I love information and knowledge. I think I’ve always been inquisitive by nature, but my career path also informs my thirst for information. I ask a lot of questions. I mean a lot. And, I want definitive answers to those questions.
Well, COVID-19 has once again shown me I’m not in control and what I want doesn’t matter. The answers I seek, as well as everyone else, are elusive. We are watching this pandemic play out in real time. Scientists are experimenting and trying to find the answers to this new virus as the world is watching. Usually scientists have the opportunity to research, experiment, study their findings, do it all over again if their results aren’t what they want and then present those findings. Sometimes this process takes years. These studies are done outside of the public gaze, and it’s only when the study is finally presented we learn scientists have been studying a particular subject for decades.
That model has been turned on its head as researchers study this virus as it infects millions around the world. We’re watching this novel coronavirus confound doctors, scientists and researchers at every turn. Every day it seems as if we learn about a new symptom — pink eye, blood clots and stroke, COVID toes and rashes. All scientists can do at this point is guess why these conditions are occurring.
The timing of the discovery of these new issues comes just as many are feeling social-distancing fatigue and want to get back to “normal.” The pervasive request from certain segments of our population is to ease or remove the stay-at-home order and allow people to go back to work. The economy, they say, is not just being crippled but it’s dying, and we need to save it. The death of the economy is more important than the death of people, it seems. Balancing life and the economy can’t be easy. I don’t envy Gov. Eric Holcomb.
In addition to the new symptoms, this plea to reopen comes on the heels of more deaths and testing (finally) for more people. More testing means the number of cases undoubtedly will rise. Let’s not forget many people are considered to be asymptomatic, meaning they have the virus but don’t know it because they don’t have symptoms. Asymptomatic people unknowingly can spread the disease.
Knowing all of this information about COVID-19 and absolutely nothing at the same time, how do we move forward into our new normal that somewhat resembled our old normal? No one knows.
On May 1, Holcomb will tell us whether he will lift or extend the stay-at-home order. Many businesses are already making plans to move forward, anticipating Holcomb will lift not extend the order.
My hope is that we proceed with caution. I believe social distancing will and should be around for a while, but how is it possible to social distance at a sports event, at a concert? Most venues are designed to pack in as many people as possible. Will fewer tickets be sold? If temperatures are taken before you enter an event, will you receive a refund if your temperature is too high and you can’t enter? That will definitely mean profit margins will take a hit.
And what about those who had COVID-19? Is this virus gone? Dormant? Are they OK to resume a normal life? Are they now asymptomatic and should they be retested? People are fearful of infecting someone after they’re “over” COVID-19.
Until we get some concrete answers, there shouldn’t be a rush to return to normal. We don’t want to make the same mistakes San Francisco did during the flu epidemic of 1918. We may be watching COVID-19 play out in real time, leaving us with too few answers, but we can look to history to answer some of those questions about what we should do to keep everyone safe while still keeping as many Americans working as possible.
