Tag Archives: coronavirus

May 6, 2020 · 2:24 pm

Mulching in the skateboard park at Nock…..brilliant?

Couldn’t agree with Mike Cronan’s letter in the Newburyport Daily News more.

The reactions of local authorities to the coronavirus are head scratchers.

Mulching in the skateboard park near Nock was an embarrassing piece of government overreach. It got Newburyport some “great” press!

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Covid-19 Dashboard for May 4th, ZERO teenagers have died from the coronavirus. Confining/Restricting teenagers is based then on what supporting health statistics? Destroying three months of schooling and activities for teenagers over these obvious numbers doesn’t make sense.

How about taking local action based on these statistics instead: The average age of the Massachusetts fatalities is 82, and 95% of the fatalities were seventy and over. How would closing schools and confining teenagers fix those stats? How has confining folks in nursing homes and healthcare facilities helped those stats?

The healthy and productive, as well as kids of all ages, have played along passively for far too long. The numbers do not support the treatment those groups have been enduring. Time for them to press the “had enough” button and at least question the actions of local officials.

(Sent this to the Newburyport Daily News on May 6, 2020)

 

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April 16, 2020 · 5:41 pm

Letter to the Newburyport Daily News editor (April 16, 2020)

Things are tough at the Newburyport Daily News according to today’s front page.

Potential advertising revenue is drying up in the current climate.

No longer unaffected by coronavirus, the NDN is now better aware of the financial impacts many in this area already know.

Ending the shutdown safely/quickly would certainly be in the paper’s best interests. What could they do? Publish stories that create momentum toward a quick/safe reopening.

Today’s edition had a front-page article titled, “Gov: state seeing ‘the surge’ of cases.” Within that article, Governor Baker is quoted saying, “…we are pretty well-positioned to deal with this.” The title suggests that there’s trouble coming, not as it might have suggested, that we’re ready for it.

We need hope. We need to read that we’re making progress toward a quick/safe ending. Create some momentum in that direction, please.

 

 

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March 28, 2020 · 9:45 pm

Schools will not reopen

Schools will not reopen

Churches will not reopen.

Restaurants will not reopen.

Someone has to say it. This is our future.

Unless, of course, social distancing ends. And what are the chances of that happening?

In half a month, social distancing has gone from being considered a joke to now being close to a law.

I leave my house to go for a walk and see my neighbors keeping away from me, crossing the street to avoid being close to me.

There’s something in me that wants to be cavalier and return to the way things were. To take my chances.

I was working in close quarters with kids. I was attending church several times a week. I was occasionally eating out. But now each of those activities could prove fatal. I may not be afraid myself, but would I want to be responsible for bringing a fatal disease onto someone else? Definitely not.

And so, I optimistically cooperate, but after nearly two weeks, I see no end in sight.

I try to imagine what would have to be true for parents to feel comfortable enough to send their children back into the intimacy of a public/private school. Wouldn’t the fear of getting the virus have to end? How close is that? Each day there are stories and numbers shouting that there is no control.

Nice picture today in the Newburyport Daily News of the Rail Trail. Dogs and families were out of the house, getting some exercise and fresh air. Except that the story that went with the picture was that the mayor of Newburyport was threatening to close the Rail Trail because the social distancing rules weren’t being followed.

Hampton Beach is now closed to the public for the same reason.

Things are not trending away from social distancing. Just the opposite, so it seems.

Yet we’re supposed to believe that schools/churches/restaurants will reopen on a certain date in the near future? Are you naivete enough to believe that we are now capable of putting a date on when this crisis ends?

We must get the virus under control, and so far it hasn’t happened. There appears to be treatment available for most of the afflicted but not a means to prevent folks from being afflicted.

Promising reopening dates based on where we currently are is pure folly.

My advice: Pray for a miracle but also prepare for a very long haul.

 

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March 20, 2020 · 6:45 pm

Are you worried about the rising coronavirus cases and deaths?

Scared yet?

How can you help but not be!

Every day another set of numbers.

And every day those numbers include more deaths and more coronavirus cases.

It’s depressing. It’s discouraging.

What will it take to get those two numbers under control?

Avoid everyone?

Stay inside?

But for how long?

The upturning numbers won’t stop upturning.

Will it be days? Weeks? Or even months?

Who knows?

Let me offer some good news. Let me offer some hope. Some encouragement.

Those numbers we’ve been seeing may mean something positive.

I will now post some data. Please, don’t quit reading. There’s a positive to be found. Here’s the data:

March 8       22 deaths                541 cases                4.06%

March 9       26 deaths                704 cases                3.69%

March 10    30 deaths                 994 cases                3.01%

March 11     38 deaths                1295 cases                2.95%

March 12    42 deaths               1695 cases                2.52%

March 13    49 deaths               2247 cases                2.27%

March 14    57 deaths               2954 cases                1.93%

March 15    68 deaths               3680 cases                1.84%

If you look at the information, you’ll see that the deaths and the cases are indeed rising. As we’ve been told and told!

BUT then there’s the third number. That number is the percentage of fatalities on each day.

Are you seeing that this number is going DOWN?

More cases BUT less fatalities.

What’s going on there?

Could it be that on the early dates those being tested were mostly there because of symptoms?

Could it also be that, as the days passed, more people were tested because of their association despite having no symptoms?

Marcus Smart of the Celtics played a game against the Utah Jazz recently. Several days later, a Jazz player had symptoms and tested positive.

Then because of association, Marcus and the other Celtics were tested. They were tested without symptoms. Marcus tested positive. He was then quarantined and as far as I’ve heard has not exhibited any symptoms.

I’m guessing that the number of those likely to be tested because of association will increase. Some like, Marcus Smart, will not only be tested but will turn up positive without symptoms.

They will be on the case list but not on the fatality list.

What do the numbers suggest? The percentage of deaths from the coronavirus is declining. We need not panic over the cases/death total as long as the death percentage continues to decline.

 

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