Corona Blues, Part Deux

Since I began this blog, states and counties have moved to Stages 2 and 3, with Ventura County opening up restaurants -- with guidelines, and Pres. Trump declaring houses of worship as "essential" places. So please bare with me if some of my comments are already outdated.

Maybe I published prematurely, but I find that there is still much on my mind regarding the results of governments' attempts at controlling the spread of this sickness.

For instance, the other day I was listening to the radio and heard a commercial/public service announcement (PSA) that used the phrase, "If you see something, say something." This phrase was coined by the DHS to get people at airports (now anywhere) to report suspicious activity that might be associated with terrorism. There are "training videos" on the site. Click the DHS link and have a look.

So now your fellow Americans are being encouraged to spy on each other if they see, oh say, eleven people gathered together in your backyard instead of ten. Does that mean grandpa has to stay inside while the rest of the family enjoys some socially distanced time together in the garden?

Or what if your family van is carrying you and your spouse and all your kids . . . and you have 6 kids?

People are already paranoid, so let's give them permission to run with that. Read about Corona Snitches here.

It is reminiscent of the spying orchestrated during the Cultural Revolution, when youngsters were educated on how to inform on their neighbors and family. Or what happened after WWII in Europe. I can hear ya saying, "But that would never happen here," and I want to believe you, because the opposite is repugnant to me. We are, after all, the good guys, right? And nobody in the community has a grudge against a co-worker or neighbor, and would use this "suggestion" to embarrass or hurt them. Would they?

I know what you're thinking. "This disease spreads easily and can kill you." I agree. And those who are worried about it should distance themselves from crowds and wear masks. Protect yourselves. Stay home all you want for as long as you want. This virus may never die out. What then?

There are lots of people working on vaccines for the Coronavirus, and I wish them quick success. But, as I mentioned in my previous blog, it is the nature of viruses to mutate. In case you don't already know, that means the vaccines can have little or no effect on the mutations. The common cold is caused by several type of viruses, including corona viruses. And every year most adults get about four colds. Even our own immune system has to constantly battle the mutants. And these aren't ninja turtles.

I haven't seen/heard much about "viral load" or "infectious dose" for SARS CoV-2, but it seems logical to me that the more particles of any infectious vector to which you are exposed, the more severe the symptoms and the duration of the illness. So how much of the coronavirus does it take to make you sick? Mostly, we don't know, but logically, the more the worse. I think that's why being in a crowd of people can expose you to larger viral load.

Another thing that I have been pondering since the inception of lockdown, is the idea that this virus is not a spontaneous mutation, but was orchestrated in some lab. Some doctor on YouTube said that the kind of mutation she was seeing would have taken many more years on its own, which would suggest an engineered strain. I don't know, but it got me thinking. If the Chinese scientists wanted to come up with a cure, they might engineer a strain. According to my HealthGrades newsletter, "Engineered vaccines contain bits of the virus capable of mounting an immune response. Vaccines made this way can be developed very quickly, but it can take time to determine if they work well." Then, perhaps, it escaped from the lab. Kinda like those killer bees imported from Africa to increase honey production from our docile European bees. That didn't work out too well either.

But if this virus was engineered to harm us, then look at how vulnerable we were/are to this sort of thing. Between the sickness itself and the panic-induced draconian measures put in place by various health entities, America was paralyzed.

My takeaway is this. How easy would it be to release a killer organism to bring panic and fear to a nation and destroy their economy enough to make them irrelevant as a world power? And not a shot fired. There are those who think concern over our economy is heartless because we should all be more concerned about those getting sick. Lives matter more than money. Well, of course they do, but that hasn't stopped Planned Parenthood from making a profit. The fact is, that without a strong economy, our country could collapse, taking many other nations with it. Take a look at Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor for a scenario in which such a take down of the American economy takes place. An interesting concept, but Jack Ryan to the rescue.

Now for some good news. According to a NY Times article, published May 22, 2020, "The virus does not spread easily via contaminated surfaces, according to the C.D.C. For those who were worried about wiping down grocery bags or disinfecting mailed packages, the news headlines highlighting this guidance in recent days might have brought some relief . . . The coronavirus is thought to spread mainly from one person to another, typically through droplets when an infected person sneezes, coughs or talks at close range. . ."

They claim that this information has always been known and published, but you sure couldn't prove it by the absence of disinfectant wipes from retail shelves. I think this simple truth got lost amid the deafening sound of fear pouring from the national news media.

As we progress with reopening whatever businesses have survived the forced closures, I think a clearer picture of the actual infection rate and means of spreading, along with deaths and "herd immunity" will emerge. We will have actual facts, rather than speculation.  And . . . actual economic disasters such as J. C. Penney's bankruptcy and store closings.

Well, whether hyped or real, the scope of the spread of the coronavirus here and abroad, still remains to be seen. And with states and counties moving to phases 2 and 3, Americans are getting back on track. California Gov. Newsome said on Friday that we are "days away from announcing a plan to reopen barbershops and salons across the state as well as guidelines for houses of worship and gyms."

The truth will set us free. John 8:32.