So, Are we just "living with COVID" now?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

Cases seem to be trending upwards just about everywhere but nobody is talking about the possibility of more lockdowns or restrictions. It's going up here in Indiana but our Governor just moved us to Stage 5 (less restrictions). Republicans seem to be getting restrictions overturned in the Courts in places like Wisconsin and Michigan and Republican Leaders in those states, Ohio, and others (and of course Trump) just seem to be telling us that we have to "learn to live with it." Plus, they are fighting just about every plan to ensure safe voting in November. So, are most of our leaders (not all of them but a lot of them) just giving up and adopting sort of a tolerance where we're not really fighting it anymore, at least until we have new leadership (hopefully) and a vaccine next year? What is going on? Are there no other strategies for dealing with this rise in COVID cases being contemplated or looked at? I'm starting to see a lot more reports of potential exposure in my job and among my Facebook friends too. It feels like it is getting worse and worse.

[tanyev]

1. Actually "living with COVID" would be universal mask-wearing, distancing, testing and tracing.

What the Republicans are fighting for is dying with COVID.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. Yes

Very important distinction

[DBoon]

10. make that "other people dying from Covid"

as in "your freedom means someone else dies. Someone you don't know and have never met"

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. GMTA. my post earlier today

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214260495

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. With my wife having cancer (stage 4 lymphoma) we get to visit a LOT of doctors

Not ONE of them has suggested that we will be over this pandemic by the end of the year. They will not even speculate on a time line. They just tell us to stay as safe as possible. If we as a country do not start taking it serious, it WILL get worse.

[LakeArenal]

4. Yes.

[Stallion]

5. We Are In Texas with 70,000 at 2 Great Shootouts-A&M v Florida and Texas v OU

the games were so back and forth going down the last seconds and/or 4 Overtimes. Everybody hugging, kissing and high five-ing. Check back in about 2 weeks from now

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Looks like "Dying with Covid", to me. . . . nt

[ananda]

13. That and surviving with serious damaging effects.

We will be forced to tolerate this until there is
a vaccine or cure.

[Shermann]

7. We're not there yet

There is a Republican talking point of "we're all going to get it eventually". I hear that a lot and it pisses me off. This is really a defeatist attitude. During the 1918 pandemic, around a third of the world's population got infected over the course of three years or so. So even if we are headed for that outcome, you still have a better than 50/50 chance of avoiding it (and even better odds if you take precautions).

Trump has bragged about the vaccine being available in a month. If that were to come true (and it won't), the optics on that really wouldn't be great for the Republicans. A rich country like the US can afford to shut down for 6 months. We only had to wait that long, and then there'd be a vaccine starting to come online. But we made excuses and half-assed the lockdown and now 210,000 are dead.

Now in the end the vaccines might not be that effective, and 1/3 of us may get it anyway (or even more). But the final chapter hasn't been written yet.

[Calculating]

9. More like people have grown weary from half a year of preventative measures

We're humans, ultimately we WANT to be able to see each other's faces, touch one another, and generally interact like normal. People were able to handle the social distancing thing and all the precautions for months, but with no real light at the end of the tunnel(A widespread vaccine could still be a year away if not more) I'm seeing a lot more of the "well, I'm just gonna hope it Covid doesn't kill me or mess me up too badly" attitude and people are getting on with their lives.

It's definitely concerning, Utah is setting records daily for COVID cases and nobody really seems to care enough. Halloween is coming up and people are already talking about how it "just wouldn't be fair for the children to rob them of fun experiences over a disease with such a low fatality rate"

[bluestarone]

11. That's the RETHUGLICON plan

NOT MINE!!!

[Ms. Toad]

12. The alternative to living with COVID is dying with it.

So, yes. We are living with COVID now.

Have you checked out Ohio's restrictions before you assume that "we're not really fighting it anymore?"

I will be very surprised if we dont' have new restrictions in the next week or so. The signals seem to me to be pointing to restrictions on weddings/funerals - likely through catering. Bars are chomping at the bit to sell alcohol after 10:00 PM. Meantime, most of the new clusters can be traced directly to famliy gatherings (primarly weddings and funerals). The initial argument was - what is the difference between restaurants serving 50+ people as long as they have space and catering serving the same number of people as long as they ahve space.

Well, the obvous differences: at catered events there are generally free open bars, a substantial portion of those in attendance know each other - so minging (and removal of masks) is much more common, and everyone comes and stays for 3-5 hours. Those seated at a single table may be from up to 8 different households.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

16. If I am making incorrect assumptions, I apologize

I just remember that DeWine recently endorsed Donald Trump's vision of learning to live with it the other day.

[Ms. Toad]

20. That was the headline - it was very misleading.

Last edited Sat Oct 10, 2020, 08:26 PM - Edit history (1)

It was posted here several times as an indication that he and Trump have the same approach to COVID 19.

He means live with COVID 19 the same way I do - there isn't a cure, it is going to be around for a long time, so we have to find a way to keep going until there is a vaccine or an effectve treatment. We can't just stay in lockdown for the next 2 years.

He is not as aggressive as I would be - for example he delayed the mandatory mask order, then implemented it incrementally (for counties in the danger zone). I would have made it mandatory from the beginning of opening up. He also didn't wait the recommended 2 weeks after reaching each stage of reopening before going to the next stage.

But - we're pretty consistently in the bottom 25 states in terms of new cases per 100,000, deaths per 100,000, etc. I would impose more mandates to keep the numbers lower; he trusts Ohioans more than I do to do the right thing - relying on their good will toward their fellow citizens to follow the reccomendations. When he discovers they aren't living up to that trust - he imposes more restrictions. But it means a delay during his "trust" period during which people get sick. He also gives more control to local governments as to schools than i would. But he's watching the science and the state data and making decision based on that (not magical thinking)

He sees mask wearing as freedom - freedom to open up the economy. If we wear masks and socially distance ourselves, we can safely engage in a reasonable amount of economic activity. That's pretty much the opposite of the Trump sees it - since he believes mask mandates take away freedom.

(He is, inexplicably from my perspective, still supporting Trump for president for economic and judicial philosophy reasons. Because I value being a decent, caring, intelligent, human being above pretty much everything else - and he seems to value these things as well - being willing to support someone who is the antithesis of all these things is mind boggling.)

ETA: Ohio is 38th out of 51 for total cases per 100,000 residents (near the bottom), 29th out of 51 for new cases in the last 7 days (bottom half). As to the change - we are worse in the last 7 days: 19th out of 51 (top half).

[Chainfire]

14. In Florida, our policy is to ignore it.

It is over. Everything is back to normal......That is a benefit to having a Trumpite governor who sees himself as the next great Trump in Washington. May a pox be upon him....

[sarcasmo]

15. Scott Atlas and herd stupidity.

[BannonsLiver]

17. I feel increasingly isolated

As far as how I treat the virus vs. friends and family. Almost all of my friends are college educated career people who are Democrats and otherwise decent people but more and more I’m getting a whatever vibe. Lots of invites to get togethers I have to turn down. But I’m not changing anything and do not care who is offended.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

21. I'm still keeping myself home most of the time

except for work-related activities.

[JCMach1]

19. It's part of a new voter suppression

Fall/Winter was going to be bad regardless, bit states like TX are just throwing everything open.

There will be massive Covid spikes by election day.