2 COVID Vaccines Approved, End to Pandemic in Sight??

[Thorne]

The first death in the US from COVID19 was February 6, 2020. As of today, 248,687 have died in the US from COVID19. That many people have died in two hundred and eighty-six days.

Two thousand, nine hundred and ninety-seven people died on September 11, 2001. I'm bad at math, but isn't the  number of deaths from COVID19 like having a 9/11 attack every 4 days?

We went to war over 9/11. Don't seem to see the same attempt at shock and awe over COVID19 and I can tell you I'm darn tired of it. Maybe, if we'd been like Canada, New Zealand  and Australia and not politicized this thing, we might still be where we are today, but at least I'd have the comfort of knowing folks are TRYING. That we're doing whatever we can to fight it. That just isn't the case. And I have to think it's political

A bunch of Republican governors came out AFTER election day to get serious about mask wearing seems a bit - just a bit, mind you - coincidental to me. I'm sure that they're not a bunch of hypocrites.

Yes, I sound angry. It's because I am.  You want to think that the world is flat? Fine. You want to believe in astrology? (That's a dig at some liberals.) Fine. You think that this virus is bunk? Fine. You don't want to wear a mask, social distance, or wash your hands? THAT is where I draw the line. Kill yourself if you want to, but keep your blinking germs with you. You're shouting, "Fire" in a crowded theater as far as I'm concerned, and I don't want to be trampled.

I don't think most people here or even most Republicans have a problem with mask wearing. The last time I saw stats, 70% of Democrats thought masks were beneficial, 60% of Republicans, and 65% of Independents, but even where I live, a red part of Texas, literally everyone is wearing a mask in public unless they're eating or exercising. There was even a BBC article a few months back about how in spite of all the complaints about Americans not masking up, we had like 75% compliance across the board compared to the only 65% compliance in the UK.

Most of the people I know from all walks think that this is a sham because the approach is to shut everything down, which is causing mental health crises in young people, while telling people who criticize this that they want innocent people to die and suffer. I know this because when I said, "Why not push for masks and distancing but keep the economy open to avoid a depression and stave off major mental health issues," I was blocked by two family members and three long-term friends who claimed that's what I wanted.