Oh Boy, How I was wrong

A few weeks ago, I posted a column about the new COVID-19 virus and in that column, I made a comparison about the number of people affected by the flu. I should not have done that. It was a true mischaracterization of a serious infection that should not be downplayed at all.

After reading an excellent article called Coronavirus: The Hammer and the Dance, I changed my mind and realized that we cannot be careful enough. And that is where I have a concern right now.

This is becoming a very good example why harmonization sounds good, but it is far away. How else can you explain that, while dealing with the same virus, many countries develop their own policies? Wouldn’t it make sense that the experts come up with a plan how to address this problem globally?

I know that this cannot be done right now, because the experts must deal with the pandemic crisis and the care of the affected patients. Every day I listen to the various news programs and hear of the horrific Apocalypse scenes in the hospitals where a lot of patients are intubated and fight for their lives. Since so many patients did not make it, refrigerated trucks are used to keep the bodies of the deceased.

At the same time, hospital staff is working with materials that are not up to the required standards. It all leads to anxiety, frustration, anger, concern you name it, it is all there.

In my opinion, the US is given a very bad example how to handle this crisis. At first the US President makes all these public statements that are a big problem. When the first patients were identified in the US, he claimed that it would soon go away and that is was “contained”. Since then he has been pointing figures to others instead of allowing the experts to do what needs to be done. We need a nationwide system instead of the piecemeal approach that was chosen.

Let me give you a real-life example of some of the ineffective US policies. When I was in Europe, the message came that people from the Schengen countries were no longer allowed to fly to the USA. Since I am considered a permanent resident of the USA (holder of a Green Card), I was exempted from this rule and allowed to go the USA.

The airplane that normally holds over 300 people, had only 83 passengers on the flight. During the flight we had to fill out a form with some health information.

There were the usual questions about who you are, whether you had been in contact with someone infected with the COVID-19 virus, whether you have had symptoms and there was a box to document the recorded temperature.

After arrival in Washington DC, we had to stay in the plane for 45 minutes before we could enter the bus that would bring us to the area where the health screening would take place.

In the bus (full and packed) we had to wait for another 15 minutes and then we were “released” In the area I saw a row of table with health screeners who were completely gowned up and wearing protective gear, while all passengers were packed in the waiting area. Hundreds and hundreds without protection on top of each other. My exposure to risk was the highest at that moment.

When it was finally my turn, I had to answer the same questions that are in the form and temperature was not checked at all.

What a contrast with my experience when I flew to the Ukraine only a few days before that. After arrival, a team came in and checked the temperature of each individual passenger. Effective, fast and without additional risk.

Jan M Bult, march 2020