A COVID-19 PERSPECTIVE
I’m old enough to remember well the last two years of World War II. Even in our little village of Morell, PEI, (population 350 or so) there were occasional night time air raid blackout drills. All window shades had to be fully down in any room where there was a lamp lit (no electricity in Morell until a few years later). No one was allowed to walk around with a lit flashlight or lantern. About half a dozen local men had been appointed air raid wardens. During blackout periods at least a couple of them would walk around the village and admonish offenders. As Morell wasn’t that far from the air force base at Summerside there were often planes overhead during the day. So there were many reminders that we were living in perilous times, especially our friends, neighbours and relatives who were serving overseas in the armed forces. Were people worried? Of course. But life went on.
In the early 50’s the polio epidemic hit PEI. Souris, a larger community about 25 miles east of Morell, was particularly hard hit, including some deaths. (I recall only one serious case in Morell, and there were no deaths.). Newsreels, newspapers, and magazines all emphasized the seriousness of the epidemic, and the images of patients in the huge respirators known as iron lungs were particularly disturbing. So were the warning signs posted on the doors of any house where an affected person lived. Morell sports teams often played against Souris teams and the games were always well-attended. Were people worried? Again, of course. But, again, life went on.
Then in 2004 and 2009, respectively, we had the SARS and H1N1 scares. (By then I’d been living in Toronto for decades.) Were people worried? Somewhat, but life went on.
Now there’s the fearsome COVID-19 pandemic, significantly more widespread than polio was at its peak. Are people worried? Of course. But life, as it must, still goes on. But this time it’s different. In some respects, our lives are likely changed forever. If nothing else, we now starkly realize that life really has to be lived one day at a time.
TRUDEAU FINALLY EMERGES
On Wednesday Prime Minister Trudeau finally came out of hiding and outlined his government’s plans for dealing with COVID-19. Problem is he was a couple of months late getting around to it - - the length of time that the World Health Organization had been warning that drastic steps should be taken.
BUT….
There were a number of questions surrounding Trudeau’s financial announcements, the first being whether the designated $1 billion was enough. (The fact that two days later Finance Minister Morneau had to significantly increase the amount proved that it wasn’t.) Then there’s the puzzling allocation of $250 million for international COVID-19 research! Given that we represent a relatively insignificant part of the world economy, why does he feel we have to prop up other countries? That quarter of a billion dollars would look pretty good in our own health system. As one wag suggested a year or so ago, if life was discovered on Mars the first thing Trudeau would do would be to send them money.
Health Minister Patty Hajdu continues to fail to distinguish herself, this time by not sufficiently urging containment and mitigation directives, in particular failing to introduce effective screening at airports. So far Hajdu’s main contribution to the crisis has been to cause a nationwide shortage of toilet paper.
TRUMP’S WEDNESDAY NIGHT SPEECH
Shockingly, the normally arrogant, forceful, and ad libbing Trump spoke nervously in an almost incoherent monotone while incompetently reading (from a teleprompter) a speech that he obviously didn’t believe in. It was so bad that the State Department had to immediately issue a series of “clarifications,” substantially altering and walking back the content. Makes one wonder if this could be the beginning of the end of Trump’s dictatorial iron grip on the Republican party. His lying, rudeness, and evasiveness during his Friday press conference reinforces this view.
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
Best line I’ve heard yet: They’re male, pale, and stale.
One of our Thursday’s Children luncheon group insists that Michelle Obama will emerge as a candidate at the Convention in July. (Should he turn out to be right I will happily identify him.) If neither Biden nor Sanders win at least 1991 pledged delegates from the primaries and caucuses, which if Sanders stays in seems likely, there’ll be more than one ballot at the Democratic convention. After the first ballot the 771 so-called super delegates (Democratic members of congress, governors, and other party bigwigs) will have a vote, and candidates can be nominated from the floor. It could happen.