I blame Trump. 100%. It is his fault. I am staying home.
Two days ago I had my usual throat soreness that comes with allergies. Nothing big. Nothing serious.
I went to CVS, picked up my Alka-Seltzers and cough drops and went on my merry ways. The trajectory of the allergies kept going like they always do. Third day the cough picks ups. My voice starts getting horse.
I know what lies ahead. More hoarseness; runny nose; and dry cough for a few days. Then it will slowly disappear over the course of another week. No fever. No special ache.
In normal times I would have simply continued with my life. I would continue going to meetings, covering my mouth when I cough, drinking lots of water to soothe my throat, and keep taking those Alka-Seltzers. (They don’t work for everyone. They work for me.)
Given the Coronavirus pandemic I am showing an ‘abundance of caution’ and not going to meeting or meeting with folks anywhere. I will not be going to restaurants or bars.
I feel extremely confident that I do not have COVID-19. No fever. No special ache. Yet, I am compelled to nearly self-quarantine along with millions of Americans for the greater good.
And, that’s ok.
What is not ok is that given the incompetence of this Administration and of President Trump in particular I can’t find out whether I have the virus or not. No testing is readily available.
No testing for COVID-19 is readily available because this Administration under the lousy leadership of President Trump has not seen the urgency to develop and deploy testing kits universally – and free – throughout the land.
They know all too well that if testing was universally and free the number of known infected folks will go through the roof. But, the angst of most people – like myself –would be put to rest when they find out they are not infected and they can treat their condition as a regular cold. And, thus I would not feel guilty walking to my nearby beer-and-wine store, refraining from coughing, and picking up my 6-pack.
But this joke of a President we have instead highlights how this virus is a ‘foreign’ virus and we gotta stop people from Europe – except England, for some inexplicable reason – from coming in. He addressed the nation last night and instead of laying out the plan for dramatically increasing testing he reverts to his phobia of foreigners. Yet another shining example of his total lack of leadership maturity, capacity to understand complex issues, and absence of empathy.
If I could get tested – and assuming I am negative – I could partake if in a limited way in the economic system, feel more comfortable around my family, and not be neurotic about my condition. But nope. That’s not an option. Instead I am left to showing ‘abundance of caution’ to the absurd: Stay cooped in my house. How many millions of Americans feels the same way? How absurd is this? How unnecessary is this angst?
All because Donald J. Trump is an inept leader, incapable of managing serious existential crisis like what we are experiencing.
I have no idea how long this is going to last; how long before we get back to some semblance of normal; and whether this situation will be around during election season. But, is there any doubt that Trump would use all of this to cancel the elections?… Stay tuned.
#RESIST