Of course, even when promoting herd immunity the Administration is NOT consistent. If we view Sweden as having a herd immunity approach (warts and all), we can see that the government there is strict about gathering sizes and physical distancing. Yes, the schools and businesses are all open, but with certain restrictions in place, AND, more importantly, with social distancing guidelines that apply whenever there may be at risk people involved. So, for example, the Swedish government would not tolerate any of the Trump rallies, the WH superspreader event, etc …
Exceptional article, Joshua. Thank you.
How does the younger age groups in the UK, for example, play a role in herd immunity? And in your opinion is zero-covid still a better approach? Or perhaps viable approach is a better term.
Either way, there is no way the president can ever implement either because he governs by whim.
What will Capt Covid do today?
He sure seems to be reacting to the dexamethasone. Even for him, he is over the top. I have no idea what his doctors are thinking. Joshua, i know it’s a taper of 10 days.,,,, or so they have said. Does that sound typical? But that gets us toward the middle of next week.
I noticed yesterday that POTUS was clearing his throat a lot while speaking. Yes, it sounds like he’s doing splendidly. 😉
It was actually rather sad listening to him “trying” to talk.
UK is talking about a “circuit-breaker” lockdown for a “fortnight” (love that word for “two weeks”), in which socializing between households would be banned, and most non-essential businesses and some schools closed.
Vicki, to answer your question, younger folks can become infected and are often asymptomatic or just a bit ill. They visit their parents, or even a grandparent, and so it spreads. Quite frankly, most of my concern with the White House superspreader event was not and is not the folks who were there. It’s the folks that got infected from the folks who were there. This is what happened at the wedding in Maine during the summer, for example.
Cases are once again increasing like wildfire, and hospitalizations are up. Deaths have averaged around 800/day this week, but appear to be increasing as well.
Sorry Joshua I was not clear. I know the UK and a few other areas are seeing ages 30-40 more impacted with the second wave. Herd immunity seems to focus more on protecting older folks as until now they were seen as largest affected group. So I was wondering how the new, younger impacted demographic plays into the herd immunity scenario.
Also that is the age of many teachers. And in addition long haulers are more often female. We are amazingly cavalier when it comes to our teachers.
I never hear or see any data regarding our homeless population one way or the other as to how they are surviving this pandemic. Around downtown Boston I see them either begging in front of convenience stores or just hanging around with each other on park benches just as they always have.
Joshua, is herd immunity possible amongst the homeless population? Since you actually live near downtown you see every day what I mean.
A little off topic here but I just wanted to follow with a brief rant re: our homeless community. I love this country and I love this city. But I still cannot comprehend how we can allow so many of our supposedly empathetic citizens to essentially treat an entire population as invisible every single day – to their face. I’ve commuted to Boston off and on for 20 years and I still literally tear up almost every day I have gone on the train seeing hundreds of well dressed businessmen and businesswomen walk right by homeless individuals who are speaking to them without even acknowledging them or looking at them.
To this day I don’t understand why this behavior is acceptable and normalized. We should never treat another person as though they do not exist. Ever.
To be honest I wonder if Boston’s massive issue with race isn’t even more really an issue re: class and socioeconomic disparity. That has been baked into Boston Beans since the first Brahmin on the Hill’s kid launched the first snowball on the common to some Irish “Muggle.”
It is our city on the hill’s Achilles heel.
Sorry / done with my rant!! Hmphhh!!
In answer to your “rant”. One day in Copley Square in March when the pandemic hit, I was walking from a 7-11 store when me and this homeless man sort of “got into each other’s way” so to speak. You might say we “bumped” into each other without making any physical contact whatsoever. As I walked away, he started ranting and following me. I then walked briskly heading into the CVS, where I was going into anyway. He didn’t follow me in, but it still was a nerve wracking experience. If I had continued down the street, he probably would have still continued his rant after me. To this day I have no idea as to what could have set him off, especially since we never even had any physical contact no less. I hope this answers your question on avoiding these individuals.
Well I said hi to my regular group every day on my walk from N station (Precovid) and never had an issue.
Like any population there will be unsafe individuals. However I have not found them to be in any way the majority in Boston.
The average net worth of Black families in GB BEFORE Covid was $8.
Something is broken and ignoring it(them) won’t make it go away.
Sorry if this is too inflammatory- I just feel this issue incredibly deeply bc I don’t think our country should allow the type of billionaire wealth while so many are homeless in the same cities – sometimes on opposite ends of the same street.
I worked for an attorney friend of my parents in the summer of 1968. They sent me to places they never should have but that’s another story. I was in the subway and some guy in a suit was bothering me big time. Two homeless men who I’d seen around before approached me. One sat beside me. Both glared at the man. I had a fairly decent walk back to the office and they followed close behind. I felt awful that I didn’t have anything For them other than a huge thank you. I always wondered what would have happened if the creep had followed me. Needless to say, your comment Mama brought back warm memories.
