Think about when a person drops a rock into water. We can watch the ripples flow out from the point where the rock hits the surface of the water. We can see how the ripples get progressively larger as they go out, until finally they stop. What we cannot see is what our rock did under the surface. What changes did our rock have to the unseen life below the surface of the water? We are facing the same thing right now with COVID-19. The biggest problem is, though, that we haven’t even stopped dropping rocks.
So many people seem to be in a rush to get back to “life as normal” as if we are not STILL in the midst of a pandemic. There will not be a second wave of COVID in the U.S. because we are never going to see the downturn that signifies the end of the first wave. The first wave is simply going to continue into the foreseeable future. And yet the news is full of people going out in crowds and rubbing elbows with others so they can have their restaurant meal or cocktail. I for one do not understand the logic behind that.
COVID-19 had major ripples when the stay at home and shelter in place orders were in effect. There is no doubt about that. Businesses got hurt. People got hurt. No question about that. But the long-term effects, ripples if you will, are still coming. The virus is still very active. We have not stopped dropping rocks into the pond. There will be problems, both large and small, coming our way. It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see that a rush to stop the ripples by jumping into the pond will only create more issues for all of us.
Science doesn’t care what your politics are. Viruses don’t pay attention to borders or boundaries. COVID-19 doesn’t care what religion you practice, or whether you practice any religion. Ignoring the facts will not change them. Like it or not, science follows rules even if the rest of us don’t. The ripples will be many, and likely painful. How many more rocks do we want to throw into the pond to add to the mess?