Why has it taken so long for the U.S. to realize that a national Lockdown is necessary to prevent the spread of Covid-19?

CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 09:36:03 -0400

China, after the virus leak, completely locked down Wuhan and quarantined the city. Beijing and Shanghai reported no cases of Covid-19. India also placed the Nation under a three-week curfew to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and the number of cases in India are way less than any European country or the United States. Couldn't the U.S. follow these examples to save lives?

Response by CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana made Apr 2 at 2020 9:38 AM

CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 09:38:34 -0400

Thanks Cynthia Croft for the vote up.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Apr 2 at 2020 9:44 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 09:44:45 -0400

Probably due to bullheaded pride, and denial of the situation.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 2 at 2020 9:45 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 09:45:34 -0400

every year there are 40-60 million cases of the flu and 30K- 60K deaths and yet we never lockdown the country to prevent the spread of the flu......

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Apr 2 at 2020 9:49 AM

LTC Kevin B. — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 09:49:12 -0400

I think all political leaders have a strong reluctance to immediately shut down everything. Once the warning signs become clear, they will do the right thing. Problem is, once those warning signs become clear, it's often too little, too late. You can see that occurring in many locations around the country, at the city level, at the state level, and at the federal level.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Apr 2 at 2020 9:49 AM

SGT Ben Keen — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 09:49:16 -0400

For me personally, I think the entire world reacted to slowly. This goes beyond the White House. I will say, I think the medical experts were and continue to do their best to understand this beast of a virus. It has been a long time since the medical field has had to deal with something along these lines. I don't truly think any of us were truly ready. However, on the flip, the US Government did not want to overreact. We all saw the push back that came when we closed trade from China. That was the first punch to our supply chains. Later, when Europe (minus the UK) was shut down, people saw it as another "racist move". I agree, that our borders should be shut. Heck, I would go as far as say shut down state borders as well. But I'm not a medical professional. I personally think at this point, we are past the line of no return. Shutting down any borders now will not contain the virus since the virus is everywhere now. We had a small window to do this and we missed it.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 2 at 2020 9:50 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 09:50:45 -0400

While the obvious answer is that people are idiots, another thing to look at is the delay in response. But, if you also look at the statistics, COVID-19 (world numbers) has a survival rate of approximately 95%. The main issue is the infection rate. Which circles back to people are stupid and delay in response.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 2 at 2020 10:05 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 10:05:56 -0400

Do you think the people would stand for their freedoms being stopped like that? Especially during this ridiculous era of division in the nation where every decision is a wrong decision, racist, sexist, this-ist and that-ist.
I agree they should have just shut it down, but the backlash would be insane, and even now with what has been done - do you think people would listen? The "honor system" is a joke because we are entitled Americans. Lockdown in 330,000,000 people is impossible to enforce.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 2 at 2020 10:17 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 10:17:30 -0400

I would argue our governments actions will not save lives, just transfer them. We are delaying the spike in the curve not flattening it. We are also destroying our economy, likely causing more damage and deaths than just letting the virus spread. Something like what Sweden is doing may have been the best answer, they closed schools and canceled large gatherings but otherwise left businesses alone.

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 2 at 2020 10:21 AM

CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 10:21:52 -0400

I've read Trump floated the idea last weak when he was discussing placing residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut under a quarantine...that's when all hell broke loose. Seems to be some confusion on whether he has the authority.

Response by MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P made Apr 2 at 2020 10:23 AM

MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 10:23:40 -0400

It's interesting the same people who called Mr Trump a "Xenophobe" and "racist" for suggesting we close the borders in January and ran to Federal judges to block his orders are now the same people who say Mr Trump hasn't done enough to slow the spread of the virus.

Just for the giggles, go research the number of deaths each year attributed to smoking.

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." Agent K, MIB

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Apr 2 at 2020 11:11 AM

SGT Dave Tracy — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 11:11:59 -0400

A good question, and there's many reasons I think.

To start, no one alive today has any living memory of the last truly global pandemic: The 1918 Spanish Flu. People tend to go with what they "know", and what we all know is that we've never seen a global pandemic before; sure, we rationally are aware they have occurred in history and can happen again, but Mr. Spock will gladly remind us that we are not a rational species, so our functional mindset says "never happened before"; all of which taps into the "it can't happen here/it doesn't happen anymore" beliefs people have, which is an emotional response, not a rational one. Toss in a little economic "loss aversion", and we really start to shy away from the potentially extreme measure that might fully and quickly address this.

