Cure Worse Than Disease
Editor:
Part I: March 30 was my 71st birthday. My wife and I watched a 211 TV movie called Contagion. The events are eerily similar to what is happening today. It stars Matt Damon, Kate Winslet and Gwyneth Paltrow. If you haven’t seen it, you might want to watch it.
Yesterday, Governor Hogan in a 45-minute oration, enacted his 26th executive order. He misquoted Dr. Fauci saying “millions would be stricken and 100,000 would die.” Dr. Fauci did not give a death number after mitigation. The governor is fear mongering. Furthermore, Fauci said the rate of illness in New York has started to decline and that should show up with a lag in declining deaths within a few days. The governor is a better speaker than listener. His fear mongering tactics to impose additional constrictors on the already hobbled Maryland economy are unneeded and damaging. Particularly so for Ocean City which has a fragile seasonal economy
Recently I googled Saint Corona and learned she lived in Damascus, Syria and was martyred as a professed Christian around 160AD. She is venerated by those seeking luck over money, gambling or treasure hunting. She is not the Saint of epidemics although on the internet a group of Germans were praying to her. My opinion of the Germans will always be tainted by a picture of Germans on the internet praying to Saint Corona.
The good news is that the medication approved in America for Malaria prevention, hydroxychloroquine, works and is being used. On our trip to Africa 10 years ago my wife and I had to take it, one a day for 10 days.
Dr. Fauci and the scientific community are of one opinion saying the government is trying to “flatten the bell curve.” What does that mean? The bell curve is used in science to talk about the cycles of many living organisms. The steep rise in the bell curve refers to the onset and spread of the disease. If the spread is slowed the steepness of the curve will be flattened and medical system will not be overwhelmed. Therefore, they will be better able to treat infected citizens and consequently resulting in a slowing of the death rate. Therefore “flattening the bell curve” refers to slowing down the spread of the disease.
The current discussion of above 2% fatality has a good chance to drop significantly more as more and more are tested over the month. Expect the number of infected to go up and the death rate per 100 of infected to drop. Also expect the increases in deaths to start dropping next week. This is a good sign that shows the rate of increase of the disease is slowing.
Due to the federal government’s induced stoppage of demand, the economy likely will recess in the first and second quarters, however I expect it to snap back in the third and fourth quarters. Ocean City should have a rebound in July and August but not a repeat of last summer. By April 15, the virus should be in decline, despite the press’s obsession with this sensational drama.
COVID-19 is easier to catch and more dangerous than the flu. The weighted average age of deaths is 75 years old and few children have been afflicted. Schools should be reopened even if late to finish this year. But will they?
In the Spanish Flu 1918-1920, 500 million were stricken, 27 percent of the world’s population at the time. An estimate of up to 25 to 50 million perished. My Aunt Katina caught the influenza at three years old in 1920. I was told she was taken to the porch of their island home where the cool breeze and warm Mediterranean sun of their island home helped cure her.
We will discuss the risks in the government’s purported $2.2 trillion (could be over $6 trillion) bailout next week. Will it work? What are the risks to our future?
Tony Christ
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Support Appreciated
Editor:
Having proudly served Baltimore for nearly four decades, the health and safety of our guests and team members continues to be our top priority. To aid the country’s efforts to lessen the impact of Coronavirus, we have made the difficult decision to pause our operation until further notice.
Like many in this uncertain time, we are taking each day as it comes. The situation is constantly changing, as are the needs of the community. We are prepared to move quickly, reevaluate, and resume operations in Baltimore when it’s safe and legal to do so. We are currently accepting bookings from May onwards.
We are honored to provide dining, private charter and excursion experiences on Baltimore’s historic waterways to guests from around the country and the world. This summer, we will enhance our offerings with the debut of the newly refurbished Spirit of Baltimore II.
These visits fuel the local economy and jobs. Our broader industry has called on Washington to establish a fund to keep workers employed and provide emergency liquidity to help keep travel businesses open. Congress must act now to ensure Baltimore’s tourism industry can sustain itself through this painful economic period.
All of us at Hornblower Cruises and Events would like to thank the people along the Maryland coast, Baltimore, and the state of Maryland, for their tremendous support.
Chad M. Barth
Baltimore
(The writer is the general manager of the Hornblower Cruises and Events.)
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Hospice Remains Committed
Editor:
As an organization with its mission rooted in the health of our community, we want to reassure patients, families and the broader community that Coastal Hospice remains open and available to serve.
Using the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and our local health departments, we are vigilant in the war against COVID-19. Our staff is taking every known step to protect our patients, their families and themselves (and their families) against its spread. From logging temperatures daily and self-monitoring for symptoms to educating caregivers about steps to stop COVID-19 and staying home when ill themselves, our team is diligently assisting those in need.
We recognize that some families are hesitant to have staff members come to their homes. Our chaplains and social workers are providing most care via phone or video chat, except when there is an urgent need. Nursing and aide staff are adjusting schedules to meet needs and minimize intrusion.
Having a loved one with a terminal illness is never easy; having one in the time of COVID-19 is beyond stressful. Our hope is to help families manage during this time as best as possible. That said, I also must take a moment to recognize our staff on the front lines. They are doing an amazing job with passion and commitment, and we, the management team, are extremely grateful for their efforts, as we know our patients and families are, as well.
We developed a rack card that explains steps that can be taken to protect against this virus. It can be found on our website at www.coastalhospice.org along with a Q&A addressing the questions we receive most. If you would like a copy of the rack card mailed or emailed to you, please call us at 410-742-8732 or email [email protected].
Together we will get through this.
Alane Capen
(The writer is the CEO of Coastal Hospice.)
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Are Liquor Stores Essential?
Editor:
With virtually all businesses shut down, in Delaware and in some other states liquor stores remain open. Governor Carney, when asked about this, said that he had been advised that closing them might flood health care providers – at a time when all are needed to fight coronavirus — with problems due to those calling with withdrawal symptoms.
Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can vary widely in severity. Symptoms may occur from two hours to four days after stopping alcohol, and they may include headaches, nausea, tremors, anxiety, hallucinations, and seizures. Although in severe cases, the condition can be life-threatening, in most cases the symptoms do not require medical attention.
Having a healthy skepticism of statements from politicians, I wonder whether liquor stores remaining open is linked to the fact that the alcohol industry spends tens of millions of dollars lobbying federal lawmakers and agencies each year. I cannot ascertain how much they spend in Delaware nor in any other state how much they spend lobbying state officials and donating to their campaigns, but you can bet it is a bunch.
Alcohol is, by far, the most harmful and most costly drug, harming individuals and society alike. Perhaps some good investigative reporting can examine whether it is more likely that liquor stores remain open because the main concern of too many politicians is their re-election!
Ken Abraham
Dover, Del.
(The writer is the founder of Citizens for Criminal Justice.)