Testing .. Tracing .. Isolating

That’s the kit. “If the White House Isn’t COVID-Free ..” we simply cannot expect that any place else will be.

We have to “Follow the Data .. Not the Date“, where I state: “COVID-19 is the only constant in the equation” and send you off to “The Virus is Unpredictable ..” (with which I disagree .. It’s quite predictable, especially when compared to other, more human factors).

Okay. Now you’re caught up .. or I am. I can never tell these daze.

Testing, tracing and isolating (those who test positive, rather than the entire population) are three components necessary to stop the spread and move toward normality. Period. End of statement. Full stop:

• We need to know who has it.
• We need to know with whom they’ve interacted.
• We need to isolate those who test positive so they can recover without infecting others.

Until we have the infrastructure to test, trace and isolate in place, we must all “Behave Like You Have It ..“.

Apologies. NOW we’re all caught up.

So, without testing, tracing and isolating, we are, by default, depending on the painful and dangerous method of Herd Immunity. Herd Immunity is an indirect method of protection, dependent on reaching a stage in an infection where the majority of the population is immune so the virus cannot find a place to take hold. If it cannot take hold, it stops spreading.

Painful, because a lot of people will get sick. Dangerous, because a lot of the susceptible will die. I don’t want to dive back into the lore of “The Resolved” (written quite a while back), as many people who have resolved have developed other, fatal symptoms .. the most recent group being US Children Severely Sickened by Coronavirus. An earlier group from South Korea: “South Korea reports recovered coronavirus patients testing positive again“.

To this, we’re not sure if the Resolved are permanently (or even temporarily) immune to 1) contracting the virus again, or 2) being able to spread it, even though they’d resolved.

So, Herd Immunity is out .. or so you would think. Note that some 47 states are “Betting on the Come ..” in that they’re betting that something will get better. Lower numbers, a therapeutic or that a vaccine will suddenly materialize and save us all (‘Abracadabra’ instead of ‘Avada Kedavra’). While the Governors have some good re-opening plans, I have concerns they cannot depend on the vagaries of human behavior and the need for us all to behave.

Okay. Closing this one down. Testing .. tracing .. isolating are the three components necessary to stop the spread and move toward normality. Let’s get there.

Be smart. Stay connected. Stay safe. Stay home when you can. Be careful when you’re not.