Next, the scale of the problem wasn't readily apparent, and recent news reports indicate that the infection and death rates reported by China have been under-reported. You need a lot of hard facts to overcome feelings and heuristic based judgements.

If China has been successful in tamping down the Bud Light Virus (don't talk bad about Corona please), it is because they are a totalitarian governed society. The state can dictate any individual's actions, and do so with impunity. And frankly since Tiananmen square, pushback of any kind against the Communist government has been essentially non-existent outside of Hong Kong. In fact, it appears many over there, at least as shown in western press, support the heavy-handed approach. Our governmental system is not geared for totalitarian control with many kinds of checks and balances in place from a free press, to the courts, to shared powers, an armed society, etc. Add to this that culturally, we are still a fiercely independent people, many of whom have a distrust--or at least keep a careful eye on--government exercising authority; particularly at the federal level. As a people we get better buy-in from social "bottom up" approaches than from the governmental "top down" ones. So "China-style" methods which may succeed in a pandemic scenario--but stifle any number of other situations--simply aint going to work here.

India is an example where it seems they recognized a potential problem earlier than the west; South Korea too. I read speculation that India had more experience with public heath concerns than we have in the west, and that guided their actions. True? No idea. I don't know anything about the Indian public health system. I did read an article about a person from Boston who went to see relatives in India, and noted that their governmental is more restrictive and can respond in ways the US cannot/will not. Nowhere near China-level restrictive, but assuming the author is right, it's more restrictive than you find in the US as I noted above. Nonetheless, the world's largest democracy, opted to act more cautiously, and it seems to be working for now.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Apr 2 at 2020 11:13 AM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 11:13:07 -0400

Not sure why anyone is worried.... The Vice president is holding daily prayer circles and the President has just had the MyPillow guy tell us all to read the bible and pray, so clearly the situation is well in hand...

Response by Sgt John Steinmeier made Apr 2 at 2020 12:23 PM

Sgt John Steinmeier — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 12:23:41 -0400

I think you are trying to compare two radically different systems of Government and the people of those Governments. China has been on lock down since the Communist revolution and only recently experienced some "freedoms." It is easier to slip back into that dominated mindset. On the flip side Americans have never been forced to conform and submit to group think. We are inherently distrustful of anything the Government does and says to do.

Response by MSgt Michael Bischoff made Apr 2 at 2020 1:06 PM

MSgt Michael Bischoff — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 13:06:54 -0400

Because you have idiots like this guy!!

https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/editorials/article241688301.html

article241688301.html

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made Apr 2 at 2020 2:43 PM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 14:43:00 -0400

Part of the issue is clarity and honest reporting. If you think that China has completely squashed this because their Government regulated and filtered news sources say so I would have to respectfully disagree. They are all about controlling the narrative. Just like Iran and North Korea. NK expects everyone to believe they just sidestepped COV19 completely? Yeah OK. I lived in China while on Embassy Duty and they always control what the public opinion and public perception is. Personally I don't see how tanking the economy by 100% mandatory lockdown is a good thing. I agree that social distancing is key and cancelling major events and gatherings is also good. But cops stomping the streets and detaining or ticketing people for being out there house is a bit much.

Response by PO3 Donald Murphy made Apr 2 at 2020 3:31 PM

PO3 Donald Murphy — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 15:31:57 -0400

Why has it taken so long? Simple!

1. I'm a (insert political affiliation of your choice here) and the media that my ( ) party judges as "truthful" has not told me to lockdown.

2. I'm American and I get all of my news from facebook, twitter, or my favorite celebrity and none of them have said for me to panic.

3. Deaths in other countries? Well damn it, we're America damn it and thats why they're dying. Cuz they need American freedom.

4. Corona? Isn't that a Mexican beer? See! I told you we need a wall between us and Mexico!

Response by MAJ Matthew Arnold made Apr 2 at 2020 4:00 PM

MAJ Matthew Arnold — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 16:00:51 -0400

1) F-R-E-E-D-O-M
2) We don't like to be told what to do.
3) We Don't like central government or Federal control. Article 10 of the constitution implies, to me, that this is a state level issue. The States should be individually taking the lead and the Federal government should be supporting the states as needed.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 2 at 2020 8:21 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 20:21:43 -0400

Beijing asserts and so do N. Korea and India. Selective coverage and no way to corroborate these claims. Remember, India and China are densely populated areas. I do not buy it, sorry. And by lockdown, what does that mean? Starve. Think, okay?

