Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19) and Tinnitus

[FGG]

 

[linearb]

This is a NYT article I am taking the liberty of posting in its entirety, because it's basically a data-and-anecdote driven writeup of a point I've been making for a while: "ending" lockdowns don't matter, if people are unwilling to resume normal use of service businesses, and business owners don't want to risk their own health.

As far as the law is concerned, there is no reason that Amedeo Rossi can't reopen his martini bar in downtown Des Moines, or resume shows at his concert venue two doors down. Yet Mr. Rossi's businesses remain dark, and one has closed for good.

There are no restrictions keeping Denver Foote from carrying on with her work at the salon where she styles hair. But Ms. Foote is picking up only two shifts a week, and is often sent home early because there are so few customers.

No lockdown stood in the way of the city's Oktoberfest, but the celebration was canceled. "We could have done it, absolutely," said Mindy Toyne, whose company has produced the event for 17 years. "We just couldn't fathom a way that we could produce a festival that was safe."

President Trump and many supporters blame restrictions on business activity, often imposed by Democratic governors and mayors, for prolonging the economic crisis initially caused by the virus. But the experience of states like Iowa shows the economy is far from back to normal even in Republican-led states that have imposed few business restrictions.

A growing body of research has concluded that the steep drop in economic activity last spring was primarily a result of individual decisions by consumers and businesses rather than legal mandates. People stopped going to restaurants even before governors ordered them shut down. Airports emptied out even though there were never significant restrictions on domestic air travel.

States like Iowa that reopened quickly did have an initial pop in employment and sales. But more cautious states have at least partly closed that gap, and have seen faster economic rebounds in recent months by many measures.

Economists say it is hard to estimate exactly how much economic activity is still being restrained by capacity limits, social-distancing rules and similar policies, many of which have been lifted or loosened even in places governed by Democrats. In most states, restaurants, retail stores and even bars are allowed to operate.

Perhaps the most widespread government action that has hindered economic growth is the decision by many school districts to adopt virtual learning at the start of the school year, which appears to have driven many parents, particularly women, out of the labor force to care for young children who would otherwise be in class.

But as the pandemic flares again in much of the country, most economists agree this much is clear: The main thing holding back the economy is not formal restrictions. It is people's continued fear of the virus itself.

"You can't just open the economy and expect everything to go back to pre-Covid levels," said Michael Luca, a Harvard Business School economist who has studied the impact of restrictions during the pandemic. "If a market is not safe, people won't participate in it."

Iowa was one of only a handful of states that never imposed a full stay-at-home order. Restaurants, movie theaters, hair salons and bars were allowed to reopen starting in May, earlier than in most states. Gov. Kim Reynolds has emphasized the need to make the economy a priority, and has blocked cities and towns from requiring masks or imposing many other restrictions.

Even so, Iowa has regained just over half of the 186,000 jobs it lost between February and April, and progress — as in the country as a whole — is slowing. Many businesses worry they won't be able to make it through the winter without more help from Congress. Others have already failed. Now, coronavirus cases are rising there.

Vaudeville Mews, the small performance hall that Mr. Rossi opened in Des Moines in 2002, was a labor of love even in the best of times. The venue attracted a fan base with its willingness to book independent acts, but it often lost money. Mr. Rossi had been saving up in hopes of buying a new space, but the pandemic ended that dream.

Legally, music venues in Iowa were allowed to reopen in June, but with social-distancing requirements that significantly reduced their capacity. Even if those rules were lifted, Mr. Rossi said, he couldn't see a path toward reopening safely and profitably anytime soon. This month, he announced that Vaudeville Mews would be closing permanently.

"We couldn't pay our rent, and it was piling up, and we were constantly still getting drained by internet bill, insurance bill, utility bill," he said. "Who wants to go into huge debt to float a business that we don't see any end in sight?"

Mr. Rossi's nearby bar, the Lift, is officially still in business, but aside from a brief experiment with deliveries, it hasn't served a drink since March. He has considered welcoming a small number of customers on a reservation-only basis, but so far hasn't figured out how to reopen in a way that would both be safe and not cost him even more than staying closed.
"We felt it would be worse for us to reopen," he said.

At Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company, around the corner from Vaudeville Mews and the Lift, the lack of nightlife is taking a toll on business. So is the lack of the normal lunchtime crowd, with many office employees still working from home. Court Avenue reopened in May, but has regained just 30 to 40 percent of its pre-pandemic sales, according to the owner, Scott Carlson.

"Even if the governor said, 'Hey, we're taking away all restrictions and all mandates and all recommendations,' our numbers wouldn't change, not very dramatically," he said.

Iowa has outperformed many other states economically during the pandemic, at least by some measures. The unemployment rate capped out at 11 percent in April — below the 14.7 percent hit by the country as a whole — and it has fallen quickly, to 4.7 percent in September.

But economists attribute Iowa's success primarily to its favorable mix of industries. The state relies more heavily than most on agriculture and manufacturing, which were comparatively insulated from the virus.

Vulnerable industries like tourism, hospitality and retail sales are struggling in Iowa as they are everywhere else. Data compiled by researchers at Harvard and Brown Universities from private sources shows that consumer spending has rebounded more slowly in Iowa than in neighboring states.

"Retailers are still having a tough go of it in Iowa," said Ernie Goss, a Creighton University economist who studies Iowa and the Midwest. "You're talking about individuals who regardless of regulations are not going back in a restaurant right now."

Mike Draper owns a chain of T-shirt shops with three stores in Iowa and others in Omaha, Chicago and Kansas City, Mo. Customer traffic is down 30 to 50 percent in all of them, he said, with no consistent patterns based on the rules local governments have imposed.

"It has almost nothing to do with regulations," Mr. Draper said. "It's really driven by people's mentality more than regulations."

There is little doubt that restrictions are restraining some economic activity, particularly in parts of the country that have strictly limited restaurant capacity and indoor gatherings. Local business owners say that restaurants are noticeably busier in Davenport, Iowa, than across the Mississippi River in Moline, Ill., where rules on mask-wearing and social distancing are stricter and more consistently enforced, although business is not back to normal on either side of the river.

But greater activity can also come with a cost, to both public health and the economy. When college campuses in Iowa reopened in August, students packed into bars and nightclubs — and coronavirus cases quickly began to rise. Governor Reynolds shut down bars in several college towns for more than a month.

For some workers, Iowa's situation is the worst of both worlds: They are back at work, putting them at risk of contracting the virus, but don't have enough customers to make a living.

Ms. Foote, 24, had worked at the beauty salon for just a few weeks when it shut down because of the pandemic. The job was the fulfillment of a longstanding dream — after years of juggling school and low-wage jobs, she was finally working full time and on track to get benefits.

Even so, when the salon reopened in the spring, she was scared to return to work. And once she did go back, there was little work for her.

"I just kind of sit around and don't do anything," she said. "People are scared to go into the salon and sit for an hour."

Ms. Foote said she was taking home just $200 for each two-week pay period, meaning she again needs to supplement her income with part-time jobs. But she isn't sure she should be rooting for business to pick up.

"I don't see how me going to the salon more often and exposing myself is going to make things better," she said. "I don't think that's safe, personally."

 

[Bill Bauer]

 

[linearb]

No one could have predicted that a virus which has not changed in any way in the past six months would become a serious problem again as people let their guard down and fall respiratory illness season ticks up. Truly a random tragedy.

I just got another 25 n95s and I am still staying at home. We're doing Halloween in our own woods with one other family we trust (and everyone wearing masks).

I actually think walking through / handing out candy in dark woods on Halloween sounds cooler than walking around random suburbia, but, there's also an element of lemons -> lemonade there.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Sorry, I am still too busy to participate in this thread.

Here is some food for thought "It's been 94 days since Sweden reduced COVID-19 deaths to near zero without lockdowns or mask mandates."

 

[Bill Bauer]

You might also be wondering how the total numbers of deaths in Sweden compares to 2019 and earlier years. Check out how 2020 compares to 2015.

What does this mean for the hypothesis that COVID-19 isn't a regular flu?

 

[linearb]

@Ed209 I thought about you when I was listening to NPR talking this morning about impending lockdowns in Germany, France and potentially other places.

All I could think was "you're having these conversations four weeks too late, and if you don't already understand that then your policymakers have refused to learn a single thing about this virus in the past 9 months". Merkel, for her part, seemed clear on this -- she cautioned everyone 2 weeks ago that they would be meeting again in 2 weeks, and here were are. On the other hand, that was probably already "too late".

