CORONA VIRUS; PART IV

The Corona Virus, AKA Covid 19, is running rampant in the United States

today. Everyday, a new record number of daily cases is established.

Despite the reopening of America under fairly strict circumstances, the

virus continues to spread and it is now reaching young people in

particular. The ages most affected at this time are the twenties, and this is

to be expected. The TV news has shown mobs of young people at clubs,

bars and beaches with no social distancing and few protective masks

present. What can we expect now?

Regrettably, too much of the virus and its effect on the American public

have been politicized. This is unfortunate as it serves nobody and its

lethality remains very strong. The TV reports that we are all in this together.

Granted that this is so, there is no room for daily political disputes

between candidates trying to advance their careers on the horrible

damage the virus has done to hundreds of thousands of victims and their

families. So let’s stop the political posturing and get to work on solving this

issue before it gets even worse. And if things continue as it is currently, it

will get worse.

The “lockdown” which closed most of the country is over. The lockdown

was inadequate considering covid 19’s easy transmissibility and

lethality.The increase of victims has accompanied the relaxation of the

lockdown, the reopening of America and the unfortunate death of George

Floyd at the hands of a rogue cop in Minneapolis which lead to

widespread demonstrations with little regard to social distancing and the

wearing of personal protective gear. Where do we go from here?

In my opinion, contact tracing is of little value as Covid 19 victims will have

little idea of whom they caught the virus from. There must be, despite the

noxious effect it will have on the economy, another lockdown, varying in

severity and duration depending upon local factors, namely the number of

cases in varying regions and states. The ban on international travel must

be maintained, and work must be accelerated to develop a safe and

effective vaccine. How long this will take is impossible to say at this time.

Finally, the National Disaster Plan must be activated. This will enable the

transfer of patients to underutilized hospitals in different parts of the

country.

The current situation is more dire than many of us realize. Optimism was

called for in the first several months of the lockdown, with the closure of

schools, and the growth of the at home economy. Now, there is a serious

question whether schools can open in September. Unfortunately

pessimism is growing but we must persevere. The public must do its share

in observing behavior which is designed to prevent viral spread while

scientists work to develop a vaccine.

The situation is very bad. Cooperation is now mandatory. This virus is not

a joke. it is deadly serious and no one should consider him or herself to be

exempt. It is not a game. Compliance is not voluntary but mandatory. The

pain will continue for some time. A vaccine will be developed but to benefit

from it one must be alive. Let us all do our share in reaching the goal of

ending the pandemic as soon as possible.

Garry S. Sklar, MD

Las Vegas, Nevada

July 9, 2020