Pandemic 2020: Right back where we started
I can’t believe it’s been 2 months since I wrote anything in this blog. And, unfortunately, things haven’t really changed. I still have a broken dishwasher. I’m still working from home. We’re still ordering takeout. And the coronavirus is still devastating the United States. Other countries, they’re doing better, but the richest country in the world can’t be bothered to take the necessary steps to reduce the risk.
While there’s a lot of blame to go around, the majority of it belongs to Donald Trump. He has done nothing to provide the federal leadership required during a crisis of this magnitude. Instead, he and his shameless band of enablers have started culture wars about whether it’s important to or wear a mask, when to reopen states, and the importance of testing. All of this has helped to extend the first wave of this virus.
And that’s the part that sucks. We’ve been cooped up in our houses for going on five months. We’ve rarely seen our families or friends in person. And now we’re right back where we started—all because the president’s malignant narcissism prevents him from understanding others might know more than he does, or that he needs to think longer term than tomorrow.
For those who think this is all a conspiracy, tell that to the families of the 130,000 people who have died. Tell that to the future Americans who will die because of all this stupidity and disregard for basic science. This isn’t the Dark Ages. We know how viruses make people sick, even if we don’t yet have a cure. And getting that cure will take time, because that’s what needs to happen if we want it to work safely for most people. Magical thinking won’t make this go away. Amplifying some new distraction won’t make it go away.
We need to return to a shared, fact-based reality if we want this crisis to be over sooner than later. Understand that with this virus, you won’t necessarily show symptoms, which means you could be spreading it without even knowing it. So, when you go out in public, practice social distancing and wear a mask.
