The year 2020 will likely go down as one of the most memorable and tumultuous years in world history. China failed to control a deadly disease in its country called COVID or the Coronavirus and allowed it to spread worldwide infecting 18 million, tragically killing 700,000 people and ruining many lives as of early August 2020. As a consequence of the virus, many governments changed the way how life functions as a society. Many government decisions designed to stop or control the virus have failed and likely indirectly killed millions more. In this article, I will explain why many world governments got it wrong on COVID and what they should have done to prevent further suffering and death.
The Lockdowns
Many countries issued stay at home or lockdown orders in March 2020 as a result of fear and panic from the virus as at the time, not many data or facts were known about the new Coronavirus. In the United States, prior to the pandemic, had the lowest unemployment rates in 40 years with wages rising and poverty falling to record low levels with many economists predicting the economy would continue to prosper for several years to come. But that changed when many state governments issued lockdown orders telling everyone to stay home unless they needed to shop for groceries. Here is what happened in the United States as a result of the lockdowns:
*40 million Americans were laid off
*The unemployment rate went from a record low to a record high
*Millions of Americans were shifted into poverty
*Hundreds of thousands of Americans became depressed with some committing suicide
*Illegal drug usage skyrocketed with many overdosing to death
*Many suffering or even dying from cancelled or delayed surgeries and appointments
*GDP, Consumer Confidence and other economic indicators plunged at record levels
*1 in 4 businesses closed permanently and will not reopen
*The national debt and deficit exploded as the federal government decided to recklessly spend trillions of dollars. This will cause an inflation crisis sometime this decade.
The lockdowns failed to stop or control the virus. It was useless as the virus continued to spread rapidly well after the lockdowns ended. One New York state study showed that a majority of people got the virus at home, not outside surprising that state’s Governor. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director admitted the lockdowns likely killed even more people than the Coronavirus itself. One country that did not lockdown was the European country of Switzerland. The infection and death rate are very similar to the United States and other countries that implemented strict lockdowns. The U.S. state of South Dakota also did not lockdown and its infection rate was the same as the supermajority of states that lockdown. Learning the lessons from the lockdowns and new data from the Coronavirus, here is what many countries should have done at the start of the pandemic:
*Immediately quarantined all elderly and vulnerable people
*Lockdown all senior home and nursing facilities.
*The young and healthy should have continued business, schools and large events as usual
Yes, the economy would have still slowed down as old and vulnerable people would have to shelter in place but it would have not crashed and the U.S. would had likely experienced a soft, temporary recession, not a strong depression and millions of Americans would still have their jobs and income today. Herd immunity is one of the key factors to defeating the Coronavirus as Switzerland has successfully experienced. Herd immunity is when you contact the virus, experience no symptoms (asymptomatic) and you would be temporarily immune from the virus. While there are some reports say that the immunity only last 3 months, many other studies and reports say the immunity will last from 6 to 12 months which is enough for a vaccine to be developed and released to the public.
Schools
Many countries in the world have reopened their schools successfully with little or no outbreaks reported as of early August 2020. They are to be commended and praised for following the science, reopening safely and smartly. The science says kids are very likely asymptomatic to the disease and are less likely to spread the disease. In fact, the regular flu and influenza are much deadlier to children then COVID. In the United States, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that schools reopen classroom learning safely with physical distancing and enhanced sanitation procedures. The CDC Director says that children are being hurt mentally by school closures and they need to be with learning with their friends. Despite the CDC recommendation, many public schools will not reopen for the 2020-2021 school year opting to implement “remote learning”. According to a Wall Street Journal study, remote learning during the lockdowns in Spring 2020 have been a catastrophic failure with many technical glitches and reports that many students did not show up to the virtual learning sessions. Low income, minority and special education students were hurt the most as many of them don’t have internet access. Millions of students were isolated from their friends and became depressed with many becoming addicted to their phones and violent video games with some even turning to violent crime. Here in the U.S., many teachers are members of what is called a labor union or popularly known as the teacher’s union. The teacher’s union is mostly political organization designed to lobby the federal government in policy making regarding education. The teacher’s union do not want schools to return to in-person learning with some even admitting they don’t want to return until after the U.S. presidential election. In fact, Washington, D.C. announced that it would reopen public schools on November 6, 3 days after the election! In my opinion, the teacher’s union is successfully allowing schools to close for political reasons to hurt the incumbent U.S. President in the upcoming elections. It is truly sad and embarrassing that they are putting politics over science and the children while private and charter schools follow science and fully reopen on time. If the flu is deadlier for children than the Coronavirus, then should schools be closed every flu season?
