COVID-19: People & Policy. No Politics, please.

Hi Readers! And Welcome New Readers!

I have enjoyed collecting face coverings with different designs.

Bought a pack in honor of our Heisman-winning-quarterback’s new NFL team – Joe Burrow was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. And I purchased a set with the LSU Tigers’ logo….along with some cloth masks from my favorite designers’ websites.

Who says safe can’t be stylish?

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Enough with the small talk. I’m upset. And disappointed.

Let’s talk about People. Policy. Politics...and not in that order.

POLITICS:

Here’s a disclaimer of sorts. I’ve never felt like demographics predict voting behavior. [suburban – female – Baby Boomer – who loves yoga and SEC football and eating wedding or birthday cake] Anyone who shares my whack-job demographic profile will not have my voting tendencies, I guarantee.

So remember while reading this post – there is no motivation to highlight one party and throw shade on the other. Got that?

I’ve said it many times, I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I am an Independent Centrist with moderate views. I could vote for either party depending on the candidate.

PEOPLE:

I think there are a lot of people who have risen to the occasion with sound leadership….from both parties during this COVID-19 crisis.

I think Governor Cuomo has done a great job keeping my family members – who live in Manhattan – well informed during his daily press conferences.

I must say that I am enormously proud of and grateful for President Trump who has handled this unspeakable pandemic without a playbook to reference. And I have and will always be a ardent supporter of Vice President Pence who is both an honorable man and leader – in my book.

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POLICY:

If you’ve ever read my blog, you know I love words. This pandemic has given me a new vernacular of quasi-scientific jargon which I will never use in any of my short stories or articles.

Asymptomatic Shedders. Comorbidity Factors. Triangulating Data. Syndromic Surveillance. Granular Approach. Aerosolized Suspension.

Goodness gracious. And the countless bar graphs and scatter-grams and moving averages depicted with colorful ombre lines representing all of the states and counties in America.

But let us please ….Forget those $50 words. Ignore the artfully produced visuals. And let’s start boiling down this whole pandemic pandemonium to simple common sense – for the next time America has to endure something of this magnitude.

…. And yes, there will be a next time.

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POLICY FOR MASKS:

How many days, weeks, and months did we hear over and over and over from doctor after doctor…this mantra about masks.

1. “DO NOT BUY THE MASKS!”

2. “DO NOT WEAR MASKS….Unless you are sick.“

3. “MASKS DO NOT PROTECT THE WELL AND HEALTHY from getting this virus…. masks only protect the sick from speading the virus.”

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So here’s a synopsis of what these television doctors have told Americans about masks followed by their explanations for the statements.

Keep in mind as you read the following segment – The doctors who warned us about masks – hold important positions of authority with degrees from the most prestigious medical schools.

“DO NOT BUY THE MASKS!”

EXPLANATION: The American people would have hoarded the N95 masks leaving essential, frontline healthcare workers without adequate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).

It’s totally justifiable to implore us to not buy medical-grade masks. But please level with us. How ’bout wrapping a scarf around our nose and mouth? Tying a bandanna over the tops of our ears? (Everyone in Texas owns a bandanna or you’re not allowed to live here!) Buying a $10 neck gaiter even though you’re not going on a ski trip anytime soon? Wearing a painter’s mask stuffed with Kleenex tissue? There’s a myriad of inexpensive solutions to protect our faces without buying surgical or N95 masks.

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“DO NOT WEAR MASKS….unless you are sick.“

“MASKS DO NOT PROTECT THE WELL AND HEALTHY, masks only protect the sick from speading the virus.”

EXPLANATION: The majority of Americians would feel fully protected with a mask which might lead to ignoring social distancing guidlines.…which increases the spread.

EXPLANATION: People have a tendency to touch and re-adjust the mask constantly which contaminates the mask and subsequently could spread the dreaded germs to the eyes, mouth, and nose.

Give me two frickin’ breaks, will you? I call B.S. on both of those explanations. In a big way. The rule-followers who are compliant and diligent enough to wear a mask will do everything within their power to protect themselves and their families from this evil virus.

Tell a concerned citizen not to touch the face covering and stand far away from others. And guess what? They will do both. Give us some well-deserved credit. We are not idiots.

And by the way, that original 2-3 foot distancing mandate back in March was hardly believed by even the most uniformed person who doesn’t have a scientific bone in their body. There were plenty of articles online about the distance a droplet of spray from sneezing and coughing can travel. Heck, my chihuahua grandson sneezes and it goes into the next room. Thank you for the increased 6-foot directive.

And just for the record, if masks only protect the ill, then why would physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, lab technicians, etc. need masks? With that original mask narrative….that means every medical professional in America was sick with the virus? Or do masks only keep healthy people safe if they work in a specific industry?

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Collectively as a nation, we are smart enough and responsible enough to understand that a face covering doesn’t make us impervious to such a highly transmissible disease.

During March, I ventured out to my local grocery store. I made the personal choice to wear a face covering, a mask from Home Depot I used for painting. (People could tell the exact color I painted my guest bedroom. But who cares during a crisis?) I stuffed the mask with anti-viral Kleenex tissue. I walked into a very crowded grocery store with NOT one cashier or grocery sacker wearing face protection and 99+++% of the shoppers’ faces were exposed.

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Do I believe medical advice was given without thoughtful consideration? Of course not. Do I think the experts can change parameters? Absolutely.

So am I just writing this post to point fingers and lay blame? NO, I’m not at all.

I want America to learn from the blueprints of this crisis.

For the next unspeakable global viral pandemic. For the next world-wide natural disaster. For our children – the Millennials – who count on us to give them sage advice. For your grandchildren. For everyone. Let us learn from this experience.

Sure, I listen to the medical experts. They are smarter than I will ever be. But I urge ALL Americans to also listen to their own inner voice of logical reasoning that calls upon us to NEVER AGAIN ignore basic common sense.…even when the experts try to convince us otherwise.

The physicians told us a common way to become infected with COVID-19 is through mucus membranes (oral and nasal) via aerosolized suspension caused by coughing and sneezing ….so it’s not a huge leap to cover those points of entry when in public. No?

Face Masks. Face Coverings. Whatever you want to call it. What a difference it would have made back in March.

So in early April, America was told to cover our faces. Finally.

Think about it. Could we have possibly kept America open for business by everyone covering their face? Plus… practicing social distancing- the 6 feet variety of distancing? And…with copious amounts of hand sanitizing when washing was unavailable? Would the contagion have been more isolated with everyone in stores and restaurants with masks? I don’t know. But let’s study this catastrophic event…..for the next disaster.