Coronaberg

Back in March, in a conversation with a coworker, I predicted that the US would see a half-million person death toll from the COVID-19 outbreak. He, being an optimist, answered, "I think it'll be a million." Well, today's full-on freakout news is the CDC's announcement that the COVID-19 infection rate may be ten times the number of reported cases... this information was obtained by testing blood samples from a variety of donors and patients for coronavirus antibodies. If this is true, the true COVID-19 picture resembles that of an iceberg, with about ten percent being visible above the surface. With cases surging in Florida and Texas, two states in which mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing were rejected, the situation is going to look apocalyptic in a couple of weeks. The outbreak in New York should have served as a warning, but some people really need to touch the stove to test your assertion that it is hot. Hell, I truly believe that the lackadaisical response in 'Red State' America was a misguided snub against Andrew Cuomo... defying that nanny-stater from the Coastal Northeast is preferable to living without respiratory distress and cardiovascular inflammation.

Already, Texas hospitals are nearing capacity and convention centers are being tapped as emergency medical facilities. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK A MONTH AND A HALF AGO! This was no mystery, the situation in Florida, Texas, and Arizona was entirely predictable! At this rate, we will never get over this pandemic, and I'm starting to think that my coworker was lowballing his prediction.