And, really, I think this is dumb at this point, because we're letting the whole economy fall on its sword to try to shore up the sectors which are the most obviously not possible. Indoor nightlife, bars and restaurants cannot come back safely now. It sucks, I was a heavy patron of bars and restaurants right up until late Feb of this year, but "it is what it is" as a dumb man once said.

And, again, we're talking about this in fairly silly terms mostly. Trump in MI made comments about "you can't go to..." and listed various kinds of businesses -- none of them were prevented, legally, from operating. So, even in (what used to be) reliably conservative areas, lots of people are simply not reopening, out of fear for their own safety, or because they know they won't get enough business to make it worthwhile.

You can provide the water to the horse and say "don't worry about Corona, the water is fine", but you can't convince the horse to go risk Corona for the water, especially when the water at home is safe and cheaper.

Beyond initial panic lockdowns, we should have been looking at ways to bolster the parts of the economy that clearly were not going to "come back" during this, or, in the case of stuff like movie theaters, stand a good chance of just being killed forever by this. But, there was mass disagreement that the virus even existed, so we had no clear thinking or comprehensive plans like that, just a bunch of half measures which have only slightly hobbled the slow of the disease, and kept the economy under wraps, including sectors of it which could probably be operating now.

So, where are we? Headed towards a fall of homelessness, death and illness, as I have been sadly saying since April. As far as both COVID and homelessness -- the numbers are clearly trending that direction, at home and abroad. Right now rural areas of the US are getting pounded worse but numbers are crawling up here and I worry what hospitals could be like in the spring when we expect to give birth...

I think part of what is going on in the stock market is predicated on a belief in a Biden victory, and, further, that a Biden administration will have the political will and capital to do bailouts to avoid the worst of the impending eviction crisis. I am 50/50 on Biden winning and 50/50 on his admin managing to stem the tide of COVID and eviction in a relatively short timeframe, so, I am pretty pessimistic on that idea and I am not presently holding anything besides index funds that I expect to hold for a long time. Oh, and four shares of MSFT, for Reasons :-P

Stay safe!

 

[Ed209]

And, really, I think this is dumb at this point, because we're letting the whole economy fall on its sword to try to shore up the sectors which are the most obviously not possible. Indoor nightlife, bars and restaurants cannot come back safely now. It sucks, I was a heavy patron of bars and restaurants right up until late Feb of this year, but "it is what it is" as a dumb man once said.

I fundamentally agree. Our thinking on all of this has very much been in alignment since the first lockdown. The issue I see with letting those sectors fail - which was inevitable given the lockdowns - was what do you do to help those who are affected along with their families? There isn't enough money being created, via tax, to cover the losses of entire industries. The first furlough and grant scheme used money that we didn't have (in the UK), and this created the kind of debt that hasn't been seen in this country since world war 2. There is no magic money tree. We are now in a worse position than before, which means that our previous plan is no longer sustainable going forward; we need better alternatives that seek to save the most lives. We are no longer just looking at lives being lost to COVID-19, but rather lives being lost across the board. This is a catastrophic position to be in, and I believe our leaders have failed us. There has been no proper planning or clear consensus during any of this.

Beyond initial panic lockdowns, we should have been looking at ways to bolster the parts of the economy that clearly were not going to "come back" during this, or, in the case of stuff like movie theaters, stand a good chance of just being killed forever by this. But, there was mass disagreement that the virus even existed, so we had no clear thinking or comprehensive plans like that, just a bunch of half measures which have only slightly hobbled the slow of the disease, and kept the economy under wraps, including sectors of it which could probably be operating now.

This is what should have happened, but it appears that our governments buried their heads in the sand instead. We all knew that the virus wouldn't just magically disappear overnight, so what have they been doing all this time? I'm aware that it's an incredibly difficult situation to fix, but some of the decisions that have been made have left me scratching my head in amazement.

So, where are we? Headed towards a fall of homelessness, death and illness, as I have been sadly saying since April. As far as both COVID and homelessness -- the numbers are clearly trending that direction, at home and abroad. Right now rural areas of the US are getting pounded worse but numbers are crawling up here and I worry what hospitals could be like in the spring when we expect to give birth...

