Corona Log entry- Oct. 19, 2020

Monday, October 19, 2020

             It is a warm, breezy and rainy morning here in SW Florida. A two-hour visit to the dentist this morning had taken my focus off of politics, the Corona Virus and everything else.

              The infection rate and death toll from Corona are still climbing precipitously. Over forty-million souls across the planet have been infected, including some 8.2 million people here in the United States. Our death toll is much higher here than other countries. We are near 220,000 souls, lost to the virus, during this year alone.

            Most of Europe is reporting a second wave of infections from the Corona Virus, as people move indoors in the colder weather. Some are considering a business and educational lockdown like most countries had in place this summer. Across the upper Midwest of the U.S., infection rates are soaring. No one can pinpoint the exact source. But, I think back to a “Sturges motor cycle rally” in South Dakota this summer. About 250,000 riders gathered in this small town, to have fun and frolic. Most did not wear masks or even think about social distancing. The same inference can be applied to several Trump campaign rallies where thousands gathered, most not wearing masks and crowded together in large throngs. The Europeans look at us like we are addled. They can’t imagine leaders performing like this without regard to the safety of our citizens.

           The stock market chugs merrily along as if in a world of its own. The NYSE Dow Jones average is at the 28,000 level, seemingly ignoring the virus. There is no appreciable impact on the volatile futures market either. I suspect the market will wait until after the election is over and then correct itself one way or the other. Crap games are like that, susceptible to emotions and the volatility of change.

           Several NFL games have been cancelled or rescheduled due to viral infections of their team members. Ditto for college teams. The virus will not be ignored, no matter how much they wish it to go away.

           Most of the medical facilities across the nation are gearing up for a difficult winter. A second or third wave of the virus, with the added wave of influenza infections, will test their capacities like never before.

          The Presidential election is now two weeks away and everything everywhere is focused upon it. Stubbornly, the Trump forces still refuse to wear masks at meetings and rallies. The viral infection toll, amongst these faithful political soldiers, may prove high in weeks to come. Even a dedicated trooper, like former Republican Governor of New Jersey Chris Christy, who spent seven days in an ICU unit with a Corona infection, have publicly stated that not wearing a mask at these rallies is both silly and dangerous.

         Schools across the nation still struggle with composite approaches that offer both virtual lessons and some in -person instruction. There is no one size that fits all solution. Each school does the best that it can to manage a difficult situation. There are inequities amidst the education of the poor, as there are always are with everything else. Students, at all levels, will just have to make up the missed lessons when we get this whole situation under control.

           Medical experts still offer the same cautious opinions. A Corona Viral vaccine is nearly here, arriving perhaps in the early Spring. Distribution of the vaccine, and an educational program  for those who are reluctant to take the virus, will take some time. Meanwhile the pleas go out. Wear your masks. Wash your hands frequently. Practice social distancing. Perhaps, after the election, the message might be more positively received.

         We go about our daily lives, trying to practice all of the safety advice offered, and trusting the rest to fate. One day at a time.

                                    638 words

                             Joseph Xavier Martin