uninformed, which seems to be a continuation of the ignorance broadcast in the 2 March 2020 press release about COVID-19 being nothing to worry about, to wit:
Genomic analysis of outbreak strains suggested an introduction from China to the state of Washington around February 1.
However, examination of strains collected from northern California during early February to mid-March indicated multiple introductions resulting from international travel (from China and Europe) as well as from interstate travel.
Sequencing of strains collected in the New York metropolitan area in March also suggested origins in Europe and other U.S. regions.
end quotes
Given the availability of this information to your office on 1 May 2020, why are we hearing ignorant drivel from Rich Christ in the Times Union six (6) days later where he implies or states that you are not competent enough to understand that information from the CDC, or you simply ignored it, like was the case with the 8 January 2020 HAN Alert about COVID?
Why are we still saddled in Rensselaer County with a health department that is a threat to our public health and well-being in Rensselaer County, just as it was in 1988?
Why are we hearing about COVID-19 from unqualified and ignorant persons like Ricard Christ who knows nothing of public health?
As a life-long Rensselaer County resident who is a grandfather over the age of seventy, I would like to know.
Sincerely,
Paul Plante, PE