Truly, I struggle to understand this kind of thinking.
Rep. Chip Roy
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a firebrand freshman Republican, on Wednesday called for a return to economic normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to secure an “overall net positive outcome” for Americans.
“The goal here is for the least amount of human harm, right?” the Austin conservative said in a Wednesday interview with The Texas Tribune’s Evan Smith. “And so the virus is one piece of a much larger puzzle. So should we reopen our society? I believe yes.”
“I think it is important for us to engage as human beings together, to worship together, to work together. Can we do it in a way that protects the most vulnerable?…It’s important that we do that, and we can do that.”
Roy argued that the American economy cannot freeze for the months or years it will take for scientists to develop a vaccine.
“We need immune systems that are strong. We need immunity systems that can fight this,” he said. “We need herd immunity. So we have to work through this together to get re-engaged so we can build that up.”
When pressed over whether the herd immunity concept will lead to unnecessary deaths, Roy countered that the nationwide lockdown and its subsequent delays in cancer screenings, addiction treatment and mental health ramifications from unemployment have added to indirect death and suffering.
Just so we’re all on the same page here, the “herd immunity” strategy only works if something like 60% of the population becomes infected. Remember those very early projections of one to two million deaths if we did nothing and just let the virus run its course? That’s based on 150 to 200 million people getting COVID-19, and a one percent death rate. Are one to two million dead people an acceptable price to pay? I wish that question had been posed more directly.
Please note, that’s one to two million deaths from coronavirus, and that’s assuming it burns out after infecting 60% of the population – there isn’t anything magical to stop it from getting to, say 80% of the population, which adjusts the death toll up to about three million. That also doesn’t take into account deaths from heart attacks and strokes and falling down the stairs and whatnot that couldn’t be treated because the hospitals are completely overwhelmed from COVID-19 cases. Remember when we were concerned about that? Back before we all agreed that “flattening the curve” was for the collective good? Boy, those were the days.
But let’s say we get lucky and manage to limit ourselves to “just” one million deaths. It turns out that a significant number of COVID-19 patients experience serious and lasting health effects from the disease, and may need lifelong health care as a result. So maybe add in another five to ten million people with permanent health conditions, some of which will be disabling, some of which will be very expensive to treat. Are we approaching a price point that is too high yet?
I mean, it sure seems to me that all that death and destruction would also be bad for the economy, and that’s before we mention the effects of a society where anyone can just get infected at any time. I’m sure the places in America that rely heavily on tourists and foreign travelers will be happy with this. “Come visit Disneyland! You probably won’t get COVID-19 and die, but even if you do, YOLO!” I can’t decide if Chip Roy hasn’t fully thought this through, or if he has and he’s decided it’s still better to let pestilence win.
Oh, yeah, one more thing: We don’t know yet that getting COVID-19 means that you’ll be immune to it afterwards. You may be immune to it for awhile, but maybe not for all that long. What would be worse than getting COVID-19? Getting it a second time. That’s gotta suck.
So yeah. Even when you factor out the utter depraved sociopathy, it’s still a bad idea. Don’t you wish now that Donald Trump had been pushing full-tilt for universal testing and contact tracing? In his defense, he had a lot going on. Maybe next pandemic, if he’s not too busy. In the meantime, support Wendy Davis for Congress in CD21. She would prefer not to let millions of people die.
Folks like Chip Roy have ill-informed opinions about the virus that aren’t based on reality. We have two close friends here in the neighborhood in their early 60s (our age) who caught the virus in early March after a miserable experience in the Miami airport. They were both very sick for several weeks. We and other friends carried food and medicine to them and monitored them by phone. They barely avoided the hospital. They are not weak people–physically fit, having lived and traveled in South America for many years. But it was scary for them and for us. My friend says you do not want to get this virus. They survived, but it wasn’t a sure thing they would still be with us. I’m outraged to see comments by our so-called leaders about herd immunity. I will vote my conscience this November, and I hope we rid ourselves of political tools like Chip Roy.
So much for the Republican Party being pro life, it seems that if you are a fetus you are entitled to be carried whether wanted or not, but if you are old than we should be sacrificed at the alter of the Republicans so that they can have a good economy to run on.
Trump and the Republicans have brought us the worse economy in my life time and because of ineptness and stupidity have caused the death of ten of thousands of Americans. I expect that number to be at least a quarter of million Americans that were sacrificed so that Trump and other Republicans could be re-elected.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/06/ny-gov-cuomo-says-its-shocking-most-new-coronavirus-hospitalizations-are-people-staying-home.html
Wow. Turns out that most of the people actually getting the Wuhan virus in NY were those forced to not work and stay at home. People who actually managed to keep their jobs and go to work each day were less likely to be infected.
Based on this, maybe it would be safer for everyone to go back to work to reduce the rate of infection.
