Follow the Data .. Not the Date

Or the title could read: “Follow the Data .. Not the Desire ..”  .. Or, “.. not the Demand ..“, as it seems today.

Speaking of dates .. it’s been six daze since my last post. Six busy daze. Apologies.

Back to it. I got to thinking .. there are so many folks who ask:

• “When can we .. “
• “When will we be able to .. “
• “How will we know when .. “

.. you get the drift.

To be clear .. we don’t set the timetable. COVID-19 sets the timetable. COVID-19 is the only constant in the equation. I discuss this in an earlier post: “The Virus is Unpredictable ..“.

It’s not. We must:

• Follow the data which gives us the facts.
• Follow the science, old (how viruses behave) and new, in the form of the developments that guide us.
• Follow the recent history. This has demonstrated how changing our behavior (behavior is inherently a variable in any equation that involves humans) has changed the course of the spread of the virus.

Forty-seven states are in various stages of re-opening at this time (link to a Friday recap, but the situation is changing by the moment). As of this writing:

• None of the states have met the Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, as set by the White House. None.
• The White House has rejected the CDC plan to provide guidance to states, so we’ll see fifty different plans .. but granted, there are fifty different states each with their own demographics, geography, assets and data.
• The State Governors are leveraging their best resources to provide the most practical (and safe) directives to their populace .. I don’t agree with some of the policies I’ve heard, but I’m not an elected official, and “I’m Not a Doctor ..“. I hope that good judgment is applied by the Governors and their people to avoid a second wave of the virus.

As to the people: we need to behave. We need to follow the guidelines, even so far as to “Behave Like You Have It ..” to protect others:

• If you need to go to work, go to work, but safely.
• If you need to go out, go out, but safely.
• Follow the rules. Avoid large gatherings. Wear a mask.

The pressure to re-open is more for economic and political reasons, and not based on the science. However, as situations differ across states, cities and within companies, we can apply the science to act safely and reduce risk. This is up to the people, as the government is giving us the latitude to make these decisions ourselves.

We have the option to choose to behave safely, or not. It is up to us. “Let’s Not Undo ..” the good work we’ve done.

Stay connected. Stay safe. Stay home when you can.