“This is like confronting a dilemma of choosing between our health and livelihood,I’ve never even imagined that I’d have to choose something like this.” Although more than 30 million Americans having filed for unemployment, there is still a considerable backlog of people who have not been able to file claims because of overwhelmed state unemployment agencies. Some Americans fear they will be returning to workplaces with potentially inadequate safety precautions in place to protect themselves. There are some temporary relief measures thankfully, but nothing that can sustain us through a crisis like this. We recognize that stay-at-home is also killing people. Not as easy to diagnose as corona, but poverty most assuredly will take many lives as well as depression, addiction and domestic violence that are all exacerbated by these orders. In short: life is a risk. We will not be going out for a good long while yet. Yes, like everyone else, we would like to have our lives back but not at the cost of our lives. What we are trying to do is survive until they have a vaccine or a viable, proven treatment. There are only two ways to develop herd immunity — by exposure to the virus, or by using a vaccine. The latter solution is probably a year away, at best. In the meantime, we need to use reasonable sanitary precautions (masks, hand washing, and maintaining a six foot space from others, in indoor public settings), and set about reopening the country. Most of us, if exposed, will suffer mild illness, or be asymptomatic. SO, We’re determined to provide journalism that helps each of us better understand the world, and take actions that challenge, unite, and inspire change – in times of crisis and beyond. Our work would not be possible without our readers.Thanks and hope you are staying safe and healthy.
