Today Trump stated that we are tired of hearing about COVID-19. I don’t think that is exactly what he meant. I think he meant we are actually tired of hearing the COVID-19 messaging that is going on. At least I am. I truly empathize with those who have been affected by the virus. I feel for the loss of love ones that have passed. If you are hurting because of the effects of the virus, I want to be there to listen with a sympathetic ear. I want to hear about real ways that I can protect myself and my family from the virus. I want to hear about actual trends based on good solid metrics that have been developed to truly understand the virus and how it is progressing.
I do not want to hear another expert who comes up with “The sky is falling” worst case estimates, week after week and month after month, with no exposure of the data and models they used for that estimate. Nor do they follow up to show why their estimates were off by more than 200%, They don’t say what changes to their models they are making to ensure their estimates get more accurate. That is because they are not interested in accuracy. They are interested in creating fear so that we follow the messaging.
I do not want to hear from another government bureaucrat who calls themselves a scientist, but is more concerned about maintaining the messaging of fear than in looking into the actual science. I do not want to hear another story about how someone, who points out that the science disagrees with the messaging, is being censored because he is wrong to contradict the messaging. I do not want to hear of a person or agency being forced to retract a statement because it does not match the messaging. When I hear these, I know that this is about the messaging and not the science.
I do not want to hear another horror story about every edge case where a young person died with COVID, or that a person who supposedly had no other co-morbidities died with COVID. I do not want to hear about some new symptom a few people are having that may or may not actually be caused by COVID. I do not want to hear about the rare case where someone gets infected twice. These things, while rare, are going to happen. Quit highlighting them to raise fear.
I do not want to hear the messaging. We can all hear them in our heads now. Stay home, be safe. Wear a mask, protect others. We are all in this together. It’s for the common good. My mask protects you and your mask protects me. Stay 6 feet apart. Asymptomatic spread. Increasing case rates. Positivity Rate. Following the science and data. In short, I am tired of bureaucratic scientists and the media working hard to create a fear that is much worse than the risk.
I get that this pandemic has taken well over 300,000 lives. Somewhere between a half and two thirds of those have actually been from the virus. The rest have been from our reactions to the pandemic, and from the fear, desolation and isolation that has caused. I understand that every thing I do brings on risk. When I eat in a restaurant, there is risk. When I go to the store, there is risk. When I go to the bar, there is risk. When I sit at home, ordering everything by contactless delivery, and socialize only through phone, social media or video calls, there is risk. Risk is inherent in everything we do in life. I want to make informed rational decisions based on risk versus reward to decide what actions I do, and what actions are not worth the risk.
I will ask you this hypothetical question. Suppose you decide to sit at home for 18 months from the beginning of the pandemic waiting for good coverage with a vaccine. You are ordering the things you absolutely need online, talking to people only by means of technology, working exclusively from home, or probably not working at all. In short, suppose you put your life on hold for 18 months because you did not want to take any risks. Then at the end of that 18 months, you still get the COVID virus, and you find yourself isolated from family and at deaths door. Will you regret missing out on those 18 months? I know that I would.
I want the facts. I want scientists to be allowed to examine all the data and help determine the true risks of each activity I want to do. I want to know when masks might actually help, and when it is just theater. I want to know the real risks of asymptomatic spread of the virus, not the high estimates that are used in the messaging. I want to know what symptoms I and others should really watch for so I can isolate myself if those symptoms come up. Right now, if I am alive I probably have at least 3 symptoms associated with COVID, and that does not help. In short, I want science to work on getting me valid actionable information about COVID-19, how to know when I really need to test or quarantine, and how to minimize the risk to myself and others while still living a fulfilling life.