Wednesday, July 15th, 2020
Monday was the day my stash of cigarettes ran out. I thought I would give e-cigarettes a try and am finding they are just not the same experience. I come out at smoking for me is not about the nicotine, but the feel and smell. I have done the math and found I have 5 cigarettes on average per day. And while smoking is not a good idea on any level, and especially not in the age of Coronaviruses, I think I have today succumbed and will switch back to the real thing.
This in itself is probably not worthwhile writting about. However, observing myself and my habits im has had me reflect on the discussion around freedom. Many of the current protests against social distancing and mask wearing are based in the arguement that personal freedom is inhibited by mandates to wear masks and be socially distanced in effort to protect the poppulation as a whole.
Funnily enough the government regulates peoples smoking habits in public spaces which does not cause protests around inhibiting people’s freedoms. The same appears to be the case with abortions, where the administration, whether State or Federal, has no issue to regulate my (or anyone’s for that matter) personal freedom to choose whether or not to have a child. Why is that I wonder? There clearly are some who believe they know better than I and regulate my habits, so why can that not happen when it comes to protecting everyone’s health by making breathing and speaking safe? On that question the FT had an interesting article about the right to be stupid. And this is what the freedom to be stupid looks like in the age of Corona, where people believe their personal rights and comforts are more important than the responsibility to the society they live in. Just imagine these bar owners and their patrons contracting the virus, need to be hospitalized and medical staff would choose not to treat them because of their freedom not to treat stupid?
Surprising, (or not) States with loudest protests against wearing masks happen to be States with highest infections and Arizona is leading the charge with Florida a close second.
Infections today total 13.4 million with 3.48 million in the USA this countries share is going up from 25 to 26% of total global infections. The USA is now at par with the least developed countries of the world in terms of managing the virus. India runs eight test per 1.000 people, the USA 1.27 per 1,000. And not only that, courtesy of the haphazard approach to managing the crisis, the USA now has the worst of both worlds: a failing economy and an unmitigated spread of the virus. So a double whamy of succes, making America so great again.
As of today Virus data will no longer go to the CDC, but DC directly. This spurs fears of data manipulation to cover up the real effect the virus has. I suppose now Governors will need to request data be co-reported to the State CDC’s. Chances are Republican Governors would not do so as Corona has become a political battleground rather than about protecting the US people.
In the meantime some States (Texas) have ordered morgue cooling trucks as morgues overflow. I wonder how people will feel when footage of these trucks with dead bodies a rolling down the roads night after night waiting for space to cremate the dead. This happened in Italy and shocked much of Europe.
The vaccine the administration has bet on is showing severe side effects in trials with up to 40% of those receiving shots experience fever etc. and still Moderna is claiming it is highly successful as all trialists developed neutralizing antibodies. Just putting the trial into perspective: it was phase 1 of clinical trials and 45 people received the vaccine. Half of those report side effects or significant side effects. However, as a result of the press release Moderna sees it’s stocks soaring and guess who benefits? The former vaccine czar in the Trump administration who was responsible for channeling tax payer monies to his old employer, Moderna, who happens to be his new employer; all the while holding stock options. This is how the “swamp is drained” or to put it into international lingo, corruption is address by the current administration.
Less publicized vaccines are not receiving as much attention even though three have moved to phase 3 clinical trials and are being given to thousands of people, with China having approved one vaccine for limited use among its military. Given that China may well be developing the first viable vaccine, the escalation between the USA and China over Hong Kong is not a great idea.
There is also more research on a potential cure though. Researchers are focusing on protecting the lungs of COVID-19 patients.