May 6: Pandemic Narrative Part 10

Worldwide cases: 3.68 million. Cases in the United States: 1.24 million, at least until the spike that will probably follow the  protests happening in several states. One encouraging fact, if you can look at these facts in any way that could be seen as encouraging: The worldwide number of recovered patients is at 1.21 million, almost the number of total cases in the U.S. I know there’s no direct relationship between those numbers, but something about how closely they align makes me feel a little hopeful that a big number of recovered people is good news.

It’s a school day here. Part of my distance learning routine involves taking a break after my morning office hours and stepping out for 15-20 minutes so Freddie and I can stretch our legs. Today we saw many people outside, just standing around. Of course this made me a little paranoid that there was something going on that was worth coming outside to watch, which usually isn’t a good thing. One of my neighbors called out as we walked by, reminding me the National Guard had scheduled hospital flyovers around the state today, as a salute to the health care workers trying to keep people alive through the pandemic. My neighborhood is a mile or two from a hospital, which would put us all in easy view of the flyover.

Freddie and I got back to our own driveway, and minutes later two jets shot by, loudly. Some of the neighbors applauded and cheered, but I felt a chill. The sight immediately put me in mind of a day back in January of 1991. I was home from college for the weekend, walking out of a grocery store when I heard the sound of aircraft almost directly overhead. I had looked up and saw a series of military cargo helicopters flying away from the Cities, and in the direction of what I reasonably speculated was Camp Ripley. This was days after Operation Desert Shield had evolved into Operation Desert Storm. For the first time in my life that I could remember, the country was actively at war. 

I don’t know if I agree with the idea of comparing what we’re doing to endure and survive the Covid-19 pandemic to a war. I think the idea of going to war against something implies combatting an enemy that has entered the conflict with intent, which a virus doesn’t have. 

If people want to see it as a war, I guess I can understand that perspective well enough. After all, one thing that usually seems to come with any war would be people protesting something about it. I just find it surprising that the protests are mostly against the very actions that scientists and doctors tell us are exactly what we should do to win the war.