We have homeless families even in Sutton. I try to donate to the food bank whenever I can. Which reminds me…..more grocery gift cards need to be sent
I went to graduate school in Santa Barbara. There was a huge homeless population in a city filled with the embarrassingly rich. I used to sit and talk with homeless people in a park near campus. Some of my friends thought I was crazy to do this. I never felt threatened and no one ever asked me for anything. I believe that it meant a lot to them to have someone talk to them, and especially listen to them, as PEOPLE.
Exactly. Can you imagine addressing people directly and they feel it appropriate to literally look through you?
At the end of the day any human being deserves the dignity of not becoming invisible. It is so easy – through a myriad of things including mental illness, other illness, substance issues, vets with untreated PTSD, physical disability you name it – to fall through the cracks and it’s kind of luck of the draw if one ends up with family in a position to help (as an example I was likely orphaned at birth) so I will never judge a person by their lack of creature comforts. I work with many incredibly affluent folks in my job and I have yet to see the strength of one’s balance sheet have a direct correlation to the kindness of their soul or the goodness of them as a person.
There but by the grace of god… (says this agnostic every day.)
I am smiling ear to ear. What a wonder comment. Thank you mama for you wonderful rant.
Unfortunately we live in a world of “haves” and “have nots”.
I myself sometimes feel like I am “in between” both groups.
Sad part us that it is perpetuated by our governments policies.
Quite frankly, I would like to get back into my original comment/question regarding the homeless and the coronavirus. These groups are generally not the healthiest under the best of circumstances and I am just curious as to how they are dealing with this pandemic compared to the rest of society. Certainly not meaning to be “heartless” in any way.
I think this is a great question. I wonder how the shelters will cope as the weather gets colder and more people seek their services.
It is a good and fair question. Our society is blind to their existence and the existence of too many more. There is a pyramid in our country. I’ve learned many on both sides of the aisle don’t want to see it. Mama touched on it in her original comment. She is one of few I have heard do so but was Also not surprised
Great question and my sincere apologies for derailing it earlier with my rant – which was in no way directed at you or anyone specific at all. Just a random soap box thing. I doubt anyone here at WHW could or would ever be called heartless – now the old WBZ forum is another story….
I saw a special on homelessness during the pandemic but it was a national production- maybe on CNN? I have no idea re: Boston specifically but I’d imagine like almost everything else the homeless are probably sadly mostly falling through the cracks. I think I saw on the local news that some shelters had moved to contract rooms at cheap motels/hotels but my understanding is that if the hotel is in a sketchy or drug central area it can be more harmful than helpful. However I am far from in the know on this issue.
C-19 / 10-11 / ready
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My latest is on how herd immunity has become the default strategy of the Trump Administration. https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2020/10/10/where-does-the-trump-administration-stand-on-herd-immunity/#22d9d3a372f5
Of course, even when promoting herd immunity the Administration is NOT consistent. If we view Sweden as having a herd immunity approach (warts and all), we can see that the government there is strict about gathering sizes and physical distancing. Yes, the schools and businesses are all open, but with certain restrictions in place, AND, more importantly, with social distancing guidelines that apply whenever there may be at risk people involved. So, for example, the Swedish government would not tolerate any of the Trump rallies, the WH superspreader event, etc …
Exceptional article, Joshua. Thank you.
How does the younger age groups in the UK, for example, play a role in herd immunity? And in your opinion is zero-covid still a better approach? Or perhaps viable approach is a better term.
Either way, there is no way the president can ever implement either because he governs by whim.
What will Capt Covid do today?
He sure seems to be reacting to the dexamethasone. Even for him, he is over the top. I have no idea what his doctors are thinking. Joshua, i know it’s a taper of 10 days.,,,, or so they have said. Does that sound typical? But that gets us toward the middle of next week.
I noticed yesterday that POTUS was clearing his throat a lot while speaking. Yes, it sounds like he’s doing splendidly. 😉
It was actually rather sad listening to him “trying” to talk.
UK is talking about a “circuit-breaker” lockdown for a “fortnight” (love that word for “two weeks”), in which socializing between households would be banned, and most non-essential businesses and some schools closed.
Vicki, to answer your question, younger folks can become infected and are often asymptomatic or just a bit ill. They visit their parents, or even a grandparent, and so it spreads. Quite frankly, most of my concern with the White House superspreader event was not and is not the folks who were there. It’s the folks that got infected from the folks who were there. This is what happened at the wedding in Maine during the summer, for example.
Cases are once again increasing like wildfire, and hospitalizations are up. Deaths have averaged around 800/day this week, but appear to be increasing as well.
Sorry Joshua I was not clear. I know the UK and a few other areas are seeing ages 30-40 more impacted with the second wave. Herd immunity seems to focus more on protecting older folks as until now they were seen as largest affected group. So I was wondering how the new, younger impacted demographic plays into the herd immunity scenario.
Also that is the age of many teachers. And in addition long haulers are more often female. We are amazingly cavalier when it comes to our teachers.
I never hear or see any data regarding our homeless population one way or the other as to how they are surviving this pandemic. Around downtown Boston I see them either begging in front of convenience stores or just hanging around with each other on park benches just as they always have.
Joshua, is herd immunity possible amongst the homeless population? Since you actually live near downtown you see every day what I mean.
