There are literally tens of thousands of memes circulating on the internet about the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are funny. Some express satire. Others are directed at one political party or the other, at one political personage or another. And then there are some like this one.
This attempt at an analogy is ludicrous. This meme betrays a very simplistic view of the world. A viral epidemic is not a roller coaster. There is no last bolt that can be tightened so that one can say one is safe from getting the virus. This kind of mindset has been generated by the hysterical reporting of the media. The media has been beating a drum that one is exposing oneself and others to serious risk of mortality if one gets too close to anyone.
The science of this viral epidemic has shown this is not true. Now I am not talking about the models that have been so wrong so consistently. I am talking about the stats that have been collected from the real world. It is now becoming apparent that the mortality rate will be similar to that of the flu. In fact, the mortality rate below the age of 50 is microscopic in nature.
There are groups of people who can be at more risk than others. These groups include the elderly, particularly those with co-morbidities as well as those with compromised immune systems. Again, no different than the issues with the flu. Will some require hospitalization? Yes. However, the idea that there will be a 20% hospitalization rate has turned out to be wildly off base.
Will COVID-19 be with us in the future? Probably, to some extent. Just as with the flu, there may be a need to shut down a school or business for a few days if a particularly bad outbreak occurs somewhere. Will we continue to develop therapies that can combat the virus? Without a doubt that is true. After all, this is America. And American exceptionalism is a fact not a myth.
Everyone wants a guaranteed outcome. But, that is not life. It is not a way to live. Any activity in life has some risk.
It is time to return to normal activities. Some areas may need to re-open more slowly than others. After all, the situation in NYC is not the same as Billings, Montana. The idea that everyone in the country should stay locked down in their homes because of the situation in NYC is ridiculous. There is no final bolt to tighten that will say that all risk has been eliminated. The idea that we need to eliminate the last viral particle before we resume normal activities is just plain stupid. This meme is just preying on the fears that have been generated by the hysterical media.
It’s time to leave our homes and get back to work.