It Takes A Village .. And An Army

For the ‘new normal’, that is.

It takes a village to:

• Support each other.
• Protect each other through our behaviors.
• Stay connected to each other.

It will take an Army to do Contact Tracing.

The short bit (by no means complete .. I’m sure I’m missing lots) all starts with testing .. well beyond only those who are showing symptoms.

Those who test positive for COVID-19:

• Self-quarantined.
• Interviewed for their location and contact history (i.e., where were they in the community, with whom did they interact, etc.).
• Get well.

Those who test negative for COVID-19:

• Tested for Antibodies.
• Interviewed for contact history.
• Evaluated for their ability to donate antibodies.

Anyone that shows up on the interview list is:

• Tested.
• If Positive, see above.
• If negative, see above.

I am omitting a lot of detail in the above, but that’s the gist.

As to the level of effort. Thursday, New York revealed a report where they expanding their testing activity along these lines, testing 3,000 random people in public spaces over 2 days, in 19 counties and 40 localities. ~13.9% of people tested positive antibodies (which means they are among The Resolved). Some bags of salt as this is early:

• These were folks who were out and about .. may or may not have been quarantined.
• Likely not essential workers as out and about during the day.
• No emphasis to capture any broad scope of age, demographic, race, etc.
• .. other stuff.

The numbers are big .. if accurate and almost 14% of people are immune, we can work with that number in the journey toward recovery.

It’s an early study, though. Happily, NBC News breaks it down in more detail: “What we can (and can’t) take away from New York’s antibody testing results” .. worth a read as is “Contact Tracing Study“, which links to an early-release CDC paper from a study in China.

Village or Army, it still takes all of us to:

• Remain disciplined. While  The Numbers are Good .. we must and stay home if positive and / or infected, or simply don’t need to go out.
• “Behave Like You Have It” until you know.
• Be a hero. Remember: We are All Heroes.

Last, “Please Don’t Inject Disinfectant Into Your Body“. Please.

Stay connected. Stay safe. Stay home.