Dr. Zeke Emanuel:
The truth is we have no choice. … We cannot return to normal until there’s a vaccine. Conferences, concerts, sporting events, religious services, dinner in a restaurant, none of that will resume until we find a vaccine, a treatment, or a cure."
yet…
I don’t see everything being shut down for 18 months…
Not going to happen. Too many people would likely be dead from ancillary effects of such a prolonged shutdown long before a vaccine.
There are LOTS of viruses that we have no vaccines for, or the available vaccines don’t provide total protection (e.g., the current flu vaccine).
Many of these viruses are just as capable of killing the victim as does COVID-19.
And lately, with all the people who have chosen to avoid vaccinations, we wouldn’t be guaranteed safe even if vaccines are available.
We can’t keep this up. My daughter, who lives in Queens, had a terrible night last night. She said that the homeless population has no place to go now that the 24 hour coffee shops and stores are closed, so they’re just wandering around, and many are noisy (mental illness, perhaps?). And apparently some institution 10 blocks from her apartment released a large number of inmates this week, and THESE folks have no where to go and are just wandering around.
This sounds like some apocalyptic “zombie” movie, but it’s true, and it’s scaring her. She hasn’t been out of her apartment in 2 weeks (has a stockpile of groceries laid in, and her boyfriend comes over after work every day to spend some time with her). She’s working from home, but only for another month and then her job ends, and then she will in all likelihood move back in with us until the economy picks up and she can find work again (she’s in the entertainment industry and also teaches at a college, but only as a “visiting professor” and the college has indicated that no contracts are guaranteed to be renewed for the fall semester.)
No, this can’t continue. People have to work and kids have to be in a real school, not just on a screen. Many of my work associates (I work in a hospital) are quite upset because our public school teachers are available from 11:30-12:30 and from 1:30 until 2:30 p.m.–well, isn’t that special?! Apparently school teachers don’t realize that many people, especially hospital people, are still working, and they aren’t free during those hours to confer with the school teacher! And just because a second parent is home doesn’t mean that they are just sitting around teaching their children–many spouses (mine, e.g.) work from home, so they can’t just cut out of work to confer with a teache!
Grrr. One of my work friends spent her weekend off last weekend doing all the schoolwork that her children had not understood how to do because no one could get hold of the teacher except during those ridiculous hours!!
I’m kind of wondering how these people qualified to teach when they can’t figure out something so obvious.
Anyway, we need to get back to normal life, and yes, some of us will get sick and sadly, some of us will die from those sicknesses–but that’s the way it’s always been. We can’t sanitize everything. Never have, never will. VPres. Biden’s friend is way off.
You make some really good points. I’m curious if those in favor of a protracted shutdown are also in favor of forced vaccinations? AND…also for other diseases making a comeback (chicken pox, measles, mumps, etc)
If I didn’t know any better, this sounds like a morbid plan that would all but assure that many, many Americans would come to accept total dependence on government! But maybe it’s just me.
There is already that undercurrent from certain people; I get that from Dr. Emanuel.
It should be noted that the people who are for a protracted shutdown seem to be either very wealthy (Bill Gates), or people with guaranteed incomes (politicians)
Like I said, insist that all federal and state employees, as well as doctors and teachers forgo all pay for the next 18 months and see how well that is received.
As we speak, federal civilian employees in most agencies sit at home collecting full pay indefinitely, while the greater in number contractor population is told “remember, we are all one team and we are in this together. Good luck feeding your kids, by the way.”
Make the pain universal and see what other options suddenly get proposed.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-52205118
Thousands have died. Thousands of extra deaths and no room in morgues and funeral homes and days waits for burials.
That’s happened in New York with only essential businesses opened, and schools closed for weeks.
Open up the schools and it will spread. Children will bring it to their parents and their grandparents. More deaths.
It’s a novel virus. No natural immunity.
It isn’t the flu. It’s more deadly. The death rate is much higher than the flu.
An antibody test is just as important as an antigen test.
At a certain point, a majority of people with hopefully be immune through survival of either a mild or severe case, giving us a kind of herd immunity.
I don’t know if a mild asymptomatic case gives one immunity. If it does, that would be great.
Looks like the CDC is not trending towards Emanuel’s point of view
So I’ve been to a number of fast food restaurants (going to the drive-thru) over the last few weeks. Each of them employ teenagers…who go home…to their families.
Should we close the restaurants or prohibit anyone below a certain age to work there?
I get what you’re driving at, but my thought is “prolly not”, and here’s why…
In order for there to be a total dependence on the government, you have to have a certain percentage of your population out working, which we don’t have ATM
Neither does Emanuel.
What is “this” and how does it compare to what Emanuel is talking about ?
Is Emanuel talking about a “shutdown”?
Who is in favor of a “protracted shutdown”?
How do the words from the CDC differ, specifically, from those of Emanuel?
I’m referring this quote:
The truth is we have no choice. … We cannot return to normal until there’s a vaccine. Conferences, concerts, sporting events, religious services, dinner in a restaurant, none of that will resume until we find a vaccine, a treatment, or a cure."
Call it what you will, but direct your comments to the part I bolded
How does that differ from the CDC?
From the article
Under the expected new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who have been exposed to someone who was infected would be allowed back to work if they are asymptomatic, take their temperature twice a day and wear a face mask, said a person familiar with the proposal under consideration. The person described the proposal on the condition of anonymity because the draft had not been finalized.
Sends a different message than Emanuel’s quote…
Of course. Fauci talked about work, not socia gatherings. Emanuel talked of social gatherings, not work.
Some people work at sporting events…some people work at concerts…most people work at conferences.
Do you really think that Fauci was talking about this sort of thing? Or just getting back to the office or factory? Does the fact that the models used by Fauci indicate that 97% of the population will remain susceptible after the first wave help inform your impression?