Life in the Age of Corona
A Daily Diary
Friday, May 15th, 2020
Sailing
Today feels like the first day of summer. Temperatures went up to a pleasant 29C and it is beautiful outside, and all the windows to my study were open all day, making for a nice airy work environment. If mornings get a little warmer, I may move my office to the garden couch. After my unfortunate foot injury three years ago, which kept me off my feet for a full three month throughout the summer, it is all set up, laptop, extension cord, WiFi, phone what else does one need?
And because it felt like summer, I checked the Marina in Belle Haven and to my pleasure found they opened today! What a nice surprise - let the sailing season begin. Instead of our afternoon walk we therefore made our way to Alexandria for the first sail of the season.
Life felt almost normal, given that in late summer last year - weather permitting I left the office a little early on a Friday to take out a boat. Well, today was Friday, so it was almost like those far away autumn days, seemingly a life time away when we lived in a very different world. Unlike then though, there was a very nice breeze and we zipped across a rather choppy Potomac further up towards Mount Vernon than ever before, just to return with the wind a full 30 minutes early. What I thought would take 45 minutes to cover we did in just about 20. The late afternoon sun was warm on our skin, as was the wind. The spray happily splashed across the boat, a bit chilly still.
The silence was strange. Normally there are planes taking off from National airport in minute intervals making the sailing experience quite spectacular. Today, in the two hours out on the water there was one. An almost surreal experience.
News on the Corona front shows still increasing numbers. the world today counts 4,53 million infected and death have surpassed 307k globally. Infection rates in the DMV have sadly gone up again, from 1% to 3% on a day to day comparison. I do hope this is due to increased testing. Nonetheless, DC has extended lock down until June 8th, Montgomery County until June 30th, which is bad news for book club next week. Seems it will be another Zoom version - sadly.
Protestors to lock downs want the US to be like Sweden. Apart from the fact that Sweden has the second highest death rate on a per 100k population basis (just after the UK at 6.6, Sweden has 62. And the US is in third place with 5.2), so not sure if that is really desirable. But anyway, if you want to be like Sweden I have news for you: you have a very dry long way to go there.
First, all your guns need to go immediately. Sweden does not allow personal guns. Secondly, you will with immediate effect have to put in place universal single payer health care. Thirdly, the entire labor legislation would need to be overhauled so as to protect employees and pay them not only 30 days of annual leave, but unlimited sick leave and full employment benefits. Fourthly, you will need to ensure free education for all from day care right through university. The latter means, the general population is educated enough to stay home and wear masks when the government says it should, so they do not need to enforce it. The three former mean everyone can stay home when unwell or seek medical attention without going into economic detriment or losing their jobs. Not in a million years will the US ever be like Sweden, it is just not in the DNA of this country; least of all with the current administration - or any other GOP administration. Policies are based on the vision of a highly individualistic society along lines as radical as those purported by Sumner, which is just the opposite of the socialist fabric of the Nordic States. To be like Sweden you would need Sanders for president, embracing all of his policy propositions and basically a house full of AOCs, likewise with the Senate. Now how likely is that?
Maybe start small. How about everyone wear that mask when out in public, purely voluntary of course, and stays home? Let’s see how that goes.
Oh and on cost of all of the proposed: the USA spend 35.4 billion on nuclear weapons last year alone.
To reopen the mantra I keep reading it testing, testing, testing as the answer to everything, including reopening of travel. Of course, that means one needs reliable rapid tests. Maybe something to work on given that even those test they have do not work, in this case whatever the WH uses and touts as the solution for the country. Maybe it is time to listen to science after all?
From the hopeful front comes this article on possible antibody cocktails promising at least temporary immunities which might be available in large quantities as early as fall. Now that would be something.
And there is more news on the vaccines. The trials undertaken by Oxford University are progressing and seem to have initial promising results.
How wonderful it would be if this really worked?