I think part of what is going on in the stock market is predicated on a belief in a Biden victory, and, further, that a Biden administration will have the political will and capital to do bailouts to avoid the worst of the impending eviction crisis. I am 50/50 on Biden winning and 50/50 on his admin managing to stem the tide of COVID and eviction in a relatively short timeframe, so, I am pretty pessimistic on that idea and I am not presently holding anything besides index funds that I expect to hold for a long time. Oh, and four shares of MSFT, for Reasons :-P

Stay safe!

Unfortunately, that's precisely where we are heading. Only a vaccine can stop this from getting any worse, but then we have the catch 22 situation of whether we can trust something that has been produced in record time. Can we trust that it will be safe in the longterm? Anything that messes with the immune system comes with an inherent risk.

And with all that said, stay safe and well, and hopefully, better times are ahead.

 

[Rjbookworm]

COVID-19 is freaking me out because I'm considered high risk thanks to one of my health conditions.

I've been pretty isolated since March so I'm safe, but it bites that this pandemic has put me in between a rock and a hard place. I don't like being out of a job and I empathize with so many other people who have lost their jobs.

This pandemic has devastated so many people.

On the bright side, I got my flu shot yesterday. At least I'll be safe from the flu. This year the flu shot felt like a tetanus shot. I took Advil last night, tinnitus be damned.

 

[linearb]

We all knew that the virus wouldn't just magically disappear overnight, so what have they been doing all this time?

well, you knew it, I knew it. I'd say people in the 50th percentile for reading comprehension understood it.

On the other hand, our leadership?

"It's going to disappear. One day — it's like a miracle — it will disappear." (2/27/2020)

"The virus will not have a chance against us. No nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United States." (3/11/2020)

"When we have a lot of cases, I don't look at that as a bad thing, I look at that as, in a certain respect, as being a good thing... Because it means our testing is much better. I view it as a badge of honor, really, it's a badge of honor." (5/19/2020)

And where are we, on October 28, 2020? We just logged our worst day ever for new cases.

I've always been faithless in leadership. Despite my constant ripping of the current admin - I spent all of 2012-2016 complaining about the draconian and hawkish foreign policy of THAT admin (who, to be fair, I voted for). However, the insanity we're seeing with the politicization of COVID and shameless, obvious gutting of scientific governmental agencies for (attempted) political gain is unprecedented and depressing. The same country that put the first man on the moon has a 50/50 hit rate of believing in evolution, and a 7% hit rate for being a QAnon believer.

 

[Ed209]

well, you knew it, I knew it. I'd say people in the 50th percentile for reading comprehension understood it.

On the other hand, our leadership?

And where are we, on October 28, 2020? We just logged our worst day ever for new cases.

I've always been faithless in leadership. Despite my constant ripping of the current admin - I spent all of 2012-2016 complaining about the draconian and hawkish foreign policy of THAT admin (who, to be fair, I voted for). However, the insanity we're seeing with the politicization of COVID and shameless, obvious gutting of scientific governmental agencies for (attempted) political gain is unprecedented and depressing. The same country that put the first man on the moon has a 50/50 hit rate of believing in evolution, and a 7% hit rate for being a QAnon believer.

It's depressing. I feel like I have witnessed the cognitive decline of mankind over the last couple of decades. Social media has not helped at all.

Why doesn't anybody fact-check the information they are fed online? I feel like the masses are becoming more and more gullible by the day. People will believe the craziest things, especially if it's in a YouTube video. For some, YouTube is the epitome of truth . I see idiots citing videos from there all the time, especially flat-earthers and other crazies . Don't get me wrong, there is some really good content on there, just not the stuff that they watch

 

[Gman]

It's depressing. I feel like I have witnessed the cognitive decline of mankind over the last couple of decades. Social media has not helped at all.

Why doesn't anybody fact-check the information they are fed online? I feel like the masses are becoming more and more gullible by the day. People will believe the craziest things, especially if it's in a YouTube video. For some, YouTube is the epitome of truth . I see idiots citing videos from there all the time, especially flat-earthers and other crazies . Don't get me wrong, there is some really good content on there, just not the stuff that they watch

Social media hasn't helped? The rise of social media along with the rise of smart phones/tablets are probably the main causes for the decline. It's an exponential decline too!!

