Is There Light at the End of the Tunnel?

            Americans have been isolated in our homes for 15 days in March, but we are just starting the 30 days in April. We may start to see a silver lining in the dark clouds, but when will we see light at the end of the tunnel? When will we be allowed to start our return to normal life? We know that social distancing will not last forever, but what should we watch for as signs that the emergency is ending? Peter Brooks at The Heritage Foundation https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/04/01/when-will-coronavirus-pandemic-end-4-signs-to-monitor/ says that there are four signs that should appear before social distancing is eased. 

1. Numbers: Any decision to loosen social distancing restrictions has to be based on data, not emotion. For instance, a locality, state or region must see its confirmed COVID-19 case numbers decrease over a two-week period … before considering mitigation modifications. Similar dips in hospitalization and death rates, as well as improved recovery rates, would also be a welcome sign….

2. Testing: A robust diagnostic test architecture must be in place across the country [for COVID-19 and antibodies]....

3. Health Care System: [With the health care system stressed almost to the breaking point we must] get to a place where the health care system is no longer at risk of being overwhelmed…. Taking care of our health care system means rebuilding the Strategic National Stockpile….

4. Medicine: … While an effective vaccine is likely at least a year away, proven therapeutics or anti-virals could arrive sooner, reducing pain and suffering. Effective treatments will likely reduce the hospitalization and death rates too….

            These suggestions seem to be common sense. We should expect to continue social distancing and isolation until we see them. Is it possible for all this to happen by the end of April? Our scientific and medical people are working miracles now, and I suppose they could do it. However, I have almost decided that my plans for June and July will have to be scrapped. 

Maybe the heat of the summer will cook the coronavirus to death. We can hope and pray that it will, but I think that we should resign ourselves to the possibility that normalcy will not return quickly and maybe never. I think that we should look for the good in the situation that we have even though it is not what we would choose.