This evening I have a board meeting so my time is limited. As a result I am copying excerpts from an article that appeared in the NY Times today. We could have done so much better.
It’s happening again: For the second time this year, the United States has fallen behind nearly every other country in combating the virus. The U.S. was not alone in suffering a resurgence this fall. Much of the world did. But many other countries responded to that surge with targeted new restrictions and, in a few cases, with an increase in rapid-result testing….. In some countries, the declines are large: more than 50 percent over the past month in Belgium, France, Italy, Kenya and Saudi Arabia; more than 40 percent in Argentina and Morocco; more than 30 percent in India and Norway.
The causes are not a mystery. The U.S. still lacks a coherent testing strategy, and large parts of the country continue to defy basic health advice. One example is Mitchell, a small South Dakota city, where deaths have spiked recently — including the loss of a beloved high school coach. Yet anti-mask protesters continue to undermine the local response. Among their messages at a recent City Council meeting, as The Washington Post reported: “Positivity defeats the virus.”
 By The New York Times | Sources: Local health agencies and World Bank |
| Europe offers a telling contrast. Several European countries put new restrictions in place over the past month, and they made a difference, as you can see in the chart above. Still, the leaders of those countries remained unsatisfied with the progress — and announced further measures in recent days. London closed pubs and restaurants today. The Netherlands has shut gyms, cinemas, schools and nonessential shops until Jan. 19. Germany — a country that loves its Christmas rituals — is locking down for Christmas. Parts of the U.S. have taken some measures……d cases here have leveled off in recent days. If anything, though, that’s further evidence that people are not powerless in the face of the virus. Reducing its spread — and the widespread death that will otherwise occur in coming months — is entirely possible. America’s outbreaks, reaching from California to Florida, are the result of the public and the country’s leaders never taking the virus seriously enough and, to the extent they did, letting their guard down prematurely, “It’s a situation that didn’t have to be.” The F.D.A. is expected to approve Moderna’s coroanvirus vaccine by Friday, ensuring that millions more in the U.S. will have access to inoculation. The Trump administration and Pfizer are negotiating a deal that would help the drugmaker produce tens of millions of additional vaccine doses in the first half of 2021. “Give me a guitar, give me a piano, give me a broom and string; I wouldn’t get bored anywhere.” Keith Richards |