 

[Ed209]

Social media hasn't helped? The rise of social media along with the rise of smart phones/tablets are probably the main causes for the decli

That's exactly the point I was getting at. I just said it in a very British way

 

[Rjbookworm]

It's depressing. I feel like I have witnessed the cognitive decline of mankind over the last couple of decades. Social media has not helped at all.

Why doesn't anybody fact-check the information they are fed online? I feel like the masses are becoming more and more gullible by the day. People will believe the craziest things, especially if it's in a YouTube video. For some, YouTube is the epitome of truth . I see idiots citing videos from there all the time, especially flat-earthers and other crazies . Don't get me wrong, there is some really good content on there, just not the stuff that they watch

Those quotes from Trump about COVID-19 were appalling to read. Absolutely appalling. I shouldn't be surprised though.

I wish that people would fact check the information that they find online. I have some information that I need to continue fact checking myself. Luckily I didn't get the information from social media. I just want separate the truth from the crap.

 

[Bill Bauer]

How much more evidence do we need?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Those quotes from Trump about COVID-19 were appalling to read.

What did he say?

 

[Bill Bauer]

It's depressing. I feel like I have witnessed the cognitive decline of mankind over the last couple of decades.

It is funny to see the people who are the problem complaining about the problem.

 

[Ed209]

From Thursday we're back on a full national lockdown in the UK.

 

[Gabriel5050]

Guuuys. The title of the post says coronavirus and tinnitus.

Does COVID-19 have any effect on tinnitus?

I didn't find any post here discussing that. If there is, my bad, but does anyone know?

 

[Sevv]

Guuuys. The title of the post says coronavirus and tinnitus.

Does COVID-19 have any effect on tinnitus?

I didn't find any post here discussing that. If there is, my bad, but does anyone know?

It can cause hearing loss just like the flu, so it obviously can give you or worsen tinnitus. You can also get chronic fatigue syndrome or at least something similar. So best not to catch it. Of course not everyone experiences such consequences, but I'm not going to risk it.

 

[Gabriel5050]

@Sevv Makes sense I guess. Yeah, I remember having slightly full ears when I had colds. Well, most people don't develop severe cases, so hopefully it doesn't leave permanent damage.

Obviously going to continue being careful.

 

[gorzakus]

It can cause hearing loss just like the flu, so it obviously can give you or worsen tinnitus. You can also get chronic fatigue syndrome or at least something similar. So best not to catch it. Of course not everyone experiences such consequences, but I'm not going to risk it.

Yes there are reasons not to catch it.

https://medium.com/microbial-instin...dd-covid-19-symptom-we-overlooked-6cdf81a5e70

 

[Gabriel5050]

Yes there are reasons not to catch it.

https://medium.com/microbial-instin...dd-covid-19-symptom-we-overlooked-6cdf81a5e70

Nice find. It's interesting that besides the virus directly affecting the ear they also mention most drugs used to treat COVID-19 are ototoxic. Also, lack of oxygen is listed as another potential cause. Either way, best keep social distancing.

 

[david c]

UK death rate ten per cent higher than normal for this time of year as a result of COVID-19:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54785358

Sadly we do still have our share of Covid-deniers in the UK who still insist, despite all the evidence, that it's nothing more than a bad cold...

 

[Frédéric]

Does coronavirus affect the audio-vestibular system? A rapid systematic review

Objective: This rapid systematic review investigated audio-vestibular symptoms associated with coronavirus.

Design: The protocol for the rapid review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews and the review methods were developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed using the National Institute of Heath quality assessment tools.

Study sample: After rejecting more than 2300 records, there were five case reports and two cross-sectional studies that met the inclusion criteria.

Results: No records of audio-vestibular symptoms were reported with the earlier types of coronavirus (i.e. severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] and Middle East respiratory syndrome [MERS]). Reports of hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo have rarely been reported in individuals who tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusion: Reports of audio-vestibular symptoms in confirmed COVID-19 cases are few, with mostly minor symptoms, and the studies are of poor quality. Emphasis over time is likely to shift from life-threatening concerns to longer-term health-related consequences such as audio-vestibular dysfunction. High-quality studies are needed to investigate the acute effects of COVID-19, as well as for understanding long-term risks, on the audio-vestibular system.

Review registration: Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number CRD42020184932)

Keywords: Hearing loss, coronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV2, tinnitus, vertigo

Full article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14992027.2020.1776406

 

[Chinmoku]

Guuuys. The title of the post says coronavirus and tinnitus.

