I read this morning that the COVID-19 death toll in the USA is nearing the death rate of American soldiers in the Vietnam War. We all know how THAT changed American society, don't we? The scary part is that the war in Vietnam lasted roughly 20 years. COVID-19? Not quite so long. Please consider that when you moan about staying to yourselves.
The other thing is that everyone who has issues with the lockdown/quarantine likes to quote comparative “causes of death” as if that really has any bearing on what we are facing now. I say that for two simple reasons. Firstly, most of the diseases (not accidents) on that list are pretty slow-moving. With the exception of a few really aggressive cancers, they all take months (and even years) to develop to the point where they prove fatal. COVID-19 acts really, really fast. The other reason is that those statistics point to a year's worth of numbers. So, to be even reasonably accurate, those numbers need to be divided by 3, since we're only at the end of April now.
It looks different now, doesn't it?
Yes, I understand that we're all frustrated. I have a friend who finds himself in deep financial excrement because his money is tied up in eateries and alcohol sales, both industries that have been effectively shut down. He doesn't know if he'll survive this, financially, and I really feel for him and others like him, so don't think for a moment that I'm being callous. But being overly critical of well-reasoned decisions made by people guided by both science and field medicine (because – like in the Vietnam war – treatments for this disease are being developed in the trenches!) won't help. And protesting over the lack of a professional haircut or dye job is downright idiotic, no matter how you look at it!
We are blessed to have a Number One Citizen with great leadership attributes. No, I don't agree with his politics, but for this situation and in this time he came to the front, delivered the really hard news and even found time to make fun of his own ineptitude and the unusual situation of having to wear a fabric face mask. The stress is obvious, but he seems to be handling it OK. For now, anyway.
God bless us all here in Mzanzi. Buy and pay what you need to buy and pay, but then do the responsible thing. Stay home. Be safe. There are enough docs, nurses and other workers who put their lives on the line. Don't make their lives any harder than it should be! They will really appreciate it.