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 2 at 2020 9:04 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 21:04:53 -0400

Two words: Failed leadership.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 3 at 2020 8:05 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 08:05:47 -0400

I think there are two reasons:
1. The situation in Wyoming is fundamentally different than the situation in New York. Giving more local authority to determine what the correct measures to take are is how a federalist system is supposed to work. Be assured that federal officials are in touch with all of those state officials and they converse on what steps to take based on the situation.
2. Political. No one forgot that this is an election year. The big problems are in dense urban areas, which tend to vote Democrat. By reserving decision-making to local representatives (usually governors), the President is ensuring that the credit or blame is shared. Not only is that politically shrewd, it also fosters teamwork in a time that has been hyper-partisan.

The correct answer is that the federal government resources, the local government executes.

Response by GySgt Kenneth Pepper made Apr 3 at 2020 9:38 AM

GySgt Kenneth Pepper — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 09:38:42 -0400

In my small corner of the world there are are a number of people who are holding on the idea that they have already had it and beat it. No proof of that of course.
This is an area on the I-20 corridor, ~4 hours from New Orleans, Dallas, Jackson MS and Little Rock. A ticking time bomb.

Response by Lt Col Charlie Brown made Apr 3 at 2020 9:38 AM

Lt Col Charlie Brown — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 09:38:55 -0400

We are not China. We have a large and incredibly diverse country. it makes no sense to lockdown a place like Wyoming or the Dakotas where people are already incredibly spread out

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Apr 3 at 2020 9:51 AM

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 09:51:03 -0400

I think China lied and deceived the world about what was happening with covid — and they continue to do so

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Apr 3 at 2020 10:42 AM

LtCol Robert Quinter — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 10:42:33 -0400

Thankfully we live in a federation of independent states where only the states, with their unique situations are able to do such a thing. The Feds could deal with areas that deal with interstate commerce, but the constitution specifically limits the power of the federal government.
The feds have no responsibility to be the supply warehouse for individual entities. Point toward the much praised "just in time" system. Since the surfacing, and praise, of the Toyota/Japanese management systems in the 70s and 80s, the ideal has been minimizing on hand stock in every business from the smallest Mom and Pop store to the largest manufacturer. You can't change the system overnight and the feds have no authority to dictate such procedures.
We are currently dependent upon the voluntary compliance of the population with recommendations from the feds. The governors, for the most part, are putting those recommendations into state orders when necessary. The words of one governor of a flyover state, come to mind who stated she had not declared an emergency or restrictions because her state was not subjected to the widespread problems of other states.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Apr 3 at 2020 11:02 AM

LTC John Shaw — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 11:02:43 -0400

The Chinese numbers are faked, they don't want to report actual numbers to take pressure off the government. The US system is State based with FEMA providing support to the State unless a disaster is declared, then a federal administrator is established still to support the State requests.
We are a constitutional republic and strive to follow the processes, even in times of crisis.
Locking down is not a normal response for Americans so there is a tremendous resistance to this idea. We can't get agreement on wearing masks in public, something most places in the world do if they are sick.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 3 at 2020 12:15 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 12:15:41 -0400

Anyone else notice that almost everything they are saying you should do to prevent spreading this virus is stuff you should already be doing anyway? wash your hands. stay home if you feel sick. don't cough/sneeze on people. avoid unnecessary social contact. don't be all up in people's faces. etc

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 3 at 2020 8:45 PM

CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 20:45:38 -0400

There’s a huge difference between our Country and the others. Especially in Asia. We all can say what we all think should happen and the why, when, where, and whom, but bottom line of blaming who caused this should be the very last reason not the first. From military point of view in my professional opinion it seems to me personally that there are too many HMFIC that don’t have the foggiest idea what they’re saying and doing about it. Our first line responder, ie our healthcare folks, our nurses, doctors, scientists, pharmacists and anyone else who could provide services to the ones in desperate need should be our first priority. It is asinine to hear how our political leaders are going to do this or that. When in reality nothing of the sort is actually being down in D.C. Now our Military Personnel are being affected by this virus. Call it like it is a deadly virus period. I’m sick and tired of hearing what our leaders have been doing, but yet people are Dying. Other than our military folks here on RallyPoint, I can’t fathom what the hell is our Countries Leaders are waiting for? Is our first priority is the welfare of our society and it’s human beings, or it is our cash cow: the banks, airlines, Wall-street and many others who are trying to market on the deaths of good descent human beings. Who do we actually blame for this pandemic here in our Country? We can all blame ourselves for letting someone who doesn’t get it and have no moral fiber or soul anymore. With that I’d like to leave with this saying, what’s worse a planet dying or a dying planet without humans.