Bill are you that stupid?
Incubation period, 2 days to 3 weeks, need much information to jump to the stupid conclusions that you do, Bill.
The Trump Depression has made America a third world country. Dumb people voted for an even dumber person, Trump. Now we have nearly 20% unemployment and 4 trillion dollars a year deficits.
Trump has given us “Mourning in America”.
https://youtu.be/t_yG_-K2MDo
Governor Bill, don’t jump to the conclusion that “it would be safer for everyone to go back to work to reduce the rate of infection.”
The fact is that the majority of people in New York are staying at home now. That is why their fatality numbers have declined so greatly n New York (unlike Texas). Staying at home has saved their lives. But staying at home won’t protect you from infection if you have an encounter with someone who is infected. President Trump, for example, has a valet who serves his meals at the White House, who tested positive today for the virus. It can happen even if you’re at home.
As Cuomo says, “Much of this comes down to what you do to protect yourself.
Are you wearing a mask? Are you doing the hand sanitizer? If you have younger people who are visiting you and may be out there and maybe less diligent with the social distancing – Are you staying away from older people? It comes down to personal behavior.”
In Texas, we need to continue staying at home. Let’s take care of ourselves and others.
However, I would not pass anything pass you people, Bill. It would not surprise me that you people are engaging in germ warfare and intentionally spreading the virus in minority communities. You people have a history of doing things like that.
Jeff, I’ve never even been to Guam, but thanks for the promotion anyway.
As to this:
“As Cuomo says, “Much of this comes down to what you do to protect yourself.”
OK, fine. Then it looks like people who were able to go to work were able to protect themselves more than people who stayed at home. What other conclusion can you draw from that? They worked, and still were able to better protect themselves. Maybe by virtue of working, they could afford to buy the protective gear, cleaners, and accoutrements necessary to protect themselves and their loved ones? Broke people who can’t pay rent or buy food probably aren’t spending the change in the couch on masks and soap.
Bill, I always visualize you in a white suit with a black glove when I read your posts 🙂
Whatever it takes to save lives is OK with me. Since March 20, all non-essential employees in NYC have been subject to stay at home orders. That doesn’t include public transit, grocery stores, banks, and food delivery. That means the great majority aren’t leaving home, so it makes sense that the new cases are people staying at home who have still been exposed to the virus, or who were exposed before they began isolating. But whatever the explanation, the stats show that working from home is saving lives there. New York is one of the few states that has shown a real decline in deaths. That’s good news.
“Bill, I always visualize you in a white suit with a black glove when I read your posts ”
OK, you got me. I am Dr. No, of the criminal organization SPECTRE. I survived the fire in Crab Key when my secret headquarters blew up and now reside in Houston. I miss the blue water of Jamaica, of course. Manny, are you listening? I’ve just revealed my true identity!
In an unrelated matter, General Flynn is finally free! All charges dropped by the DoJ. Let freedom ring!
Not Dr. No–Governor Bill! 🙂
https://tinyurl.com/Gov-Bill
Whatever you think Bill may be wearing, the links he posts are dumb.
Cuomo is shocked that most people live in a place they call “home”? Where does the chart show people live besides “home”? Nursing homes, prison, homeless, other…
I wouldn’t make any life changes based on the nonsense Bill posts.
Hey Jules,
Shelley Luther is a free woman, thanks to the Texas Supreme Court!
https://twitter.com/CalebJHull/status/1258473245709385728?s=20
General Flynn is free! Your side’s reign of terror is beginning to come to an end. Will you be brave enough to look at all the evidence of FBI and DoJ malfeasance? We already know the FISA warrants that predicated the Mueller investigation were bullshit, but the actual documents that show this, and show that Flynn was set up, are coming out for you to actually read. Will you read them? Do you even care to know the awful truth?
@ Jeff,
I’m happy to be compared to Gov. Bill, a Democrat we can all be proud of!
Edit: It was fun being an evil supervillain while it lasted, though!
Bill and you people are evil, you people never stop being evil!
Abbott had made the rules that allowed her be in jail.
You people, Bill, hate America and Americans so much that you are willing to have maybe 1/2 a million or more die in an attempt to get Trump re-elected.
Do the math Bill, 2,000 a day are dying, even Trump with his low ball numbers has as many 3,000 a day dying by the end of May. 7 months left in the year, 210 days, there abouts, 210 x 3,000 = 630,000 Americans that you and Trump and your kind of people are willing to let die.
I do have one question Bill, are you sacrificing your mom to help Trump?
It is “Mourning in America”, Bill.
https://youtu.be/t_yG_-K2MDo
Here is a great little story about the Leader of the Free World Angela Merkel saving her country and showing everyone how to smartly handle the pandemic and re-open their economy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/06/us/coronavirus-live-updates.html#link-292fd5a7
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