Pandemic Reflections
Hope we are smarter next time and resist peer and leader pressures.
Get ready for more pandemics.
Here is my list of some things I learned from the last one.
Mortality and morbidity predictions involving statistics are as bad as political polls. They are extremely vague, often wrong, and easily manipulatable. It’s good to use them to prepare and review in a general way, but avoid giving in to fear and over-reacting.
There are downsides to every social demand intended to save lives. Let’s remember the importance of maintaining a healthy economy as an important public health matter. Those who wish to keep businesses open do not stand against preserving life. Lockdowns have now been shown to increase depression and suicide in a society.
Pandemics are potentially caused by scientists playing around with projects to increase the infectious rate and lethality of microbes. I for one have lost trust in a number of government institutions that were created to make people safer not sicker. It turns out that even just a few key players within a bureaucracy can cause incredible harm to the public. And those in offices of elected executive power must be held accountable by state and federal representatives in the legislative branch. Pandemics tend to breed dictators.
Funding of research by pharmaceutical companies along with government grants is a serious problem. Scientists do strange things to maintain cash flow coming from grants. Perhaps if the money flowing toward research slowed it would reduce wasteful and unnecessary research.
People who have weakened immune systems might need to wear masks — and if they do they should be instructed on how to do this correctly by their licensed healthcare providers. Everyone else should live mask free, especially children. And “social distancing” of healthy people doesn’t alter outcomes either. Those with symptoms need to social distance themselves in order to not infect others. This is a common-sense public health principle called quarantining.
Sunlight and spending time outside improve health. Vitamin D has been shown to be important especially in winter months when sun exposure is lower. Sunblock also reduces natural vitamin D production.
Turn viral illnesses around early in order to reduce hospitalization. And we, the public, need to read the fine print on what Emergency Use Authorization means.
Finally, never close churches again. The church is a refuge for those who regularly attend, not an optional tourist destination. We don’t go when convenient. We go because this is what the body does to remain connected to one another and with God.
