Social Distance Is the New Norm. Image by Tyra Oldham
The proposition of health versus economics is at hand. The impact of the COVID-19 virus on economic health has taken its toll. The loss of jobs and furloughs have reached a monstrous rate. many small businesses will not recover impacting further job losses. The agreement to reopen the states is a probabilistic question that positions the spread of the virus against the loss of incomes and profits.
The states are reopening to allow for economic health. The governors have agreed to either reopen per the new normal or open slowly to monitor effects. The economy is adjusting and the a new normal will have to surface. Those who have lost jobs more than likely will not regain their work as companies seek new hires and/or engage in a lean operating mode to advance profits and restore economic health.
I found this article by Van Jones important. Van Jones is CNN’s political commentator. “He doesn’t agree with states opening so quickly. He feels this is virtually “a death sentence for communities of color.”” Is it more a nation’s sickness.
The devastation to people of color is clear in the numbers. Yet, the virus doesn’t distinguish or target by race, culture or economics. Virals and contagions operate through spread. There is not enough testing and/or tested to be sure of clear analysis of those total effected. So, I posit my theory of what I call, Outbreak Myopia. Outbreak Myopia is a a belief that a contagion or outbreak that is contained to certain areas, people or places based on the initial detection. Further, those with Outbreak Myopia believe that the cases or not related to them by their biases.
If the states are to reopen there needs to be a system in place to perform immediate triage to root out the spread to protect all our citizens. As many have said, “when other get a cold people of color catch pneumonia.” I wish and pray for a healthy nation.