As they say, “TGIF.” And another week notched under the CoronaCareᵀᴹ lock down—at least here in Illinois. But I’m thinking time’s about up.
Did you see this yesterday?
For those of you still wiping down groceries and other packages amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, breathe a sigh of relief: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now says the novel virus “does not spread easily” from “touching surfaces or objects” — but experts warn that doesn’t mean it’s no longer necessary to take “practical and realistic” precautions in stopping the spread of COVID-19.
This, after scaring us with warnings like, “the coronavirus can live for hours to days on surfaces like countertops and doorknobs. How long it survives depends on the material the surface is made from.” That may still be true, but now we’re told it “does not spread easily” from touching surfaces.
Oh.
Well, inanimate surfaces are one thing, but standing too close to a real, live person is where the true threat lies. Right?
Nope. “On Wednesday morning, professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist who sits on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, questioned [the two-metre rule for social distancing], saying he had tried to trace the scientific justification for it but couldn’t. The evidence, he said, was ‘fragile.'”
What? There’s no scientific justification for standing six feet apart? But I was told by my own governor, JB Pritzker, that we just needed to follow the science and we would see “what it looks like to put your faith in science and research”!
Sooo, we don’t need to stay six feet apart using pool noodle hats like some SARS-infected beanie. But if we’re going to stand closer together, perhaps we should keep wearing masks.
They don’t work, either. “There is no scientific evidence they are effective in reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”
Wait … you’re telling me there’s no scientific evidence to justify wearing a face mask? Even Dr. Fauci exposes the fraud? I can’t believe it. I mean, Target and Walmart and Home Depot tell me I have to. What is this world coming to if I can’t trust them?!
OK, fine, I don’t have to, but maybe for the sake of the children I should wear one anyway. What’s that? Children aren’t as susceptible to the virus as originally feared?
When school closures were initially proposed to control an epidemic, planners had influenza in mind. Flu spreading within schools and children are the main source for transmission in the community. But COVID-19 is not the flu.
Far fewer children are affected by COVID-19, and the number of transmissions from children to children and children to adults is far less.
But what about all those vulnerable people with comorbidities and the seemingly healthy people who get really sick from it? Shouldn’t we stay locked down until this virus burns itself out? This guy doesn’t think so.
“With all respiratory diseases, the only thing that stops the disease is herd immunity. About 80% of the people need to have had contact with the virus, and the majority of them won’t even have recognized that they were infected, or they had very, very mild symptoms, especially if they are children. So, it’s very important to keep the schools open and kids mingling to spread the virus to get herd immunity as fast as possible, and then the elderly people, who should be separated, and the nursing homes should be closed during that time, can come back and meet their children and grandchildren after about 4 weeks when the virus has been exterminated.
That seems to be confirmed by states that have ended their lockdowns, and “have either stalled in COVID-19 case numbers or are beginning a decline. This includes Georgia and Florida, which according to Axios are seeing double-digit declines.”
So, there’s no scientific basis for social distancing or wearing masks, the virus doesn’t easily spread from surfaces, children are less vulnerable, the faster we get to herd immunity, the faster we get through this pandemic and several states that have ended their lockdowns aren’t showing a surge in new cases.
So what’s keeping us from opening Illinois?
Like Pritzker said, only when we put our faith in science and research would we get to see what could really be done. Boy, did he get that right.
* Just as I am not a lawyer, so I am not a doctor. Do not take anything I say here as advice. I am simply making an argument that there is another perspective that we’re not hearing from our “leaders,” who are making drastic decisions based on who they listen to. — DLO