Response by SGT Michael Hearn made Apr 3 at 2020 11:06 PM

SGT Michael Hearn — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 23:06:02 -0400

Hello, I agree the Covid-19 virus is deadly killer that has the same effect on your lungs as mustard gas. Would you remove your mask during a chemical attack? Lack of timely information from the Chinese government Because we have never seen anything like this before People were skeptical until the morgues started filling up in highly populated cities. Now Jacksonville Florida the whole state is on lockdown People is dying everywhere. If you want to survive this crisis Follow all the guidelines that have been plastered all over the TV. A LITTLE DISCOMFORT VS. DEAD FOREVER!
,

Response by PO1 Kevin Dougherty made Apr 4 at 2020 12:28 AM

PO1 Kevin Dougherty — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 00:28:53 -0400

It's the difference between a Democratic Republic and a totalitarian Communist system where the state controls all areas of society.

Response by SSG Dennis R. made Apr 4 at 2020 4:49 AM

SSG Dennis R. — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 04:49:46 -0400

With Covidiot Bone Spurs, Fox, the and other science deniers spreading false information, what does one expect? Drumpf will see 150,000 dead as having done an excellent job in combating the virus.

Response by SP5 Dennis Dorsey made Apr 4 at 2020 11:56 AM

SP5 Dennis Dorsey — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 11:56:21 -0400

Quick answer.....TRUMP!

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 4 at 2020 12:41 PM

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 12:41:51 -0400

Because making store owners in North Dakota and Wyoming close shop would cost people their livelihoods while serving no purpose to public health other than appeasing the Blue Checkmark Brigade.

Response by GySgt Theodore Shadley made Jun 24 at 2020 11:11 PM

GySgt Theodore Shadley — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 23:11:52 -0400

Don't worry sooner or later survival instincts will kick in and everyone will realize the virus is driving the bus and we are all just passengers. It has taken my brother so listen too the scientist and hope for the best. A vaccine will take about a year and that’s using people as Guinea pigs. 2020 is a wake up call. Life, first the test and then the lesson.

Response by SPC Timothy Rock made Jun 25 at 2020 11:34 PM

SPC Timothy Rock — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 23:34:05 -0400

Because the Commander-in-Chief is incompetent, just as most military generals say he is. The USA should have organized a national lockdown in February 2020 and helped each state to get to a place of health and re-opening by the summer. Instead, a pandemic that had to be treated using science was turned into a political football and the mass death that has followed will only get worse until someone with a science background is allowed to take charge. The systems of government don't mean a thing. Unity and a coordinated national plan are the answer, as every successful nation has shown which include Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, South Korea and even the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Those leaders mixing COVID with politics only create chaos and death. The USA is in a sad position right now. Why has it taken so long for the U.S. to realize that a national Lockdown is necessary to prevent the spread of Covid-19? Incompetent leadership is the answer. Put the military in charge or take some kind of decisive action or it will be well beyond 200,000 dead by year's end. That is FACT.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 26 at 2020 9:02 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 09:02:29 -0400

The words from one of our great founding fathers comes to mind "give me liberty of give me death". The US is a very diverse place. New York is very different than Wyoming. That is why the founding fathers established the decentralized government they did. Why would you shut places down where the nearest covid case is 100 miles away? The shutdown in Wisconsin was deemed unconstitutional by its supreme court. If a federal lock down was enacted it is unconstitutional and would be overturned by our supreme court. We have had much worse outbreaks in our past. covid is relatively mild. If you are under 30 the flu is more lethal.

Response by Brad Miller made Jun 28 at 2020 7:45 PM

Brad Miller — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 19:45:25 -0400

China lies.
Absolutely NOTHING that their government says can be trusted.

Response by CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana made Jun 29 at 2020 1:58 AM

CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 01:58:37 -0400

Ego and Pride are responsible for masses downplaying this Pandemic as a simple flu. The Spanish Flu affected 500 million and killed 50 million, between 1918 and 1920. This flu was caused by the H1N1 virus, which is a Type A Influenza virus. The H5N1 and the H7N9 viruses originated in China as well. Influenza is of three types. Except for the Swine Flu, which origins were found in Mexico and the U.S., the rest draw their origins back to China. Did you know this fact?

