The Center For Disease Control (CDC) reported 605,390 coronavirus cases and 24,582 deaths in the United States as of April 14, 2020. The number of cases and deaths has doubled in a week. African Americans make up 14% of the general population while accounting for 31% of the coronavirus cases.
The virus spreads through person-to-person contact, so based upon the numbers, African Americans have more human interaction than the other races. The job a person works factors into these numbers: ordinarily, many African Americans work in the service industry.
In Florida, we are a week away from the coronavirus reaching its peak. The bell shape curve of this virus is forming. The illustration below shows how the first part of the curve has developed, which is the incline. The second part is the top of the curve, and the third part is the decline.
By my account, the cases of coronavirus are squaring about every 32 days. On March 9, 2020, the number of cases in the United States was 647. On April 14, 2020, the number of cases in the United States was 374,329. This means the coronavirus squared in 36 days, which is 4 days more than last week when the virus squared in 32 days. The current slope shows that the virus is reaching its apex and will soon decline.
How the Coronavirus is impacting society
The virus continues to affect socializing and the economy. Many businesses remain closed for coronavirus. This week I received the government stimulus check. I did not need it and didn’t know when I can spend it. I work from home. The virus has made its way into religion as a lot of churches are closed.
The police arrested one pastor in Florida because he held religious services against the wishes of the government. There are many discussions on Facebook about how churches are being treated because of the coronavirus. I saw a meme on Facebook that said I could go to Walmart and HomeDepot, but I can’t go to church. What’s wrong with that.
I understand why the churches are closed, but I don’t know why the liquor stores remain open. Why is alcohol essential in the middle of a virus? I finally got my mask from my mom. It felt uncomfortable breathing into a mask.
I took breathing for granted. More people have worn a mask to stay safe from the coronavirus. Law enforcement approached a woman in a grocery store about not wearing a mask. I think if the coronavirus continues subsequently, it will require everyone to wear a mask.
I teach math at a local university, and this week our students are on spring break. While the students are on spring break, the university offers the faculty continuing education courses. This year the university provides courses through Zoom video conferences. The continuing education courses were a chance for me to catch up with colleagues from different departments. I adjust to the lack of contact and interaction with others as I sit at home attending video conferences.
The Problem With American Politics
American politics is alive and thriving. If you like drama, you will love American politics. The four major players in American politics are the Republicans, Democrats, Facebook, and the Media. Now that the coronavirus is slowing down, the blame game has begun. The stimulus check I received came electronically, but those receiving their checks by mail will have the President’s name on it. This created a stir because the media reported the President was trying to get credit or make people think the checks came from him.
The media continue to bring up the fact that the President was slow to respond to the coronavirus and, early in the process, did not take it seriously. President retaliates and calls the media fake. The President and a few Governors continue to have daily briefings. The briefings are more political than they are informational. During one interview, the governor of New York told the President how to do his job. It felt like I was sitting in the classroom and listening to a professor give how-to instructions.
Now everyone is arguing over when the economy and country can be reopened.
The President told the media he had total authority to reopen the economy and country. The media reported on it for days and cited the constitution as proof that the President did not have absolute power. The Governors of many states injected into the conversation and stated since they were the ones to close the economy and country down, they would be the ones to open it up when the time comes.
We do everything in America through a political lens, and the coronavirus is no exception. Facebook is the place most Americans go to voice their opinion about how they are feeling. I have spent time on Facebook agreeing and disagreeing with friends about who is to blame and who gets the credit. We have a general election coming up in November, and I think the coronavirus will decide who will be the President of the United States and lead congress for the next four years.
The Fight against Coronavirus
It will be challenging to do the right thing because the economy and politics are now major factors in the process. It will be challenging to do the right thing because economics and politics are now significant factors. The problem is further compounded because we do not have adequate testing for the coronavirus. Politics and the economy needs to take a back seat to the health and safety of people. We need to let the doctors and scientists lead, but that will not happen because the politicians want all the credit and none of the blame.
The primary focus needs to be on testing before the economy or the government reopening the country. America has enough resources to put a test in place that lets us know our status before returning to work. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to be reliable. The American public is very savvy, and we will make up our mind who gets the credit, blame, or a chance to fix the problem. Politicians and the media are too smart for their good.
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