A little off topic here but I just wanted to follow with a brief rant re: our homeless community. I love this country and I love this city. But I still cannot comprehend how we can allow so many of our supposedly empathetic citizens to essentially treat an entire population as invisible every single day – to their face. I’ve commuted to Boston off and on for 20 years and I still literally tear up almost every day I have gone on the train seeing hundreds of well dressed businessmen and businesswomen walk right by homeless individuals who are speaking to them without even acknowledging them or looking at them.
To this day I don’t understand why this behavior is acceptable and normalized. We should never treat another person as though they do not exist. Ever.
To be honest I wonder if Boston’s massive issue with race isn’t even more really an issue re: class and socioeconomic disparity. That has been baked into Boston Beans since the first Brahmin on the Hill’s kid launched the first snowball on the common to some Irish “Muggle.”
It is our city on the hill’s Achilles heel.
Sorry / done with my rant!! Hmphhh!!
In answer to your “rant”. One day in Copley Square in March when the pandemic hit, I was walking from a 7-11 store when me and this homeless man sort of “got into each other’s way” so to speak. You might say we “bumped” into each other without making any physical contact whatsoever. As I walked away, he started ranting and following me. I then walked briskly heading into the CVS, where I was going into anyway. He didn’t follow me in, but it still was a nerve wracking experience. If I had continued down the street, he probably would have still continued his rant after me. To this day I have no idea as to what could have set him off, especially since we never even had any physical contact no less. I hope this answers your question on avoiding these individuals.
Well I said hi to my regular group every day on my walk from N station (Precovid) and never had an issue.
Like any population there will be unsafe individuals. However I have not found them to be in any way the majority in Boston.
The average net worth of Black families in GB BEFORE Covid was $8.
Something is broken and ignoring it(them) won’t make it go away.
Sorry if this is too inflammatory- I just feel this issue incredibly deeply bc I don’t think our country should allow the type of billionaire wealth while so many are homeless in the same cities – sometimes on opposite ends of the same street.
I worked for an attorney friend of my parents in the summer of 1968. They sent me to places they never should have but that’s another story. I was in the subway and some guy in a suit was bothering me big time. Two homeless men who I’d seen around before approached me. One sat beside me. Both glared at the man. I had a fairly decent walk back to the office and they followed close behind. I felt awful that I didn’t have anything For them other than a huge thank you. I always wondered what would have happened if the creep had followed me. Needless to say, your comment Mama brought back warm memories.
We have homeless families even in Sutton. I try to donate to the food bank whenever I can. Which reminds me…..more grocery gift cards need to be sent
I went to graduate school in Santa Barbara. There was a huge homeless population in a city filled with the embarrassingly rich. I used to sit and talk with homeless people in a park near campus. Some of my friends thought I was crazy to do this. I never felt threatened and no one ever asked me for anything. I believe that it meant a lot to them to have someone talk to them, and especially listen to them, as PEOPLE.
Exactly. Can you imagine addressing people directly and they feel it appropriate to literally look through you?
At the end of the day any human being deserves the dignity of not becoming invisible. It is so easy – through a myriad of things including mental illness, other illness, substance issues, vets with untreated PTSD, physical disability you name it – to fall through the cracks and it’s kind of luck of the draw if one ends up with family in a position to help (as an example I was likely orphaned at birth) so I will never judge a person by their lack of creature comforts. I work with many incredibly affluent folks in my job and I have yet to see the strength of one’s balance sheet have a direct correlation to the kindness of their soul or the goodness of them as a person.
There but by the grace of god… (says this agnostic every day.)
I am smiling ear to ear. What a wonder comment. Thank you mama for you wonderful rant.
Unfortunately we live in a world of “haves” and “have nots”.
I myself sometimes feel like I am “in between” both groups.
Sad part us that it is perpetuated by our governments policies.
Quite frankly, I would like to get back into my original comment/question regarding the homeless and the coronavirus. These groups are generally not the healthiest under the best of circumstances and I am just curious as to how they are dealing with this pandemic compared to the rest of society. Certainly not meaning to be “heartless” in any way.
I think this is a great question. I wonder how the shelters will cope as the weather gets colder and more people seek their services.
It is a good and fair question. Our society is blind to their existence and the existence of too many more. There is a pyramid in our country. I’ve learned many on both sides of the aisle don’t want to see it. Mama touched on it in her original comment. She is one of few I have heard do so but was Also not surprised
Great question and my sincere apologies for derailing it earlier with my rant – which was in no way directed at you or anyone specific at all. Just a random soap box thing. I doubt anyone here at WHW could or would ever be called heartless – now the old WBZ forum is another story….
I saw a special on homelessness during the pandemic but it was a national production- maybe on CNN? I have no idea re: Boston specifically but I’d imagine like almost everything else the homeless are probably sadly mostly falling through the cracks. I think I saw on the local news that some shelters had moved to contract rooms at cheap motels/hotels but my understanding is that if the hotel is in a sketchy or drug central area it can be more harmful than helpful. However I am far from in the know on this issue.
C-19 / 10-11 / ready