Humans are really good at adapting to what life throws at them and so we can start to think of and accept any new situation as "normal". It helps us cope and survive.
It is normal in a pandemic to use isolation, quarantines, testing, etc. to try to save lives and suffering. It is not normal to accept the fact that if the President had taken warnings seriously and taken swift and appropriate action lives would have been saved but "oh well, that's Trump". Now he is retweeting "fire Fauci" tweets because Fauci dared to say lives could probably have been saved if steps had been taken sooner. Well, yes!
I can't feel it is normal for over 3,300 nursing home residents to have died as the virus rages through care homes. Or that over 22,000 people total have died in the US to date. Or that we are asking low paid workers in critical service areas including farming and care for the most vulnerable to show up for work with no testing available and little PPE. Or that some governors still won't issue stay at home orders and way too many people violate the orders that exist in most of the country. Or that people believe it is a conspiracy not a disease.
It is not "normal" that over 17 million workers have suddenly lost their jobs and little is being done to help them. Or that countless more have lost income from reduced hours, failing businesses or work that is not covered by unemployment insurance.
It is not "normal" that we continue to hold immigrants in unsanitary, crowded detention centers with little or no healthcare. It is not "normal" that the President refused to reopen enrollment for Obamacare apparently because of his hatred for Obama.
As I sit here safe in my lovely home and retired with a stable and good income, I am angry at the squandered opportunity to have had less of this suffering and refuse to accept this as normal.
I don't know what to do about it though and that is the hardest part.
Back later in the week with more uplifting posts.
Sometimes we need to release our frustrations and anger. You wrote for many of us who are feeling the same way that you're expressing here for all the same reasons.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteYes yes yes. I find it difficult to read bloggers still praising the loser when it is so clear that he is clearly nuts and cares for no one except himself and his family. All countries failed to act quick enough but based on this disease I fear that no amount of advance warning would have gotten us all out of it.
ReplyDeleteYou are right - we couldn't have gotten out of all of it but we could have had the PPE manufactured or in process, distribution plans in place, etc. Lives would have been saved.
DeleteExcellent post. When you wrote "I don't know what to do about it though and that is the hardest part." That is exactly how I am feeling.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe the ideas some people have about this covid 19 virus. A person who I care about, is smart, and has always had good common sense, said that "the corona virus is just the common cold virus". I don't know where my acquaintance got that information. Yes some of the normal cold viruses that go around are corona virus, but the Covid 19 virus is not the common cold corona virus. That is like saying a Panda is a bear, and not considered very dangerous, so since a Grizzly is a bear it is not very dangerous.
The misinformation that has been spread regarding this Covid 19 virus has been spread thick by some news sources and politicians, and I am sure has added to the high rates of infection in this country.
Take care.
I agree. Thank you.
DeleteI hope that the American people realize that the situation with Trump is dangerous. If experts like Dr. Fauci are disregarded or fired, more lives will be lost. Most of our deaths in Canada have been in nursing homes and there are already some investigations going on. Our province has standardized wages and PPE for private and public nursing homes. Previously, poorly paid care workers were employed in multiple facilities and transmission occurred. Healthcare should be available to everyone and no one should die because of greed.
ReplyDeleteSounds like your province has taken some excellent action.
DeleteWhat is happening right now while necessary will never be normal to me.
ReplyDeleteWe have the same types of things happening up here in Canada as well. No matter what our Prime Minister does we have a Conservative opposition that says it is not enough. That they would have been more prepared..... I am sick and tired of politicians that are using the deaths of our elderly to run a campaign.
God bless.
I don't know about the situation in Canada but the US could have responded so much better so easily. No fired pandemic team and cut CDC budget. No ignoring warnings once the situation in Wuhan became obvious. No expired or not-working supplies and equipment in the national emergency stockpile. Etc.
DeleteWe are having the same type of problems up here in Canada. I am so tired of the opposition using this disaster as a means to campaign.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I feel your frustration, but it's not hopeless. The govt. is passing out $2 trillion or so to individuals and small businesses to help them get through this. The death rate in the U.S. is lower than Italy, France, Spain or almost every other place, thanks to the heroics by our medical people. And Americans in general have been following recommendations to stay at home, and help out what nad how they can. It's tough, but all is not lost!
ReplyDeleteCovid 19 Death rates as of April 12, 2020
DeleteItaly: 20,000
France: 14,000
Spain: 17,000
US: 28,000
Just sayin'.
I agree that most of the American people are doing the best they can but why should we be scouring storage closets, wearing cloth masks that won't stop the virus and burying the dead in a potter's field when the warnings for action were sounded in January and ignored and the pandemic team fired long before.
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