Response by Maj John Bell made Jun 29 at 2020 6:04 PM

Maj John Bell — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 18:04:19 -0400

OK.... Here is where I show my hard heart. With most decisions involving public health, there is some sort of cost benefit analysis.
In the United States:
_Heart Disease claims over 600K lives per year.
_Cancer claims over 170K lives per years.
_Cerebro-vascular disease (Strokes) claim about 140K deaths per year.
_Chronic Respiratory Disease claim about over 145K deaths per year.
_Diabetes claims over 40K deaths per year.

For each of the aforementioned causes of death, lifestyle choices are the primary factor. 80% or more would be completely prevented if people just ate right, got enough exercise, and got enough sleep. Why hasn't the US learned that it can save about a MILLION lives every year. Just put the entire nation on mandatory dietary programs, fitness programs, and sleep regimens.

I know I'm being a smart-ass and I sort of apologize. But Public health decisions cannot be made in a vacuum. How many deaths justify the government reducing our freedoms?

_If you want to save 35K lives and prevent 600K life altering injuries, make the national speed limit 5mph. Better yet, ban the use of motor vehicles completely.
_If you want to save 800 children under the age of 14 every year, fill every swimming pool with cement.

No one can make the world safe. Risks can be mitigated. Government has a role in that mitigation, but it cannot be a decision where everything but medical considerations are ignored.

It is still my understanding that COVID-19 has a fairly tight demographic where it results in death. For the rest, it is probably less discomforting than the flu. Government needs to identify the factors that make a COVID infection for someone "High Risk." I'm pretty sure I fall into that high risk demographic. By all means protect high risk people with focused counter-measures. Let the rest of Americans get on with their lives.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 29 at 2020 8:07 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 20:07:51 -0400

This post aged well, seeing as india has no idea how to contain the spread. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/asia-today-seoul-considers-curbs-virus-cases-climb-71505127

Asia Today: India's virus cases jump with another daily high

India has reported a daily record of nearly 20,000 new infections as several Indian states reimpose partial or full lockdowns to stem the spread of the coronavirus

Response by SrA Brett Stratton made Jul 12 at 2020 3:18 PM

SrA Brett Stratton — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 15:18:54 -0400

Put simply? Excuses and ego.
Americans, in general, think they know better than the experts and prefer to stand and fight instead of submitting. Furthermore a lot would rather take the risk so they don't have to sacrifice their conveniences of life or social lives. The WORST excuse is thinking their rights are bing infringed when it's nothing of the sort (just pot stirring done by conspiracy theorists to justify their irrational hate and/or stubborn behavior).
The stats speak for themselves. We have defied on every aspect and are #1 in COVID-19 cases as compared to the rest of the world. Despite what some people think, a lockdown is necessary until this is done and over with. If people want to go out and get affected, let them. It says more about them than it does anything else.

Response by CPO John Moore made Jul 19 at 2020 2:42 AM

CPO John Moore — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 02:42:23 -0400

I think things could have been different if the governors and the federal government had got together and came up with a plan that would have helped stop the spread of COVID-19. our president didn't help matters very much by his actions (it was more or less you do as I say not the way I do or act) he should have set the example for the people of this country by wearing a mask and gloves). we say in the military a good leader looks out after his troops and take care of them, from what I have seen coming out of Washington the leadership has dropped the ball and lost it somewhere along the line. In my opinion, they should find it and start leading in of acting like a flock of quails which fly off in all directions

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 20 at 2020 10:38 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 10:38:16 -0400

Is it South Dakota is doing fine and that state never had a lock Down. What works in one State is over kill in another state. The Local authorities should make the decide what to do as our Constitution says. CPT Gurinder Rana Sir I remind you that the Tenth amendment says "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." To enforce a National Plane would be involution of the 10th amendment Sir. That Sir is why we can't have a National Plan.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 20 at 2020 10:39 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 10:39:05 -0400

Response by SPC Steven Depuy made Jul 22 at 2020 1:00 PM

SPC Steven Depuy — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 13:00:09 -0400

