Since we have brought up my funeral march, I might as well get it out of the way. I think this is what I would like played when it is confirmed I am dead. It has a great rhythm, and a tinge of funk.
An entry level statistics class would provide you some great tools you'll be able to use for the rest of your life, highly recommended. Statistics isn't intuitive, and as it turns out your chance of dying in any one short drive is orders of magnitude less than your chances of dying from COVID as a healthy adult in the U.S. If you were talking about your chances of dying over the course of a year in a car accident you would still be off but not so absurdly so. I've been away from ET for the last 3 weeks caring for relatives with COVID, neither of whom died. Believe me, you DON'T WANT this disease, and dying from it isn't the only metric that you should be concerned about! One can also survive getting kicked in the nuts repeatedly for several days, that doesn't mean getting kicked in the nuts is something normal folks embrace and run around scorning everyone else for taking so seriously.
I know more and more people who´ve had covid, not a smooth ride for all that´s for sure, but doubt any feel the futile but very demanding efforts to avoid the disease was worth giving up on their and society´s way of life 10months and counting, it will be a while until we can travel like it used to be again, let alone for many people to abandon the social distancing new reflexes. Not sure how u guys see it, but lockdown way of life looks atrocious - noticed New Jersey was again the most fled from State in the US in 2020, not surprised here, if living in the US I´d have probably moved to Florida or a state with similar policies this year. Can´t say I know personally anyone over the age of 60 getting sick though, but can´t give too much weight to the argument people who died from covid would have enjoyed an even tougher lockdowns, you don´t sacrifice society for people who already need heavy assistance to survive. Still bemused at neighboring provinces and countries from Madrid which advocate stay at home orders with less cases than we have in Madrid, where hospitals are far from full capacity. Interesting as well to check the news from 2019 and before, which regularly showed dramatic reports of collapsed health care system during the flu season. Now somehow, ICU getting near 50% capacity is alarming enough to close businesses and lock people indoors.
Well again I experienced first hand my loved ones literally in the hallway for a multi-day hospital stay because they were over capacity, so that was no myth in AZ at least. As I think I've mentioned before discussing this with you, we may be seeing vastly different realities which lead us to reasonably different opinions on this. For example, here we have a huge chunk of the population which is fighting tooth and nail for their "right" not to wear a mask when around people outside their household members. That's not demanding or in any way unreasonable and it's frankly not only an absurd place to take a stand but a deeply selfish and evil stand to take and there's really no reasonable alternative way to look at that. Social distancing, really pretty much the same. On the other end of the spectrum, shutting down all businesses and telling people they can't leave their homes? Intelligent well meaning people might disagree on that. I think you're probably fighting that battle in Europe while we're fighting the battle to use common sense and take the barest minimum of precautions that have almost no impact on an individual. I can see how you might feel fed up given what you're facing, but surely you can see how I would be fed up when some jackass refuses to wear a mask while insisting on standing right next to me because...freedom and rights?
There is no point discussing this point too long if u feel there is ¨no other alternative way to look at that" Besides, sorry you had to stay along ur loved ones in a hospital hallway while probably not quite sure if they were going to make it. I´ve experienced it in China (overwhelmed children hospital outside any health crisis, dunno how they deal with crisis there), and it´s distressful to say the least. But again, this existed before covid and wasn´t accompanied with lockdowns, little doubt the health care staff will now ask for more lockdowns as soon as they feel they need to work too hard and can get public sympathy. Read of 0 Capacity ICUs in some parts of the US at the moment, which might well be true. We´re still far from there here (a few days ago Madrid had half the covid related occupancy than at the peak of the second wave, when hospitals still had quite a bit of capacity), and other provinces where doctors´ organisations ask for a Stay at home order in Spain still have quite some space left (there is no noticeable call for lockdown in Madrid, we are still following a largely respected policy of mask wearing anywhere public, ( which I abhor and cause me to actually mingle very little outdoors, except where I know this policy is not respected) and the much less followed (not at all enforced afaik)policy of neighbourhouds perimetral confinements). Fed up with health care staff posting fun videos on Tik Tok and Instagram while crying about how saturated with work they are. Fed up is an euphemism. At least people have stopped going out their windows and clap at those instrumental in keeping them isolated and defaced. Ridiculous as well smoking outdoor without a mask is fine, but not breathing fresh air. Bars and restaurants are also places where it´s OK to remove the mask, so if u wanna hang out with friends in public without a mask, it better be while eating and boozing (I have maybe 1 beer every couple of months and don´t smoke, so that doesn´t help in those times where health priorities have been messed up.)
About hospitals being regularly overwhelmed, this link is in english, about the UK, same is available in spanish for Spain, it adresses more points, including lockdown damage on public health https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJoYdMThbfV/?igshid=queqlv75jfzn