There is irresistible social and economic pressure to return to normal, and free citizens from their restrictions. It appears that the die is cast and Americans are starting to resume regular activities.
In a global sense it simply means that the political element and the public health officials, that advise them, have decreed that the dangers of Covid infections are overwhelmed by the civic dislocations of the generalized quarantine. But the individual is rightly concerned about his/her health. Global concerns do not overwhelm an individual’s privilege and duty to stay healthy. What is really happening is that the responsibility for staying healthy is being transferred from the government to the individual.
If public pressure forced the government to remove all intersection Stop signs, responsible drivers would not suddenly become reckless. They would continue to approach every intersection cautiously and probably even stop to protect themselves. Similarly, the responsible individual, with less government protection, must learn to navigate the residual Covid crisis in a manner that maximizes his/her safety. So how to proceed?
There are several categories, each reader should pick his/her own. First there is the group whose infection started over ten days ago, and now feel well. They are tested and have positive antibodies so there is no doubt that they were infected. This group has no danger of becoming infected and we now learn has no ability to infect other people. This group can navigate freely without restrictions.
Then there is the group that had the infection and is still ailing. They are not in danger of catching the infection but must be careful not to infect others.
The most complex group contains the individual who has remained healthy or is felt to be sick and has negative antibodies. This group is at risk of getting infected and of giving any infection they contract to others. The complexity here is that a great deal of the transmission occurs before the patient feels any symptoms. Scientists believe that this is one of the secrets of Covid’s unmatched infectivity. The carriers are completely unaware that they are ill and innocently infect their relatives and friends.
The uninfected individual has to endure great aggravation to maintain a level of isolation that reduces the number of contacts and the probability of meeting an infected individual. Paradoxically the safest contact is a recovered Covid patient and the most dangerous contact could be the healthy person who never had Covid.
There is one subcategory of the previously uninfected group that is being neglected and their badge is the badge of good citizenship. Nobody can know that they are carriers as long as they feel completely well. However, there is another group that has mild symptoms and suspect that they might be starting to suffer a Covid infection. They are joined by still another group that knows they have been in the presence of infected individuals. This latter group includes friends, spouses and healthcare workers who attend infected individuals. These groups of people know that they are a risk to the uninfected individuals. If they can exercise responsible judgment and voluntarily isolate themselves from vulnerable friends, workmates, customers and the like, they can do a great deal to control spread of disease in a society that is eager to return to its regular activities.
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