84 000 deaths apparently mean nothing to some people in the US. Before vehemently arguing how our economy cannot sustain more of a lockdown – imagine if you faced this scenario. Your partner/child/parent is taken to the hospital because of #COVID19 and you never see them again.
Many hospitals have a no visitor policy to preserve PPE or protect visiting family. It’s truly impossible to describe the agony of families not being able to visit, having to say goodbye via FaceTime, & have no funeral.
It’s even more difficult to describe the effect on front like health workers. It’s only been 9 weeks and many of us are tired of the carnage. There’s no finish line in sight and we find ourselves in a world with no vaccine, no guaranteed treatment, cases increasing, and some people fighting to go back to business as usual.
I realize the draconian measures have created tremendous economic stress for families across the whole world. However, it doesn’t have to be a “binary the economy or your life” scenario. Somehow our species has figured out how to survive financially in the past during vast periods of disruptions in life . World War II went on for six years and Europe is still standing.
I don’t have many answers, but it seems to me that if we reopen businesses without a truly effective treatment, a vaccine, or a plan – we are unfortunately in for more suffering and death in the coming months.