Businesses need to fully reopen now!

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As we've passed the two month mark of the lockdown it's become apparent that two things are true...the virus isn't as bad as the "experts" made it out to be and some governors have become drunk with power.

The first point (it isn't as bad as predicted) is a good thing. Early on in the pandemic the media, some politicians, and internet virtue-shamers implored us to close businesses and stay home or 2 million people will die. Although every life is valuable the actual number of deaths is far far lower and seems to be centered around the old and those with underlying conditions. That's a good thing because it's not the world ending cataclysm that was predicted.

The second point is more troubling. In the early days of the pandemic we didn't have much info and a lockdown seemed like the best bet to slow this virus. As we gained more information (and it wasn't as bad as predicted) the lockdown rules became more random and punitive. Some states closed down more, others opened up while others still never really closed in the first place. Businesses are struggling, some are closing permanently and some will close if they can't get back to business soon. Meanwhile state leaders seem to be loving the ability to lock people at home and control who can and cannot operate a business. A stylist can't see ten customers in a day but the cashier at the liquor store can ring up fifty people per hour. I can't get my hair cut but my dog can. I'm not allowed to go hike a trail in a state park but I can go to Target with 200 other people. We have to stay 6 feet away because the virus can't travel 6 feet and 1 inch. It's safe to shop for flooring at Home Depot but unsafe to go to church. I can buy a Subway sandwich but I can't buy a gun. It just doesn't make any sense.

The problem lies in the politician. The governors of some states seem to love telling people what to do. Since we now know that Covid-19 predominantly affects the elderly and those with conditions why don't we let the rest of us get back to work. People are literally losing their life's work for no reason. What sense does it make that North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin (Wisconsin only opened because the governor was sued and the state supreme court ruled his stay at home order unconstitutional) and Iowa are opening up for business but Minnesota and Michigan are not opening. Are politics at play? Why would a governor want more turnmoil and hardship in their state? Does it have to do with the election in the fall? None of this lockdown makes any sense.

If you're old or have a condition or don't feel safe because the big bad media scared you, then stay home. But open up the country, let people get back to work, let us thrive again. Governors, get out of the way or the people will take action. We don't want a handout, we want to go back to work and earn a living!

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toomuchbaloney

12,695 Posts

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.

Economic anxiety is greater than the dangers of a pandemic in the USA. It's unfortunate that the greatest and wealthiest country on the globe can't afford to provide more security for it's people during a time like this.

Specializes in Emergency.

Tompaine wrote “the virus isn't as bad as the "experts" made it out to be and some governors have become drunk with power. ”

Please back this up with some stats. Otherwise it’s conjecture, not a business fact.

Having worked through the pandemic in a hotspot, my personal feeling is our governor’s lock down flattened the curve. That allowed my hospital & state to dig out of the overwhelmed hole we were in (insert what ever word you prefer so the sentence doesn’t end in a preposition).


It seems to me that a lot of folks see the virus as one size fits all, but the reality is that governors have managed their states in individual ways.

I am not knocking or downplaying the economic hit. It is devastating. The feds need to step in again to keep folks as whole as possible. Look to 1937/1938 when the republican members of congress tried to hold up fdr’s new deal programs.

nursej22, MSN, RN

3,821 Posts

Specializes in Public Health, TB.

Even with limited reopening, in Alabama is experiencing the very stress on Montgomery hospitals that flattening the curve was supposed to avoid.

https://www.newsweek.com/alabama-reopens-its-hospitals-are-running-out-ICU-beds-1506112

They are sending people to Birmingham, 100 miles away to try to seek hospitalization.

I shudder to think what the situation would be if they had opened everything up.

rebeccaUTA

104 Posts

Isn’t is better if more healthy people get this virus and develop natural immunity? I mean, swine flu didn’t effect the elderly because they had largely built natural immunity to multiple H1N1 strains throughout their many years. They were more protected and helped to stop the spread that way. Why wouldn’t that work with C19? I agreed with flattening the curve in order to assess the severity and get our bearings, but we have the info we need to more forward. Keeping people disconnected from their health and wellness routines is more concerning for long term public health than this virus. As the number of cases increases, the severity rate decreases. This is a sign that more often than not, the cases are mild to moderate. Why not use that to our advantage and protect our vulnerable population?

toomuchbaloney

12,695 Posts

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
1 hour ago, rebeccaUTA said:

Isn’t is better if more healthy people get this virus and develop natural immunity? I mean, swine flu didn’t effect the elderly because they had largely built natural immunity to multiple H1N1 strains throughout their many years. They were more protected and helped to stop the spread that way. Why wouldn’t that work with C19? I agreed with flattening the curve in order to assess the severity and get our bearings, but we have the info we need to more forward. Keeping people disconnected from their health and wellness routines is more concerning for long term public health than this virus. As the number of cases increases, the severity rate decreases. This is a sign that more often than not, the cases are mild to moderate. Why not use that to our advantage and protect our vulnerable population?

After you get infected, for how long will you be immune? Will infection this year prevent infection next year?

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