"lingering in the air..." So many people have bought into the media's scare-mongering, it would be funny were it not so sad. As a retired ER RN & paramedic who worked through the AIDS & H1N1 time periods, we professionals did NOT take even half the precautions that the public afraid of COVID do. Common sense ruled the day. COVID is only "deadly" for a fraction of a percentage of the general population unless you have underlying health problems. Then wear a mask and social distance when around other people. I am in my late 60's and have been exposed to known tested persons with active COVID (as in sleeping next to my infected wife), never wore a mask, and never developed any symptoms (she only complained of an occasional cough & mild diarrhea).

News outlets thrive on stories of death & violence. "If it bleeds, it leads" is the age old axiom. One would think that the Black Death that occurred in the 1300's was upon us! The stress, anxiety, lonleiness & loss of income caused by the fear of COVID is far more damaging than the virus itself.

We need to enjoy the time we have left on this earth, so lets use some common sense and stop living in fear!

Excellent post. If I could rep you 1000 times, I would.

Unfortunately, people are tuning into programs like CNN and falling for the hysteria. It's sad.

Actually, in South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan it was NOT "DRACONIAN". There are many factors related to the differences in the society of the US and these more SUCCESSFUL countries at handling a Plague. The MAIN one is their citizens have a positive and confident attitude of a WILLINGNESS to COOPERATE with their government's CV effort. Whereas, the US of A has citizens with a STUBBORNNESS, inflexible, and uncooperative attitude to our government's CV effort. Citizens of those 4 non-US countries have great TRUST in their governments and what their governments tell them. They TRUST their leadership and their government mechanisms and laws. In New Zealand, they love their Prime Minister. The US, when it comes to a National emergency like this CV Plague, could be rightfully be called the DIS-United States. WE have a jumble of states competing for money, power, and favors from the Central government. US citizens were NOT told the truth about CV, early on, when it was 1st recognized as a MAJOR health problem( in Feb.). It became a Political football instead of an emergency to be turned over to the Epidemiologists for their judgment, and direction. Then they should have been given the POWER to solve the problem - the Political football was dropped, fumbled.

The US became a case study for Medical Scientists about what NOT to do!

The CDC just reversed itself and said that schools should NOT be shutting down. Schools should be open and children should be in class.

Great post! Well written and informative, such clarity. Nice to know that there are so many thoughtful and clever people in TV Land. Impressive!

I agree with all the content in this post - very well written and informative! Myself, I have taken and enjoyed, probably more psychology and sociology courses that the average. It builds a good base of thought to take into other classes.

I agree with some parts of this post but not others. I cannot tell you how I personally respect all of the nurses and first responders I know and those who have cared for my family and me over time. However, sometimes they get it wrong.

Covid-19 was first explained to be very contagious, then slowly as the world learned more about it, we found a number of qualifiers for it's contagion. I am sure you have read them too from valid sources.

I have avoided indoor activity.

I think that within 12 weeks, most of the people who live in The Villages will be offered a Vaccine that is 90% effective, and that has been tested by over 70,000 people. Governor DiSantis says that no one will be required to take it.

I have been following this closely, as I am sure you have too, and I am being very picky with the sources of my news. We all know that one doctor is NOT as good as another and one Research Facility is not as ethical as another.

I have great hope that very soon the worst will be behind us and I will be able to hug people and paint with my friends at Laurel Manor without a second thought.

I took a lot of psychology and child development classes when I was in college. I am glad that the CDC has FINALLY reversed their stance on school closures.

I believe that the experts are finding that all of this social distancing and self isolation is doing FAR more harm than good. First do no harm...

I no longer have children to protect. If mine were little, I would hesitate, because one was born with Cardiological and Pulmonary factors that would put her at high risk, like the elderly. Children are not affected as seriously, from what I've read but...One would bring it to the other who would be affected seriously.

The vaccine will slow this damned virus very soon.

I am so happy with THAT news.

Right now, we can celebrate that all reading these argumentative posts are STILL ALIVE.

I shelter now so that when I am again together with those I treasure, no one will be missing.

I am hoping and praying that the vaccine will be released soon. The isolation is having seriously adverse consequences in the elderly, too. I know from your posts that you are still getting out to the stores and whatnot. Some elderly people have not left their homes since this whole thing began which is not healthy. Their cognitive and physical declines are substantial and extremely worrisome. People need fresh air, sunshine and to be around other people.

This vaccine can not come soon enough in my own inexpert opinion.

That is a good question about contact tracing. I feel that MIGHT(?) work in The Villages, but only now and for a short time because The Villages is for some reason a lucky outlier for CV compared to the overall US. Which, yesterday recorded an all-time high of 193,000 cases of deadly CV. I feel that when most all parts of the US are one big "hot spot", that contact tracing is NOT possible. I feel that, unfortunately, the contract tracing method is like "closing the barn door after the horse has left the barn"! The overall US lost that capability around March or the 1st wave hitting us.

Here is something to watch out for in the near future.......For some reason unknown to me, Canada celebrates Thanksgiving several weeks earlier than we in the US do. If you pull up a graph of Canada's cases, you will find that 2 to 3 weeks after THEIR Thanksgiving they had a BIG spike in Cases! This gives a proof-positive visual example of why indoor gatherings of non-regular household people can be a LARGE spreader of CV cases in national aggregate. It also applies as a warning to TV landers to NOT go over to their neighbor's house for dinner or drinks. And to NOT go to bars with or without masks. Overall it proves that socialization indoors IS dangerous to yourself and your friends. Don't do it!

You can see this graph with your own eyes and it is logical (and has nothing WHATSOEVER to do with DRACONIAN countries). You either take this fact as a hint or you put it out of your mind and choose risk, pain, and possible DEATH. Another example to think about is, why do Wisconsin and their neighboring states have about 36% positive cases? My answer is - the popularity of indoor bars. There is little to do outside in Fall and Winter in Wisconsin, and the Dakotas. I hate to say this but churches are INDOOR gatherings of diverse, non-nuclear family type people. I wonder if any social scientist has studied the effect of high numbers of churches in various rural and urban settings?

That advice might(?) be good for a situation where risk is constant. Then people can better evaluate THEIR particular risk preference. But, we now have a situation that is RAPIDLY increasing in risks (namely 193,000 cases yesterday). The RISK is going up TOO rapidly for US citizens to wrap their heads around. And emotions and leadership misinformation have ADDED a large component to the uncertainty and confusion of the US public. It is a bad situation and it is getting worse!

He said that there was confusion, not lies. Give the man SOME credit for shedding much factual light on this bantered about topic often seen here on this forum.

You are correct up to a point. That point, in my opinion, would be around 5th grade. YOUNG CHILDREN for some unknown (?) reason may have the CV but be asymptomatic AND not SPREAD it. Now, remember, adults are quite different. They can get it easily (about 50% in the Dakotas) and they can spread it easily. And it is serious! The Dakotas and that area are filling up their hospitals and their staffs are exhausted and catching CV.

That is why teachers (ADULTS) are deadly afraid to be in schools (indoor air problems). Nurses in Philadelphia are on strike. This IS all serious and unprecedented! I can NOT dismiss these facts and blame these facts on CNN. That is just bizzaro!

Dr. Michael Olsterholm said the vaccine will LIKELY be available around June or July to regular people. You can Google that! He has been right all along about CV predictions. Take that to the Google and CV BANK!