I find myself frustrated at people not being careful, and being angry at the whole system. I fix AC for a living, I have had to work every day during this mess, exposing myself to danger. I am 61, fat, and have diabetes, if I get COVID, I have a good chance of dying. The whole time, when only "essential" businesses were open, you saw the joke of what went on. If I needed to pick up a part at Lowes, the store was filled with people buying plants, mulch, and many other things that were not exactly essential, but since they sold parts people need to fix things, they could stay open. I would wear a mask going in there in March and April, and people would look at me and shake their heads like I was doing something wrong. Every week, I am in other peoples homes. Initially, I just didn't want to kill someone, because masks don't protect you, they make it harder for you to spread it. Then you deal with the frustration of the press and so much BS. As of July 13th, ICU beds in Florida have 17% taken with COVID cases, but the press says they are overwhelmed, and people are laying in hallways. As of that date, 1/3 of the COVID deaths were in NY, NJ, and one other state from the whole country, but they are held up as models now. I personally think a lot more people had it, which is why its not spreading as much now. I had a family member get it, who stayed home, and is fine with minimum medical care. My sons girl friend got it, and I am pretty sure he had it as well as he got a bit sick a week later, but they were both fine. I had my second friend my age die of it this week. But you have people running around saying wearing a mask is a violation of their rights, we need herd immunity and those who die just die. My one friend had underlying medical conditions, the other one did not, and was very fit. I see so much politics in this whole deal, where its the Red governors vs the Blue ones, and the press seems to want to make the red states look bad. Massive fraud in Florida was uncovered by a local TV station in their reporting, when a large number of labs had 100% positive results, where the over all overage I think they said was around 20%. I wear a mask around other people, I don't wear one to drive, mow my grass, or in my office all day alone. I keep chairs for someone who would come in my office about 8' from my desk, and don't look directly at people when I talk to them. I get a flu shot every year, I don't get sick. When they have a COVID vaccine, I will get it as well. But being a country of rebels, we scream no vaccine, no masks, we have parties paying cash to the first person who gets infected. We are a nation of idiots any more, all I can say. Sorry about the ramble, still dealing with my friends death yesterday, and just want to scream at the world right now.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 26 at 2020 9:43 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 21:43:40 -0400

That is a question with a conclusion, the facts are not in evidence, the lockdown is relsted to thr hype and hysteria byva left fringe media, and is not based on scientific evidence.
The question is as lame as "when did you stop beating your wife?"

Response by SSG Shawn Mcfadden made Aug 9 at 2020 6:35 AM

SSG Shawn Mcfadden — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 06:35:00 -0400

Actually, this is a question you should be asking the President. He had the resources, manpower, AND a PLAYBOOK to deal with/combat/mitigate the spread of the CONTAGION PRIOR to it even reaching the U.S. yet this president did NOTHING, and continued to call the virus a HOAX. All this of course was before over 150,000 Americans(and still counting) lost their lives to this PLAGUE.

Response by MSgt James Hatcher made Aug 27 at 2020 10:32 AM

MSgt James Hatcher — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 10:32:39 -0400

Several assertions here that you can't verify. 1. Beiging and Shanghai reported no cases of Covid. Doesn't mean that didn't have 30K unreported cases. 2. Cases in India are way less than any other country. If you don't test you won't know what you really have. 3. Why can't we do these things to save lives from Covid. So you save 30K lives to covid but suicides go up by 40K, Murder and mayhem increase 100 fold, and hundreds of thousands permanently lose there means of supporting there family.

You can't look at this through a straw but from 30 thousand feet open eyes and minds. There is something in-between that saves the most lives. Not just Covid lives.

Response by MSG Felipe De Leon Brown made Sep 7 at 2020 9:51 AM

MSG Felipe De Leon Brown — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 09:51:11 -0400

Many people absolutely refuse to consider doing anything that may inconvenience them regardless of how short the duration or the minimal impact on their personal lives. How does that saying go? "An ounce of prevention prevents a pound of cure."? On the other hand, verified and validated studies have shown that federal policies such as seatbelts, helmets, designated driver and so forth save lives and yet, it seems that many deliberately choose to defy any rule or policy that benefits all. And the very same individuals wonder...

