The road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions was never truer than it is today. We are trying to control a virus at the expense of everything else. Let’s look at what we are doing to folks. First and foremost we have instilled FEAR into the population.
Folks are at each other’s throats, do this, don’t let people do that, stop property taxpayers from going to their summer homes, wow are we going to refund their taxes???
But enough, let’s talk Healthcare – having firsthand knowledge of two folks who have been self-isolated and how their journey has unfolded tells us just how flawed we are viewing this.
First, one of the folks is in their 80’s and went to the eye doctor, the first thing they did was take the temperature – oops low-grade fever you need to go home and self-isolate.
Over the next few days the fever increased to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, folks were checking in and the health officer was trying to get the person tested for COVID-19, taste buds went sour, exhaustion came in, and then things were great, feeling better, temperature is on its way down 95 degrees Fahrenheit and hovers there for about a week.
Taste buds came back, outside walking around, but still a little off. And we can’t test for COVID but something is definitely going on. We are now about 10 days in.
Temp reaches normal and then starts rising again until finally, we have a temp of over 102 and the person needs to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. X-rays are taken, a spot is found in the lungs, what does that mean, could be pneumonia, could be COVID, could be something else, so they start a treatment of antibiotics.
The first COVID test comes back negative, but another test needs to be done. So, if this person had the start of pneumonia two weeks ago, we could have nipped it in the bud if proper medical care had been given, yet we have shut down the medical system to only those being tested for COVID and good luck getting that, or an extreme emergency.
Second person in their 50’s wasn’t feeling well, had a fever under 100 degrees Fahrenheit; calls the doctor, stay home self-isolate for 7 days. Great, sounds terrific.
A person starts having good days and bad days, tightness in the chest, we are not going to test you, your fever hasn’t gone over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and there are other viruses going around. They started feeling better, temp is almost normal and bang, another relapse.
Exhaustion, tightness of chest, and 11 days in things go south. Finally a test for COVID, but what if it is something else? Again, no treatment, no antibiotics now we need to rule out COVID? What if the first test comes back negative? Will there be a second? Will we find out if there needs to be a treatment for something else?
So here we have/had the best medical system in the world, and we cannot help people because we have literally shut everything down and based it on one thing COVID-19.
A young man in his 20’s was scheduled to have a procedure done as he can only breathe out of one nostril which affects his oxygen intake, his sleeping, and his overall wellbeing. CANCEL that because breathing out both sides of your nose is not essential (says who?).
Cities, Towns, States have shut down walking trails, hiking trails, dog parks, etc. all for our own good. But is it really? What about those families with children that need to get out and run, be active outside, or just need to be in a different environment to release energy?
Are parents coping well with this? Is being cooped up good for the Mental Health of our Citizens? Will we see child abuse, domestic abuse, suicides, and other mental health issues arise because of this?
Is trying to PREVENT something worse than the VIRUS itself? I listen as folks talk about getting back to normal. YOUR Normal is over, and nothing will ever be the same. We will have a new normal.
As folks line up outside of grocery stores, I remember a time when my co-worker from Ukraine talked about having to stand in lines for everything. A bread line, a clothing line, etc. Another gentleman, when visiting from Russia in the 1990s (an article was written in the newspaper about this), when asked what he was most amazed about, it was our grocery stores. And here we are standing in line hoping to get into the store before the shelves are emptied. Try to find a thermometer – GOOD LUCK!
We have given up so much in the name of PUBLIC HEALTH, but what if like Sweden we didn’t shut everything down so that we could build up our immune system? Sounds cold, but what if those most at risk stayed home, what if you gave people the choice, WHAT IF??
IS THE ROAD TO HELL PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS? When you sacrifice everything for SECURITY, in the end, you will LOSE everything.
by Alicia Davis