Media Coverage
Government decisions to lockdown and decisions to cancel school and large events were influenced by news media coverage of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The media fearmongered with panic, hysteria and breathless negative reporting and opinion analysis on how millions of people would die of the virus and how everything will get worse. Social media made things even worse with their fake news. During the early days of the pandemic, the media fearmongering lead to grocery store fights over toilet paper and food shortages as a result of panic buying. The media failed to report the number of people that recovered from the virus and downplayed or even criticized any good news on drugs that could slow down the virus and the vaccine development process. Reports of many people getting sick were top story and breathlessly reported and hyped while stories of people surviving were buried and barely reported. The media overhyped the number of deaths but they failed to report that the death and mortality rate for this virus is less than 0.5% if you include asymptomatic infections. The media had many “health experts” (many never treated or talked to a COVID patient) that were wrong on their predictions and were never held accountable. False “health expert” predictions and analysis include how the virus would suddenly “disappear” in hot weather, how the virus would spread easily on surfaces, how children were “super spreaders”, predictions that 2 million Americas would die even with lockdown orders in place, and how lockdown orders were “very effective” despite the virus still spreading. One “expert” foolishly claimed that everyone must wear masks for many years to come even after a vaccine is released. The same experts now want another lockdown which would devastate the economy again and lead to more suffrage. In the U.S., much of the panic overhyped coverage of the pandemic is likely the result of the upcoming presidential election. If the media were calm and used facts and science instead of fear and panic in their reporting and analysis, people would have been much calmer and less miserable.
Large Events
In the United States, many state Governors prohibited large events include the 1st amendment right of freedom of religion to worship at church. When the lockdowns ended, most states would not allow 50 or more people to attend church even with social distancing. Some churches held outdoor drive-in mass with social distancing and they still got into trouble by their local governments. In Nevada, casinos are allowed to reopen but not churches which to many is totally outrageous. The most disgusting display of double standard was in early June when many young people from all over the world came out to riot, loot businesses, and protest the police with no social distancing and hundreds of people very close to each other. The news media, politicians and “health experts” did not condemn or denounce the rioters and protesters for not following CDC guidelines on social distancing. Instead, they ignored it and many supported the anti-police protests with some “health experts” and doctors even participating in the protests not social distancing! That is when many Americans either became skeptical or stop trusting the “health experts”. In my opinion, the anti-police protests exposed the new media and the “health experts” as frauds. Apparently, they believe it is okay to loot a store and participate in mass anti-police protests but it is not okay to go to church, work, school or have a family meeting.
Masks
After the lockdown orders ended, many governments ordered their citizens to wear a mask. They claimed that if you follow their directions and don’t wear a mask, everyone will be punished with another lockdown. Many governments threaten to fine or arrest residents if they refused to wear a mask which is clearly unconstitutional in the United States. Before and during the lockdown, the CDC and the United States Surgeon General did NOT recommend wearing masks because you would have to touch your face to remove your mask with your germ and bacteria infested hands. They only reversed their position because of the fearmongering from the media. In fact, wearing a mask actually increases your chances of infection according to a 2017 NIH study. A 2006 study reported that healthcare workers developed headaches after wearing masks. Mask mandates are symbolic and is a sign of social engineering, government overreach, fear, and paranoia. Governments and businesses should make mask wearing optional and let the people decide if they want to wear one. If you don’t want to get the deadly virus, then social distance, wash your hands all the time!
The Future
I am cautiously optimistic that a vaccine can be developed and released safely to the public by early 2021. It must be proven to be safe and effective. I hope everyone gets vaccinated but there are some people who won’t get one due to religious reasons or they don’t trust the government. That is their option and I respect that. Once the vaccine is widely distributed, I hope many countries and states drop their ridiculous mask mandates and limits on large events. Economically, it may take several years for the economy to recover. In the United States, their will be an inflation crisis as a result of the government spending trillions of dollars during the pandemic. Regarding China, the world must hold them accountable for failing to control this deadly virus, lying about it at first and covering it up. They are responsible for the all of the Coronavirus deaths and they are liable for inflicting misery all over the world. In the end, my thoughts and prayers are for the people who died from the virus and I surely hope that the politicians, media hacks and “health experts” that supported the lockdowns and still do to this day be held accountable for their actions.
Andrew's Journal 