Response by PO3 Steven Guess made Sep 7 at 2020 5:50 PM

PO3 Steven Guess — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 17:50:08 -0400

Since when did the US military become a bunch of sheeple?
The latest admittion from the CDC that of the 180,000 deaths, less than 10,000 died of only China flu . The rest died with (maybe) China flu in them at the time . Upwards of 90% of positive tests were actually 90% . This was not a pandemic it was a plandemic. The only reason for the lock down was to destroy the country

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 7 at 2020 6:02 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 18:02:32 -0400

A lesson learned young in most Soldiers' lives is don't give an order you can't enforce. Yes, there are different systems of governance, but that's not the point. What makes sense to an Eastern seaboard metropolis, is simply ridiculous in rural Idaho. Yes, there are hotspots around the Nation, and travelers to and from should take precautions for the good of themselves and the larger community. But, to say I'm in violation of a federal statute when I walk outside my back door and look around the horizon without another human being in sight is ridiculous overreach. I did grow up thinking '1984' was a work of science fiction. Not anymore.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Sep 8 at 2020 3:02 PM

CW3 Kevin Storm — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 15:02:42 -0400

Because we are the product of a nation brought up on the idea that we have rights, and our rights trump common sense and what is good for everyone. This is not new, read up on some old SCOTUS cases Jacobson vs Mass. Set in 1905 during the small pox era.

Response by SSgt Scott Ezra made Sep 12 at 2020 6:12 PM

SSgt Scott Ezra — Sat, 12 Sep 2020 18:12:32 -0400

I guess a lot of it stems from our system of government. We are a constitutional republic, not a democracy, with states that have rights.
I know that pesky constitution always gets in the way of liberals, but still its there.
So, lets talk about the science and some general facts. Up until February 2020 the science community had said that lockdowns were unnecessary, would not work, and cause far more secondary damage. For some reasons almost all of the experts that agreed with that changed their minds in late March, 2020. Not only that they pretended like that had never been against lockdowns, but there is all kind of evidence showing they did.
Now with the benefit of time we can see that the states and countries that didn't shut down are doing better.
India in fact is not doing as well as you implied and if you believe the China numbers you are likely to believe just about anything that anyone might tell you.
I will never understand why people wanted to lock down South Dakota because New York and New Jersey are doing so awful. Now we know that the governors of the hardest hit states enacted terrible policies and no amount of blaming Trump will erase that.
The "experts" in charge have said that Trump has done everything they have advised and more, like the travel bans, and because of that saved tens of thousand of lives if not more.
I realize that blaming Trump is far more important than anything else, especially with an election coming up, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Especially when you consider the experts kept getting things wrong and changing their advise.
This is another reason why fake and incorrect news and reporting is so dangerous. Studies have shown that the democrats are highly misinformed about the virus because of their news choices. Its really sad.

Response by SGT Michael Hearn made Sep 16 at 2020 12:19 PM

SGT Michael Hearn — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 12:19:08 -0400

No, I disagree with the economy needs to open back up

Response by SFC Willie Morgan made Sep 18 at 2020 3:24 PM

SFC Willie Morgan — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:24:28 -0400

The purpose of the lockdown was NOT to stop the spread to prevent overloading the hospital system. China locked down Wuhan for domestic travel but, NOT international travel. Americans surprisingly at first went along with the lockdown. Politicians destroyed the trust they were given by continuously changing the goal post and saying anything to maintain control. They always state "follow the science", which version?

Response by CPL David Widding made Sep 19 at 2020 6:42 AM

CPL David Widding — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 06:42:45 -0400

Do not know if I would believe anything the Chinese government tells us they are not anymore open and honest than our government.
The experts placed people on ventilator oops that was a mistake very hard to get them off.
In New York they put cova positive people in nursing homes where the old elderly and preexisting conditions were very high already before being exposed to the virus in what fantasy land does that remotely make any scents
We as a nation could not lock down Seattle, Minneapolis Chicago Atlanta or Los Angeles what remotely makes you believe we could lock down a state let alone the entire country
Just saying

Response by Bergman Oswell made Sep 20 at 2020 2:56 PM

Bergman Oswell — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 14:56:37 -0400

Necessary and legally possible are different things. What can be done in a totalitarian regime is very different from what can be done in a country with rule of law and a strong Constitution.

Besides, there has been some research that shows that total lockdowns are overkill - we're dealing with what amounts to super-flu not pneumonic plague.

