.. it is said, is enough. However, since wisdom is not equally distributed, it doesn't hurt to have some things repeated. So here goes: MASKS WORK, as do social/physical distancing and hand washing. I know this is difficult for the MAGA crowd to accept, but the proof is there if they would look at it. Areas in the US and countries which have accepted this are faring better than those which have not. Another inconvenient truth is that because the virus is so contagious, nothing will work 100%, not even a vaccine when it becomes available. Our only hope is that a large enough number of people will adopt these measures without the need for policing if we are going to contain the damage until a safe and effective vaccine becomes available. I have a feeling that some of President Trump's supporters know this and are acting on it, if only in stealth. But unless a large enough number of people do what is needed, the pandemic will not be contained. Those opposed to masks have resorted to the false idea that somehow it is harmful to one's health. The fact that doctors, lab technicians and other professionals who wear masks are not dying in large numbers does not seem to shake this idea. I wonder how many MAGAs would like to be operated on by a maskless and gloveless surgeon? Another fact, not aired as much as it should be, is that it is not necessary to shut down the economy in order to deal with the pandemic. It may be true that airline travel and, to a lesser extent, other modes of transportation may never return to their pre-pandemic levels. But other businesses and schools are figuring out how to function and are establishing what may be the new normal. After all, the advent of the automobile and the steam engine put an end to the horse and buggy business. It wasn't great for blacksmiths or horse farms, but we as a society came through.
I started this post saying these facts need to be repeated; and they do, if only to re-inforce the message. What really needs to be re-inforced is the fact that science, art and other forms of progress are not a "liberal conspiracy". So-called conservatives may tell themselves they are "defending liberty" by opposing what they consider drastic measures, but they cannot be allowed to wipe out two centuries worth of public health knowledge acquired at the cost of millions of lives and untold misery. Just because the president seized on this issue because of who he is, doesn't mean the rest of us have to follow him off this cliff. Politics has its uses, but we must draw the line when the national interest, public health and well-being are at stake. The fact that the most well-protected individual in the world is in a hospital with the virus should shake the rest of us up. If anyone is still "undecided" or complacent about the upcoming election, all I can say is WAKE UP! AND GO VOTE!!