COVID-19 Now
What are the facts that we know (in terms of containing the virus).
- If we don't have a complete quarantine, the virus will continue to spread.
- Everyday that businesses are closed will hurt our economy.
Two basic facts, both true, that need to be balanced in terms of managing our communities and country. Ignoring one completely, in favor of the other, with be a disaster.
To me, it comes down to this...Everyone is going to get infected unless we have a vaccine (and there is no guarantee that will ever happen, although it is also possible we have one available in 6 months). The balance seems to be to open the economy as much as possible while managing infections so that hospitals are not overwhelmed, at-risk populations are protected, and new treatments can be developed. Making matters infinitely more complicated is that communities are not isolated, and a lax policy in one state will impact the others.
Other thoughts
- The stock market is down 20% from the all-time high a few months ago. How is it not lower? Huge industries may never be the same. Without a vaccine, or significantly better treatments, this is going to go on forever.
- How to we not know if people with the antibodies can spread the virus. This is critically important and seems very easy to test.
- I am growing a wizard beard for Molly.
- I am trying to re-learn trigonometry to help Molly with her schoolwork (it isn't easy).
- I am relearning fractions to help Destiny with her schoolwork (it is pretty easy).
- Teaching is hard (although Lindy is doing almost of it at home).
- I have been pretty impressed with the structure of Google Classroom, but terribly disappointed with how the teachers are utilizing it (mostly from an organizational standpoint).
- At home, I learned to install a drywall sheet onto the ceiling in my garage (there was a leak in the shower, which I fixed). I also built a wooden ramp to my shed . Like all things I learn, if I had any experience it would have taken 1/3 as long.
- My next project is to swap out regular light switches with smart switches.
- Foxnews.com and Fox News on TV are pretty different.
- This crisis is an opportunity to proclaim that our elected leaders actually have to be qualified, rational, intelligent, and honest. We can't keep getting by with people who are just passionate and charismatic.
- There is no reason not to have early voting in every important election (once again I feel shame that when Obama was President and had majorities in both houses, the Democrats didn't make these things happen).
- My cat wakes me up every morning at 6am to let her our. We had a cat door, but our cat let her friend in (and Lindy is allergic to other cats). We got a cat door with a microchip, but it doesn't fit in our door.
- Even with the cat, I am getting more sleep than ever before (at least since Molly was born). It's nice.
- My biggest (selfish) fear is that working remotely will become the norm and there will be no value to owning a house near NYC (causing a housing market crash).
- COVID-19 is bad, but it could have been much worse. A few small changes in its DNA could have led to hundreds of millions of deaths and complete anarchy. Imagine a virus with a 5% mortality rate, that effects all ages the same, in which immunity only lasts a few months.
- There is no accurate information to say that virus started in a food market or a lab. I think it is very reasonable to investigate the fact that the only lab in China certified to deal with these types of viruses was nearby. Facilities should be accountable to ensure safety (as should any facility, anywhere in the world that deals with these types of viruses.
- For all our technology, our treatments for a virus are almost insignificant compared to what our bodies can do.
- There is so much, but that it all for now.
- If we don't have a complete quarantine, the virus will continue to spread.
- Everyday that businesses are closed will hurt our economy.
Two basic facts, both true, that need to be balanced in terms of managing our communities and country. Ignoring one completely, in favor of the other, with be a disaster.
To me, it comes down to this...Everyone is going to get infected unless we have a vaccine (and there is no guarantee that will ever happen, although it is also possible we have one available in 6 months). The balance seems to be to open the economy as much as possible while managing infections so that hospitals are not overwhelmed, at-risk populations are protected, and new treatments can be developed. Making matters infinitely more complicated is that communities are not isolated, and a lax policy in one state will impact the others.
Other thoughts
- The stock market is down 20% from the all-time high a few months ago. How is it not lower? Huge industries may never be the same. Without a vaccine, or significantly better treatments, this is going to go on forever.
- How to we not know if people with the antibodies can spread the virus. This is critically important and seems very easy to test.
- I am growing a wizard beard for Molly.
- I am trying to re-learn trigonometry to help Molly with her schoolwork (it isn't easy).
- I am relearning fractions to help Destiny with her schoolwork (it is pretty easy).
- Teaching is hard (although Lindy is doing almost of it at home).
- I have been pretty impressed with the structure of Google Classroom, but terribly disappointed with how the teachers are utilizing it (mostly from an organizational standpoint).
- At home, I learned to install a drywall sheet onto the ceiling in my garage (there was a leak in the shower, which I fixed). I also built a wooden ramp to my shed . Like all things I learn, if I had any experience it would have taken 1/3 as long.
- My next project is to swap out regular light switches with smart switches.
- Foxnews.com and Fox News on TV are pretty different.
- This crisis is an opportunity to proclaim that our elected leaders actually have to be qualified, rational, intelligent, and honest. We can't keep getting by with people who are just passionate and charismatic.
- There is no reason not to have early voting in every important election (once again I feel shame that when Obama was President and had majorities in both houses, the Democrats didn't make these things happen).
- My cat wakes me up every morning at 6am to let her our. We had a cat door, but our cat let her friend in (and Lindy is allergic to other cats). We got a cat door with a microchip, but it doesn't fit in our door.
- Even with the cat, I am getting more sleep than ever before (at least since Molly was born). It's nice.
- My biggest (selfish) fear is that working remotely will become the norm and there will be no value to owning a house near NYC (causing a housing market crash).
- COVID-19 is bad, but it could have been much worse. A few small changes in its DNA could have led to hundreds of millions of deaths and complete anarchy. Imagine a virus with a 5% mortality rate, that effects all ages the same, in which immunity only lasts a few months.
- There is no accurate information to say that virus started in a food market or a lab. I think it is very reasonable to investigate the fact that the only lab in China certified to deal with these types of viruses was nearby. Facilities should be accountable to ensure safety (as should any facility, anywhere in the world that deals with these types of viruses.
- For all our technology, our treatments for a virus are almost insignificant compared to what our bodies can do.
- There is so much, but that it all for now.
Comments