By Philip Drucker
As we begin to "re-open" the Country, I've started to notice the repeated use of the phrase "immunizing the herd". Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing I like better than a mysterious sounding basis for a science fiction thriller particularly when there is the possibility of a secret government laboratory somewhere deep in a cave in a mountain within a volcano you can only reach with an elevator at the bottom of which waits a mad scientist who is convinced he can turn ordinary, unwitting and often unwilling mostly soldiers, but you never know, into superhuman fighting machines capable of acts of mass terror and destruction, with or without as the case may be, an off-switch for those pesky emotions and feelings of empathy for their victims.
You know, the boy meets girl or monster, or both, maybe one eats the other, traditional fare you see on cable often as not with the added plus or a prior "star" actor or actress from Battlestar Gallactica or Babylon 5. Or Kevin Sorbo. You know, Hercules? Andromeda? Is he still around?
So you sit, eat a box of Cheezits and sip on your lemonade and white tea Arnold Palmery but supposedly healthier drink of choice (at least my current choice) and watch for a bit. Or, what is more appropriately through of as for as long as you can stand the bad acting, inane plot lines and truly stretching the imagination to the very limits of tolerance "dramatic" contrivances and quite frankly, less than twisty plot twists. Speaking of which, do you like Red Vines or Twizzlers? Hard choice, I know.
Or not. So you turn the channel. And watch re-runs of Star Trek: The Next Generation. You know, a show you actually like. Speaking of which, who is the best captain? Kirk or Picard? Watch how you answer. I might unfriend you on Facebook for the your obviously less than fully considered and quite frankly ignorant answer.
As it turns out, "immunizing the herd" is as exotic as it initially sounded. Still creepy, but there is a reasonable scientific basis as a time-tested strategy to fighting and containing a virus, particularly a new virus. A virus for which there is no natural human immunity, and importantly no vaccine.
This is where it starts to get complicated for a new, tried, true, tested and safe cure is at best 12-18 months away. Unless you count Lysol, Clorox and malaria drug miracle cures for a company the President just happens to have made a substantial investment in. Getting scary? Don't turn the channel, at least, not quite yet
Viruses are not new. The Flu you get every year or every other year if you are lucky is a virus. They can be deadly. The Flu, common or not, is nothing to laugh about cause it ain't no joke. But, as with all viruses, it is only a matter of time until they give their secrets up. Eventually we know what they are, we know what the potential mutations are and, due in some part to exposure and recovery, a natural defense system is called into action leading to a breakthrough or two, and a cure. Not a miracle, a scientific cure. Usually by tablet or injection. That's why you get a flu shot every year. But the Corona Virus is still in the mysterious stage and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. Period.
I state without hesitation there will be no reliable and available for mass consumption cure until 2021. Scratch the vaccine/cure/carbolic smoke bomb/quack/medicine show one sip will fix whatever ails you remedy/curative/restorative/medication in solid, liquid or gas form anytime soon. Take at your own risk. But really, just don't. And wear you mask. Don't argue, just do it.
For we are left with only one way to "immunize the herd" and that is to allow, or even encourage a certain percentage, lets call it a large enough portion of the population ("herd") to come into contact with known and unknown existing carriers, infecting themselves with the virus and, well, living. Still breathing and now hopefully immune to the at least worst effects of the virus. Problem is, we don't even know if that is a realistic possibility yet.
And here we are, cue the scary part, dramatic music, there are those in positions of power, who know this, yet also know that the easiest and "best" way to facilitate the process is to "re-open" the economy. Are you starting to get a sickly feeling? If you are, pay attention because know this. "They", and we all know who they are, they are, the ones with the fancy titles and always wearing face masks at their meetings, aren't going to risk their lives.
Why should they? For I know, you know and they know, there are those among us, the sheeple who will. To save the economy. To praise the Lord, or because they want to be "free" to get a haircut or an manicure or even worse, those who have believed since day one this is all a hoax. It gets worse.
They know there will be losses among the sick and the elderly. Is anyone surprised that nursing homes account for roughly 1/2 of the deaths due to the COVID-19 virus? But, some will live. They know the prison population, persons in close quarters who may already be in bad health will be disproportionately affected. Again, some will survive.
Speaking of close quarters, that's why urban centers, those who are economically disadvantaged and are forced to live in high density of population areas, so they can be close to their low paying, often unsafe and unsanitary working conditions jobs, are unequally, unreasonably and excessively stricken due to their lack of social, political and economic power. Meat packing plants come to mind.
Nonetheless and in spite of the often unnecessary pain and suffering caused by exposure, some will live. And a few, or at least more than we had, will, and again I stress, hopefully will form an immunity. An immunity that can be studied and exploited and yes, lessen the time before we have our "miracle" cure.
And life, and the economy, is saved. Or, at least the profit margins at our biggest corporations will still be sufficiently but artificially inflated to keep the stock market, and all those dividends and derivatives right on track, and with any luck at all, by November, if you get my drift and I'm sure you do.
I will leave you with these thoughts. If you are reading this, you are probably not in a nursing home, a jail, a meat-packing plant or a it's all a hoax and my freedom to act like a complete jerk outweighs your right to live jack-hole moron of a petulant pustule that needs to grow up. Preferably before they can't. But they won't.
These are the lemmings that will go to the restaurants, the beaches and the salons. I know they are going to go. You know they are going to go. Our fearless leaders have made the choice of who will be the sacrificial lambs because they know who is, and who is not, going to go. They know who the stragglers at the back of the pack are. To immunize, or not to immunize, by the loss of life of pertaining to a predictable segment of the herd. Is that really the question?
The numbers WILL go up before they come down. Not to ruin your day, but are you starting to see this self-induced and enhanced second wave of modern day dinosaurs will almost surely be followed by a third and a fourth wave (if necessary)?
Brings new meaning to doing the "wave" doesn't it?. Oh well, speaking of waves, I hear they are going to try playing America’s game, baseball, this season in stadiums filled with live, rabid, fans, eating hotdogs, drinking brewskis and probably with no one wearing a mask, except the catcher of course, like that is going to help. Whatever you do, or do not do, please be safe. The alternative being, you’re out.
Namaste. Be that inner spark of life you have always wanted to be.
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