The Covid-19 Info thread (keep politics out please)

[the_real_MSU_is_us]

Saw this on Facebook...

I was reading some posts for and against reopening the country. One was talking about being selfish and it got me to thinking.
There are those wanting to reopen yet they?re being classified as selfish. There are those that rely on all kinds of people to supply them while they cower in fear at home. Isn?t that being selfish too?
You expect your garbage to be picked up, you expect the grocery store to be open so you can get milk, you expect truck drivers to supply the stores, you expect farmers, meatpackers, fruit and vegetable pickers all to keep food in that grocery store.
You expect Amazon to still ship all the things you?re ordering while you sit at home shopping. You expect the delivery driver to leave it on your doorstep. You expect your phone to work, your power to stay on, and your mail to show up rain, sleet, or shine. And most important, you expect the doctors and nurses to be there if you need them although many of them across the country have been furloughed because their units and services have been shut down while the entire system focuses only on COVID19.
The whole premise of shelter in place is based on the arrogant idea that others must risk their health so you can protect yours. There is nothing virtuous about ignoring the largely invisible army required to allow people to shelter in place.
I know there are some of you that are screaming mad about what I just said but stop and really think about what is allowing you to stay safe in your home.
I truly believe that with some common sense on my part, I could easily go back to life as it was. I want to go to restaurants, I want to shop at the little store just up the road.
And yes, I could catch COVID-19. I could also catch the flu or a cold. I could get run over by a bus. I could get struck by lightning. We take risks everyday. If you choose to stay home, that is absolutely your choice. And please don?t start screaming at me about how I?ll just spread it. Why are you worried? You won?t get it because you?re staying in your home. Are you going to shelter in place every time a new strand of the flu happens?
Our economy can?t withstand much more of this. If our economy collapses, so will the rest of the world?s. If that happens, you will see the rise of tyrants.
I absolutely don?t want people to die...from COVID or anything else. I want people to live.
But sheltering in place is not living.

The bold part isn't true AT ALL! the point of staying at home is to reduce the rate of spread. My going to a restaurant doesn't make the UPS driver or Walmart cashier safer- in fact, our going out like normal makes them LESS SAFE because now there's more sick people they might come in contact with.

Your entire post is based on selfishness, but that's missing the mark entirely.

And as far as the economy, reopening the economy will only help a little bit because the vast majority of people will be scared to actually resume normal activities. Especially as the infection rate spikes again and people get even more scared of catching it. Moreover, many of us will still try to save our money and build the emergency fund up even if we aren't afraid of Covid, just because we don't know what the future holds.

Are you going to shelter in place every time a new strand of the flu happens?

Had to draw attention to this extra dumb part. COVID ISN'T THE FLU!!! I can't believe people are still implying it should be treated like a new strand of flu. Absolutely ridiculous to still do that at this point. When was the last time the flu overwhelmed a major nations healthcare system like Covid did to Italy? When was the last time the flu overwhelmed NYC's hospitals? Let this thing spread in less affected areas like MS and you'd see the same results here. We're lucky it didn't hit the south bad before Gov't closed things down

The reality is this is a medically induced event that's causing a massive economic problem. But the solution is to deal with the medical problem, not pretend there isn't one.