Back at the end of January, if you would've tried to tell me that I'd be sitting at my desk at work with a mask on and surrounded by hastily constructed foam board barriers to sequester me from my coworkers, I probably would have given you a skeptical look and thought you were blowing things a bit out of proportion. As far as I can recall, January was the first time I heard or read about a worrisome Novel Coronavirus that was starting to reak havoc in China and that had many infectious disease experts in this country sounding the alarm. At first, I thought the same thing as I imagine a lot of people thought: sounds like just another variety of the seasonal flu; not even as deadly it seems. I didn't really understand the aspect of there being no cure or no vaccine and that us humans had zero built up resistance against this new strain. The more I read and heard, the more concerned I became. I had a ton of questions and so did everyone else I knew. The problem was no one had any real definitive answers; even the infectious disease experts admitted that this was a brand new virus and the best they could do was use their experiences and knowledge from currently-known similar viruses to advise the country on what our next steps should be. Correlations were being drawn to the Spanish Flu Pandemic way back in 1918 that left somewhere between 17 million and 50 million dead worldwide. In the U.S., about 28% of the population of 105 million became infected, and 500,000 to 850,000 died.
Surely, over 100 years later and with our advanced medical technology, things couldn't become that bad again, could they? Probably not if, as a united country, we would've all embraced and followed the advice and recommendations of our top doctors and scientists; you know, the 'experts' that deal with these types of viruses as part of their career. But, unfortunately for us, we had Trump driving the proverbial bus and he wasn't willing to follow directions nor could he competently steer or shift the gears. To exacerbate the situation, millions of people -probably more than 1/3 of the country- believed everything that Trump said about the virus. Almost daily, this imbecile would contradict or argue with the experts and with science while making outlandish claims and predictions. From the beginning, before we even had a single confirmed case here in the U.S., Trump was characterizing it as no big deal and saying the country was prepared and ready. Well, now we know nothing could have been further from the truth. It's the middle of November and we're in the midst of a second surge that appears will be much, much bigger and deadlier than the first that we experienced this past spring and summer. And yet there are still plenty of people out there who think this whole pandemic is a hoax or political stunt of some sort. No matter how many times they see the scientific data pertaining to infection rates, deaths, and contact tracing, they still raise their eyebrow and chuckle. All that scientific data and all those experts who regularly extol the importance of properly wearing a mask, regularly washing your hands, and avoiding large gatherings of people somehow aren't convincing enough for these folks who seem caught up in their own little belief bubble. They are unable or unwilling to see or understand the bigger picture. They go by what they see and feel first-hand. That's their reality. It makes sense to them. All that data are just complicated and, at times, confusing. It takes time and brain-power to digest and comprehend. It is much, much easier to just formulate your own gut instincts on the whole pandemic and shrug off anything that doesn't jive with your way of thinking. Again, probably 1/3 of the country, to varying degrees, is unwilling to accept and/or strictly follow the advice of countless scientific experts and skilled doctors. These same people then get upset and belligerent when local and state governments step in and mandate adherence to certain policies. According to these fools, the government folks aren't instituting these rules to save lives or tamp down the surge, they're only really doing it to take away our individual freedoms as American citizens and to bankrupt businesses and ruin the local/state economy. Yes! Of course! That's the goal of every elected official, whether it's at the local or state level. They want to put citizens out of work and ruin the economy because, after all, that kind of stuff makes you a shoo-in for re-election, right?! Brilliant!
I guess I'm just wondering whatever happened to rational, logical thought. People seem content to be spoon-fed their version of reality presented to them daily in their very customized and filtered social media feed. There's a serious lack of analysis and logic and way too much buy-in to conspiracy theories. See, conspiracy theories don't need to rely on any sort of facts; only conjecture and sensational, scandalous innuendo. The facts, after all, are nothing more than intricately woven misinformation perpetrated by 'the deep state' to keep its citizenry in the dark and under control. So, here we are. Rolling back the easing of restrictions because some people couldn't follow three very simple rules: wear a mask (properly, that is), wash your hands, and watch your distance. Pretty damned simple and easy to do. And yet here we are. Obviously, some folks aren't listening. I understand that we're all human and we all slip up from time to time, but I'm focusing and the jackasses who are constantly whining about their freedom being infringed upon and steadfastly maintaining that this virus stuff is all a hoax and a bunch of bullshit. Most experts will tell you the biggest reason for this surge is people aren't doing their part as individuals. There are all sorts of unsafe weddings, parties, backyard BBQs, and other social gatherings that have been pinpointed as the source of super spreader outbreaks of the virus. What really sucks, is the local and state governments are pretty much powerless to police and regulate the activity of private citizens. So, they do focus on what they can police and regulate. And, unfortunately, that's local businesses -specifically bars and restaurants. All of which are currently barely making ends meet, all of which have completely transformed and adapted the way they do business in order to survive. With the exception of a few places that just don't 'get it,' most establishments have been going above and beyond to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for their customers. They've spent thousands of dollars on sanitizing equipment, tents, outdoor furniture, heaters, lighting, etc. If there are any people who should be rewarded during this pandemic it is all those working in the bar and restaurant businesses. Many establishments have even brought back live music, thereby putting some musicians back to work. Incredible, right? And yet these are the places that are now, in effect, being punished because some jackasses can't follow the rules at their own homes or get-togethers. These are the same jackasses, by the way, who come into the bars and restaurants and pitch a hissy fit when they're told to put their mask on or wear it properly. Yup. Not very fair is it? And yet here we are again.
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