A Coronavirus Checklist for Concerned Citizens & Ambitious Politicians
Evelyn
E. Smith
Medical science has proven
that some of the original advice the public received about COVID-19 is wrong
because researchers have continued to test hypotheses that explore how best to
contain and treat COVID-19.
Because knowledge about
how to deal with the virus continues to change, I recommend occasionally
reading up on the subject by reading Pub Med abstracts https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ as
well as sources like Web M. D. and the Mayo Clinic, all of
which do not politicize the subject. Google
Scholar also offers additional articles that provide an international
point-of-view. The medical community understands why advice about how to treat
COVID-19 changes, but a sizeable percentage of the general public for the most
part perhaps does not.
Originally, few “home
remedies” to make the virus less virulent appeared in the popular press,
although Web M. D. did discuss taking Vitamin D3 as a preventive measure
in March 2020: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Similarly, my STEM Library Science
Blog offered an annotated bibliography on Vitamin D in April and again in
July (https://evelynsmithsstemscienceblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/
).
Not only has knowledge
about how to deal with COVID-19 grown, but the virus itself has mutated as well
into a less virulent virus. Accordingly,
a single vaccination against the virus will not necessarily work as various
authorities have admitted that since viruses are always changing and adapting, the COVID-19 virus will continue to infect more victims. Additionally, at least six strains of
COVID-19 currently exist: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803105246.htm
Masks are more likely to
work if the public wears them correctly, which means covering the nostrils. However, some individuals are more likely to wear a mask as if it were a fashion accessory: https://blogs.webmd.com/public-health/20201027/why-is-it-important-to-cover-your-nose-with-a-mask
It may be just me, but I
am not prepared to take any vaccination that researchers rush through production
without going through all the clinical trials it will need to go through.
Instead, I would rather continue to take vitamin D3 and zinc and consistently
eat a healthy (Mediterranean) diet, so if I contract the virus, I will most likely
be able to fight the disease successfully.
These measures do not confer immunity, but usually they do tend to make
COVID-19 less severe. In the meantime, I cover my nose and treat to keep my
distance from those who do not do so: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/immune-boosting-supplements#The-bottom-line All the same, the public probably will not
submit to a very restrictive second lockdown imposed from above no matter how
many experts mandate it.
Public Health authorities
have traditionally quarantined the most vulnerable populations; for example, older
adults over age 70 and those with pre-existing conditions, during epidemics and
pandemics rather than enforcing a lockdown on the general public. This is what
Israel has tried to do, although it has also imposed some general lockdowns https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-020-01191-7
A few states skewed the COVID-19
statistics for the United States because they housed elderly COVID-19 patients with
the general population in nursing homes rather than in closed wards reserved
only for COVID-19 patients. https://nypost.com/2020/06/27/almost-half-of-us-covid-19-deaths-are-linked-to-nursing-homes/
Social isolation results in increased mental
health problems and a decimated economy, which in turn causes more societal
problems: drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide,
child abuse and neglect, for instance: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/head-games/202003/what-are-the-psychological-effects-quarantine.
Most elementary school and
middle and high school students definitely need to be attending classes in
person (https://owlcation.com/academia/Why-Traditional-Classroom-Learning-is-Better-than-Online-Courses) because a) single parents need to work; b) someone
(usually a teacher) is more likely to discover and report child abuse and
neglect if a child is attending school; c)
isolation can lead to depression; d)
public school students are more likely to complete their assignments and
do well in school if they keep to a schedule, which in many instances they can
only accomplish by attending a physical classroom. e) Students also need to exercise
and participate in sports. f) Yes, personal
affirmation and encouragement works better in person than Online or on Zoom. Of
course, schools may need to switch to virtual school only temporarily if not
enough substitute are available to cover classes for quarantined teachers. By necessity,
this will also limit or cancel the students’ summer vacation.
Unfortunately, in the United States, both Democrat
and Republic politicians and the media have politicized the COVID-19 virus more
than they should have. No easy answers exist, although eventually the disease
will completely run its course as did the Spanish Flu in 1918 and 1919. Even so, it
definitely should not become a vehicle for social engineering!
Perhaps, however, COVID-19
will be a spur that prods Americans into taking better care of their health,
thus cutting the incidence of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity by diet and
exercise.
Never under estimate the
power of prayer. Even with public health
measures that limit the size of a congregation and mandate the wearing of masks,
the faithful need the in-person support of fellow believers.
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