Response by PO2 Cyrus Barberia made Oct 11 at 2020 11:35 AM

PO2 Cyrus Barberia — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 11:35:27 -0400

If Masks help stop the spread of this virus and let's just get out of the house faster I agree that we should all wear masks and it should be mandatory until this crisis is over. I'm 70 with type 2 diabetes and a heart condition been in the house since the start of this only going out where there's no people this was done months ago with everybody wearing a mask it would probably be over by now

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 3 at 2020 2:06 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 14:06:14 -0500

Lockdown is not the answer, otherwise the lepers would be running the streets and all the healthy would be quarantined.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 4 at 2020 1:15 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 13:15:57 -0500

The evidence shows that the lockdown is more detrimental to public health than COVID-19. This is due to missed medical diagnoses and procedures because they were deemed non-essential by politicians and medical bureaucrats. Further, the false panic has had an adverse affect on mental health which is compounded by the severely damaged economy, resulting in severe financial difficulty for many people. Countries like Sweden that did not lockdown are fairing much better overall.

Response by SPC Byron Skinner made Nov 10 at 2020 6:02 PM

SPC Byron Skinner — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 18:02:45 -0500

Byron Skinner. A national lockdown is impossible, but extra i contacts and fee gifts are not. In China the invented the Virus and with a population of a couple of billion, he a few million in eh ground becoming fertilizer is not big deal. In the Us the reason i shorter, especial for the 10% of US enterprise she the government opens their check books they make money. Example in the second quarter or 2020 some of you got a free gift of $1,200 dollars. The GDP went up 33.1% a record.

While governmental systems are often brought into this augment, they are irrelevant. Economies and for of Government are two different institutes. Economies make revenue. Governments take revenuer

Response by MSgt Harold Harris made Nov 16 at 2020 10:01 AM

MSgt Harold Harris — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 10:01:39 -0500

One of the most difficult things to do in my opinion, is to convince people to accept a change in their lives. Now, being ex-military, I had to learn to wear a gas mask when it was only an exercise, to work long shifts with minimum amounts of rest, so adjusting to the situation of Covid-19 was kind of second nature. But I know many people demanding that their rights to live the way they wish without any concern for how if may impact themselves or others. Many think this virus is a joke, mainly because it has not hit inside their house so to speak. I have a daughter and a sister working in the medical arena, and it is no joke. I fear for them, I also miss visiting with them because they want to protect me as well. But I have one friend, a very dear friend, very upset because it was suggested that groups should be kept to around ten people. The government was stepping on his rights he felt. I told him that his friendship was important to me, as we have known each other for more than 30 years. But because he felt I was on the wrong side, he has actually refrained stopped communicating with me. Now mind you, he does wear a mask he said, but only because he want to, not because the government told him to. I said you wear it because life is important to you as it is to most of us. I personally think he wanted a fight because I didn't reject the information provided by the powers that be. But I have a five year old, great granddaughter demanding I dance with her. I promised her I would at her wedding, so I have a lot to live for.

Response by SPC Curtis Underwood made Nov 18 at 2020 3:22 PM

SPC Curtis Underwood — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 15:22:08 -0500

Well to start with the constitution says we have the right to assemble. This takes away the governments right to tell us what to do or when to do it. Now if you want a communist government which the people don't have any rights then the it could be locked down with no repercussions but there is already law suits happening from businesses that were shut down and can not recover.

Then there is if the US does do a complete lock down for the time required to completely kill out this virus, then the economy goes under and you have nothing because the dollar will be worth nothing. Do you think locking the US down will stop the virus? I do not think so because to keep it out of the US you would have to lock down all foreign travel and imports. So locking down is not the answer.

Requiring mask is also against our constitutional rights as a free people. But The government can ask you too and any decent person with any morals will.

The answer is not easy to come up with but has to be a balance between the economy and the peoples welfare. That is what Trump was trying to do but could not get the people to understand.

Response by SPC Curtis Underwood made Feb 1 at 2021 8:42 PM

SPC Curtis Underwood — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 20:42:58 -0500

No I don't believe it can. I ask you what would a complete lock down for say a month do to the small businesses, to the workers, to the people that is just barely hanging on ?
I know most responses will be the government will help them and how has the government helped them so far? Through small business loans they have to pay back and stimulus. These businesses will be in a bind for years trying to pay back these loans. The stimulus helps for about two or three weeks for most people.
Now the government helps the big business more then the small wonder why that is.
Now what happens to the government if say it does give out 5 trillion dollars to take care of this lock down? The USA is so far in debt now it can't pay it back.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 3 at 2021 2:58 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 14:58:53 -0500

There is no difference between states that did and didn't use lockdowns.