Pandemic has left us searching for a little bit of ‘normal’ in 2020

Sept. 29, 2020 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

I’m standing at the press announcement about Bright Nights on Thursday morning and I realize that having the annual attraction continue this year is a very big deal.

Perhaps, because it is a car-oriented event, people naturally thought it would automatically go on this winter, but if 2020 has taught me one thing it’s to expect the unexpected.

Many activities around the nation have been cancelled or greatly altered as you are well aware, so it was heartening to hear there would be a little bit of “normal” in 2020.

As we head into the fall and its holidays, we will be even more aware of how things have changed – hopefully temporarily.

The tourism industry in the Commonwealth is huge and it’s been hurting. The local events town by town have been decimated.

People are complaining about Springfield’s decision to cancel trick–or–treating, but I wonder how COVID–19 will affect Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year.

It wouldn’t surprise me if there were an upswing in infection due to the fact families will be meeting over and over this fall for the holidays.

I’m no doctor, but my layman’s guess is we are in for a longer haul than many people first predicted.

I recognize that concept is indeed controversial. People are very tired from what has happened and what they must continue doing. People have had their lives completely disrupted because of the virus. The idea that a vaccine is around the corner is extremely appealing as is the idea that we should do nothing and defeat the virus through “herd immunity.”

Some health officials believe “around the corner” is sometime next year.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Herd immunity can also be reached when a sufficient number of people in the population have recovered from a disease and have developed antibodies against future infection… However, there are some major problems with relying on community infection to create herd immunity to the virus that causes COVID–19. First, it isn't yet clear if infection with the COVID–19 virus makes a person immune to future infection …Even if infection with the COVID–19 virus creates long–lasting immunity, a large number of people would have to become infected to reach the herd immunity threshold. Experts estimate that in the U.S., 70 percent of the population –  more than 200 million people – would have to recover from COVID–19 to halt the epidemic. If many people become sick with COVID–19 at once, the health care system could quickly become overwhelmed. This amount of infection could also lead to serious complications and millions of deaths, especially among older people and those who have chronic conditions.”

So a lot of people have to get sick and many of them will die through “herd immunity.” A vaccine seems to be the best way to achieve control over COVD–19.

And still there are many people who discount that assessment.
It may be helpful to look at another disease that descended upon us unexpectedly: AIDS.

Here is something to think about: According to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, “The first cases of what would later become known as AIDS were reported in the United States in June of 1981. Today, there are more than 1.1 million people living with HIV and more than 700,000 people with AIDS have died since the beginning of the epidemic.”

COVID–19 has killed more than 200,000 Americans just this year so far.

Yes, this has been one of lousiest years in American history: a pandemic, social unrest spurred by racism, massive unemployment from the pandemic and devastating hurricanes and out–of–control wildfires that are products of climate change.

We can change things by doing the right things to protect ourselves from the pandemic. We can begin a new era in civil rights to get the right things done. We can take additional steps to address climate change.

It’s within our power to create solutions for these problems and we need to do. Let’s try to make 2021 a year with more justice, more hope and common sense.

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