Does COVID-19 have any effect on tinnitus?

I didn't find any post here discussing that. If there is, my bad, but does anyone know?

A friend sent me this.

Changes in Tinnitus Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted delivery of healthcare, economic activity, and affected social interactions. Identifying and supporting those most affected by the pandemic is required. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the pandemic on individuals with tinnitus and to identify mediating factors.

Methods: This is a mixed-methods exploratory cross-sectional study, using data collected via an online survey from 3,103 individuals with tinnitus from 48 countries. The greatest representation was from North America (49%) and Europe (47%) and other countries were only marginally represented.

Results: Although the study was aimed at those with pre-existing tinnitus, 7 individuals reported having COVID-19 initiated tinnitus. Having COVID-19 symptoms exacerbated tinnitus in 40% of respondents, made no change in 54%, and improved tinnitus in 6%. Other mediating factors such as the social and emotional consequences of the pandemic made pre-existing tinnitus more bothersome for 32% of the respondents, particularly for females and younger adults, better for 1%, and caused no change to tinnitus for 67%. Pre-existing tinnitus was significantly exacerbated for those self-isolating, experiencing loneliness, sleeping poorly, and with reduced levels of exercise. Increased depression, anxiety, irritability, and financial worries further significantly contributed to tinnitus being more bothersome during the pandemic period.

Conclusions: These findings have implications for tinnitus management, because they highlight the diverse response both internal and external factors have on tinnitus levels. Clinical services should be mindful that tinnitus may be caused by contracting COVID-19 and pre-existing tinnitus may be exacerbated, although in the majority of respondents there was no change. Additional support should be offered where tinnitus severity has increased due to the health, social, and/or emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tinnitus may be more bothersome for those experiencing loneliness, having fewer social interactions, and who are more anxious or worried.


It may have been posted already.

 

[PeteJ]

Bunch of lies.

There's no evidence of it doing anything to people other than elderly unless you have complicated health problems.

Brainwashed people being conned.

Every report ends with "more studies are needed." Right. Of course. Sigh.

 

[PeteJ]

UK death rate ten per cent higher than normal for this time of year as a result of COVID-19:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54785358

Sadly we do still have our share of Covid-deniers in the UK who still insist, despite all the evidence, that it's nothing more than a bad cold...

Because it is.

 

[Ed209]

Bunch of lies.

There's no evidence of it doing anything to people other than elderly unless you have complicated health problems.

Brainwashed people being conned.

Every report ends with "more studies are needed." Right. Of course. Sigh.

I think another lockdown is the wrong move, but COVID-19 is real. I've seen people die and have their health affected first-hand. My mom has long COVID and still gets breathless. She has a problem with her heart that's yet to be diagnosed, and her kidneys were also affected.

We are in a difficult situation of trying to save lives whilst protecting the economy. I fear the latest lockdown in the UK is going to make matters worse rather than better, though. This is because a lot of the rules are contradictory. For example, all the schools and universities are still open, and many people are still working. I don't think the effect this will have on the spread of the virus is worth destroying the economy. We might slow the infection rate for two or three weeks, at best, whilst the economy takes another battering. I believe we are now in the worst position we've ever been in, economically speaking, and this could cost more lives than the coronavirus.

It's a difficult balancing act, and I understand that there are no easy answers to this. What doesn't help matters are the conspiracy theorists who fuel the fire for people to dismiss this virus as being "fake," which is absurd.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I think another lockdown is the wrong move, but COVID-19 is real. I've seen people die and have their health affected first-hand. My mom has long COVID and still gets breathless. She has a problem with her heart that's yet to be diagnosed, and her kidneys were also affected.

I am sorry to hear that your mom has been experiencing complications following a flu.

I believe we are now in the worst position we've ever been in, economically speaking, and this could cost more lives than the coronavirus.

Back in 1980s Ronald Reagan managed to convince the people in charge of the USSR that the "Strategic Defense Initiative"/"Star Wars Program" wasn't fake. They felt compelled to increase their spending on developing new weapons, and it is my understanding that this had contributed to bankrupting the USSR leading to its demise. Of course the program was mostly fake, as the technologies involved were decades away from becoming reality. COVID-19 is basically the "Strategic Defense Initiative" of our times.