Wednesday, April 15th, 2020
Okay, if China is in any way indicative, we have another forty (40!!!!) days to go. I am not sure I can stomach the idea. This just confirms the idea that people are social animals.
On the Corona front things seem to be easing up. Total number of infected reported today is at just over two million and in Europe numbers of new infections are definitely coming down. This applies to Austria, Norway, Spain, Italy, France and Germany. Iran has also seen a significant decrease in newly infected and deaths. Even in the US the number of reported new infections is less than the day before. However, problems with widespread testing persist, so it is not clear if decreasing numbers are a result of lock down or lack of testing. None the less, the numbers give rise to hope.
Whether however Germany’s plan to ease lock down measures is a wise one, is more than questionable. I can just see mum heading out into the crowds, which is a very scary thought given her medical history (she had TB as a young woman, so her lungs are not the best and at 82 is definitely not a spring chicken either). And I real do want to see mum again ideally over the summer if this situation allows for travel again, but most certainly for the annual Christmas celebration.
The NIH (National Institute of Health) here in Bethesda is beginning a study to see who may have antibodies and test an antibody test. I have signed up to participate. I doubt I will contribute to useful results as, as far as I can tell I have not been infected, (so where might antibodies come from?), but if it helps science, I am all in. So I send an email to volunteer, have as yet to hear back.
I also read an interesting thought piece by Mikhail Gorbatchev who makes the case for more global cooperation, not only to fight pandemics, but also global issues such as climate change, which in the midst of all the Corona news seems to have been almost forgotten. Not a good thing as this report on Greenland shows.
But maybe the world will unit not only in the fight against COVID19, but also get its act together to significantly move on the climate agenda. However, the US making any contribution on this front with the current administration is unlikely, given their dislike of anything multilateral.
And of course there is more outrageous news from agent orange who insists checks with payout to US citizens bear his name. With upcoming elections, is it even legal to make it appear as if the president personally made the money available, when it is the American people, aka the tax payer? On that note - the US is still using checks which it mails via a completly defunded US Postal Service!
At least the democrats seem to unit behind Biden with not only Sanders, but also Obama and Warren now having endorsed Biden. Am desperately hoping that 2021 will see a more enlightened government not riddle by lies and incompetence in this mostly great country. If not, it may just be time to pack up and think about alternative locations, which is a luxury I, unlike many of my American friends, have.