Covid to Economics

Let’s recap. The Coronavirus virus showed up in the United States somewhere around early February 2020. However, Nurses were reporting weird multifocal pneumonia early as October and November 2019. I remember my first patient from China with a form of ARDS Advanced Respiratory Distress Syndrome around July 2019.

 

The World Health Organization stated the entire world is in the grips of a Pandemic March 11th. Causing a cascading effect of countries, states, and cities to slowly lockdown around March 26th. We were asked to quarantine in place, wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash our hands as toilet paper and bleach flew off of the shelves. Businesses shuddered. People lost their jobs. Covid killed unmercifully the young the old, the healthy, and the infirmed. The stock market crumped. Stimulus checks were mailed out. Unemployment soared. Oil was in negative territory. And people began to telecommute.

 

So, what has changed from that March 11th to this very day?

 

Nothing. Or as we say in the South, “Not a goddamn thing.”

 

The virus is still active. And still on a murderous rampage across the world. There still isn’t a vaccine. Doctors are still confused about how to treat Covid patients. Because some patients present with a headache and are Covid positive. And some Covid patients present drowning in their secretions. Covid is so elusive that it is hard to fathom that a healthy adult could sit on the couch have a stroke. Or that a runner with perfect lungs would be placed on a vent. Or some people are completely symptom-free Covid positive and highly infectious.

 

To me, Covid-19 is a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside of an enigma protected by blockchains designed by Elon Musk himself.

 

And Yet. Stores are opening. Bars are doing business. People are out and about. And I’m sure if Covid had a voice it would say,

 

“Y'all gonna learn today.”

 

I’m sure that economics plays an important role in reopening our economy. And I hope that with the structured reopening to preserve what economic provenance we have left is worth it.

Americans are resilient and have the biggest swagger on the planet. After all, we are Americans. But as Americans we not immune to death and destruction.

 

I too long to walk through the mall buying yet another pair of cargo pants and a tall coffee from Starbucks. I too want gaze upon the most awesome artwork Baltimore has to offer. I’m excited to see my first Orioles baseball game. I want to go to Torrid and watch my spouse decimate a credit card. But I know what the coronavirus can do each time I wear all the protective gear to take care of a patient. With each ventilator, with each Comfort Flow, and with each time a patient cannot breathe. I resign myself to an Amazon purchase, Hulu, and YouTube. At least this way I know I am doing my part to prevent the spread

 

Vale