While I'm concerned about the economic fallout from this virus, I'm also concerned about people's lives. Not just people dying from the virus but people who contract the virus and survive with permanent damage to vital organs. This is happening to not just the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions but children and otherwise healthy adults of all ages. The virus can permanently scar the lungs, damage the heart, kidneys, etc. It would be one thing if this was like the flu where you have to have symptoms in order to transmit the virus to someone else. But asympomatic people can transmit it as well. It is only because of this aspect of the virus that we are seeing the lockdowns which has had such a devastating impact on economies around the planet. What also hasn't helped is how the pandemic response has been completely mishandled, at least here in the US. What's even more unconscionable is the admission that they ordered the slowdown of testing. That is something that I just can't get my head around. I understand his motivation for it. I can't possibly understand the justification for it. From day one I have believed that the only way to deal with it is to conduct testing on a massive scale. That way those who need to be quarantined can be quarantined and everyone else can go about their business. The virus would be tracked and managed and I guarantee the economy would not have been squashed as it has been because no one was willing to do what was necessary. I call that incompetence and gross negligence. That's my rant.
