We will eventually get through this virus with a still unknown illness and death toll, and a badly damaged US economy that will likely take years to fully recover.
Especially if this virus does what many scientists believe it will do, which is re-emerge again in the fall, and do seasonal laps around the world for a couple of years just as the Spanish Flu did.
And many scientists are convinced in this overcrowded world of almost eight billion people, with 4.5 billion airline seats sold last year that included 10 million country to country seats, the past barriers of time and geography are long gone. What sneezes in Wuhan on Monday sneezes in New York on Friday. And Covid 19 just another railcar on the train of Covid virus's that will emerge and travel.
We have zero control on what this virus or any virus does. What we can control, however, is how we respond to it. We were obviously caught flat footed on this one, and it's time to move past the blame game and start thinking about how we will respond in the future. Because we can't keep doing this to ourselves every time we get hit again by the inevitable next one
And to do that, we need to get serious about our preperations so we don't recycle this current clusterf#$k. Seems the most obvious are:
-PPE. Move all production to the US, and create target goals of 1.5 billion masks always in the stockpile, along with sufficient quantities of gowns, shields, gloves, etc. N95 masks made overseas are more often than not found to be fraudulent with low filtration, essentially killing the doctors and nurses using them.
-work with the big companies to create next generation US made respirators that are more efficient and cost effective, and maintain a national stockpile to draw from per need.
-launch a massive high speed internet expansion so that the 20% of students who live in areas without it can be home schooled by their teachers during peak pandemic times. This will also expedite the shift to video doctor appointments for routine matters not requiring a hands on exam. With the average doctor managing 3000-5000 patients, it is way overdue, and is highly functional.
-teachers need to revisit the current centuries old teaching models, kids have to function in a whole new world where rote memorization of long past events is much less important than building critical thinking skills that help them compete for jobs, and the online offering of skill certifications is essential.
-build partnerships with US drug manufacturers to create rapid response capabiity to viral emergence. This will require baseline funding just as we do for the fire departments - we pay for what they can do, not what they are neccessarily doing.
-rebuild relationships with the WHO. If we walk away, China wins. Use our influence to leverage a fair play environment that enables virologists around the world to share real time virus data.
-enact all states mail in voting. We've had it in Oregon for many years. Zero fraud, so much easier to do sitting at the kitchen table in 15 mins instead of committing half a day. Let the will of the people be heard, one and all.
-work with the labs to create fast result home testing. We need to go back to work, and do it safely. Self test, alert, isolate. Keep the work force healthy and working.
Above all, stop reliance on overseas production of anything relating to our ability to meet the needs of a pandemic. Mandate all materials and drugs are US made, so we can control quality, cost, and invest our $ in US jobs.
If only...
Especially if this virus does what many scientists believe it will do, which is re-emerge again in the fall, and do seasonal laps around the world for a couple of years just as the Spanish Flu did.
And many scientists are convinced in this overcrowded world of almost eight billion people, with 4.5 billion airline seats sold last year that included 10 million country to country seats, the past barriers of time and geography are long gone. What sneezes in Wuhan on Monday sneezes in New York on Friday. And Covid 19 just another railcar on the train of Covid virus's that will emerge and travel.
We have zero control on what this virus or any virus does. What we can control, however, is how we respond to it. We were obviously caught flat footed on this one, and it's time to move past the blame game and start thinking about how we will respond in the future. Because we can't keep doing this to ourselves every time we get hit again by the inevitable next one
And to do that, we need to get serious about our preperations so we don't recycle this current clusterf#$k. Seems the most obvious are:
-PPE. Move all production to the US, and create target goals of 1.5 billion masks always in the stockpile, along with sufficient quantities of gowns, shields, gloves, etc. N95 masks made overseas are more often than not found to be fraudulent with low filtration, essentially killing the doctors and nurses using them.
-work with the big companies to create next generation US made respirators that are more efficient and cost effective, and maintain a national stockpile to draw from per need.
-launch a massive high speed internet expansion so that the 20% of students who live in areas without it can be home schooled by their teachers during peak pandemic times. This will also expedite the shift to video doctor appointments for routine matters not requiring a hands on exam. With the average doctor managing 3000-5000 patients, it is way overdue, and is highly functional.
-teachers need to revisit the current centuries old teaching models, kids have to function in a whole new world where rote memorization of long past events is much less important than building critical thinking skills that help them compete for jobs, and the online offering of skill certifications is essential.
-build partnerships with US drug manufacturers to create rapid response capabiity to viral emergence. This will require baseline funding just as we do for the fire departments - we pay for what they can do, not what they are neccessarily doing.
-rebuild relationships with the WHO. If we walk away, China wins. Use our influence to leverage a fair play environment that enables virologists around the world to share real time virus data.
-enact all states mail in voting. We've had it in Oregon for many years. Zero fraud, so much easier to do sitting at the kitchen table in 15 mins instead of committing half a day. Let the will of the people be heard, one and all.
-work with the labs to create fast result home testing. We need to go back to work, and do it safely. Self test, alert, isolate. Keep the work force healthy and working.
Above all, stop reliance on overseas production of anything relating to our ability to meet the needs of a pandemic. Mandate all materials and drugs are US made, so we can control quality, cost, and invest our $ in US jobs.
If only...
