Staggering Projections
Claudewell S. Thomas, MD, MPH, DLFAPA, is an established psychiatrist who is currently retired ,, He received his medical degree in 1956 at SUNY Downstate College of Medicine and specializes in social psychiatry, public health psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry. Dr. Thomas was board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry... more
As POTUS struts and frets upon the stage without Shakespearian dignity or grace, the predictions that are allowed to be heard are getting worse. Confirmed cases are close to 205,000 with deaths approaching 5,000 in the USA. This is as world impact somewhat slows approaching 900,000 confirmed and 45,000 dead. With countries like India, Pakistan, Russia and Iran unreliably reporting, the figures of one million cases and one hundred thousand dead are more likely.
The U.S. projections are for between 100.000 and 250,000 deaths by fall if the mitigation efforts are followed as if we were a health coordinated country. Of course, we are not. There are at least seven governors who have done nothing and fourteen more who have done little. There is a clear need for a federal imposition of regulatory control.With states closing borders to cars with certain license plates while remaining open to others and with states competing with one another for masks and more significantly ventilators, the need for an overarching regulatory authority is again clear.
How clearly defined is the federal authority to deny access to U.S. air space by foreign aircraft? How is this regulated? Does it deny us needed supplies like masks and ventilators? When and if such supplies arrive, where are they accumulated and distributed? It can't be on a state by state basis. Railroads and trucks have to be involved in distribution and dissemination. A large number of truck drivers are of foreign origin, mostly south of the border, some from Canada. What of NAFTA? What of accidentally opening up the gates to narco and human trafficking? These are questions that are only answerable within the framework of a consistently functioning federal authority. Right now we are relying on the state's rights arguments to keep us from mendacity and theft induced chaos. A long time POTUS supporter has come out publicly demanding that our leader act as a compassionate leader and not like a paid and greedy clown.
This virus is deadly and will be with us for a long time. I believe that like ordinary flu it will pause its deadly onslaught in late August or early September to resume with a vengeance in January or February. Like Haley's comet it will reappear at defined annual or biennial periods. WHO planning and execution are essential for minimizing its damage. State governments and local medical authorities are no match for this deadly invader which certainly shows us the weaknesses of our nonsystem.
