I am very glad that children and young adults are not as susceptible to the disease as their grandparents, and that those in the youngest and middle-age brackets who do get infected have high recovery rates.
But to those Americans going to the beach and swimming pools and hanging out on boardwalks this holiday weekend while refusing to wear a mask or follow simple social-distancing rules, and the industry giants and small business owners who believe their personal economic concerns justify reopening businesses before it is safe for the entire community to do so, you dishonor this nation and lack any semblance of patriotism. You have no concern for your fellow Americans and should be deeply ashamed. I suspect, however that you are incapable of feeling shame, just like the manipulative, uncaring, narcissistic, ignorant and toxic man who occupies a desk in the oval office, whom I suspect the majority of these selfish Americans support.
Happily, it's been a cold and rainy weekend in Denver so there is less reason for people to be out in public. But as Colorado's death toll from this virus reaches, restaurants are being green-lighted to open this week, malls and public gyms and even ski areas will also open, my concern is that the inevitable second wave of this virus will send us right back to square one or worse, and shred any notion that what's happening now is a slow and safe reopening.
I'll give the last word to the NY Times editorial board:
[O]ur own decisions, as individuals, will be vital in helping to protect our neighbors. Until there is a vaccine, which could be years from now, the simple acts of wearing a mask and practicing social distancing may be the most reliable ways to stem the spread of the disease and save more lives.
The most patriotic thing that Americans can do right now is not to carry military-style rifles to a protest that shuts down their state legislature, or to spread baseless conspiracy theories online, or to pick fights in a supermarket over reasonable public health measures. The best way to serve the nation is to do the things that we know work, and to help each other out when we fall short. That’s how we protect the most vulnerable among us, restore our economy and reinvigorate the promises at the heart of the American ideal.
I wish you all a pleasant holiday. I thank the medical community, the scientific researchers working around the clock for a vaccine or a treatment, our first responders, and the brave souls willing to continue working at our ravaged elder care facilities. My condolences to those of you who have lost a friend or loved one to Covid-19.
This is an open thread, all topics welcome.
