Lots of controversy about whether or not we need extreme shelter-in-place requirements with many businesses closed during this Coronavirus. I’ve been pretty convinced based on health, science conclusions and recommendations the answer was a resounding “YES”! Then, as I was readying for bed the other night I heard a name mentioned on the news that I recognized. Seems he had been involved with conducting some research that was bringing the necessity of closed businesses and sheltering-in-place into question.
“Via Stanford's Hoover Institution -- Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is a professor of medicine at Stanford University. He is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a senior fellow at both the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and the Stanford Freeman Spogli Institute.
His March 24, 2020, article in the Wall Street Journal questions the premise that “coronavirus would kill millions without shelter-in-place orders and quarantines.” In the article, he suggests that “there’s little evidence to confirm that premise—and projections of the death toll could plausibly be orders of magnitude too high.”
Dr. Bhattacharya was asked “in this edition of Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson to defend that statement and describe to us how he arrived at this conclusion. We get into the details of his research, which used data collected from hotspots around the world and his background as a doctor, a medical researcher, and an economist. It’s not popular right now to question conventional wisdom on sheltering in place, but Dr. Bhattacharya makes a strong case for challenging it, based in economics and science.”
His March 24, 2020, article in the Wall Street Journal questions the premise that “coronavirus would kill millions without shelter-in-place orders and quarantines.” In the article, he suggests that “there’s little evidence to confirm that premise—and projections of the death toll could plausibly be orders of magnitude too high.”
Dr. Bhattacharya was asked “in this edition of Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson to defend that statement and describe to us how he arrived at this conclusion. We get into the details of his research, which used data collected from hotspots around the world and his background as a doctor, a medical researcher, and an economist. It’s not popular right now to question conventional wisdom on sheltering in place, but Dr. Bhattacharya makes a strong case for challenging it, based in economics and science.”
Here’s Dr. Bhattacharya youtube interview discussion of test results for COVID-19 conducted “in Santa Clara County, California, one of the most active hotspots in the country”. Another study recently completed with results to be released soon was done in partnership with Major League Baseball. He mentions even another recently completed interesting-sounding study with results soon to be released.
There is discussion of “some signs of hope, and specifics about how the economy can be restarted safely and efficiently. Dr. Bhattacharya also gives some (unsolicited) advice to Dr. Anthony Fauci, California governor Gavin Newsom and president Donald Trump.”
There is discussion of “some signs of hope, and specifics about how the economy can be restarted safely and efficiently. Dr. Bhattacharya also gives some (unsolicited) advice to Dr. Anthony Fauci, California governor Gavin Newsom and president Donald Trump.”
Well, what to think now about opening up our businesses and how we safely go about it? How much do we need to shelter-in-place? Should we continue to mask? There is so much still unknown about this virus.
No matter what develops on businesses reopening, I remain convinced this U.S. President, his Administration, have failed and continue to do so in seeing that our medical community has the potentially life-saving PPE (personal protective equipment) needed. There must be accountability when the immediacy of the challenges we face now have reached some level of resolution.
Considering Dr. Bhattacharya’s present research results, I look forward to the eminent reports to come. Confessing to being a news junkie, I’ll be interested in what actions our California governor, Los Angeles mayor and that of our own City Council take in the days and weeks ahead. Certainly, the words and actions of our nation’s President will be of concern as well as what other states’ leaders do, and how residents react.
Ventura County California is expected to become the first area in our state to loosen restrictions including opening golf courses and allowing more access to their beaches which were never completely closed. People age 70-75 and older are still recommended to stay inside.
I live in northeast Los Angeles County and continue to stay inside my house. I wear my mask whenever I venture out to occasional drive-thrus, or as I did today to pick up pre-ordered items brought to my car. Only a half-block from my home I returned when I realized I had forgotten my mask. Thinking of the virus I was reminded of the businesses reopening issue, controversy of need to shelter-in-place since Dr. Bhattacharya’s research.
My thoughts wandered as I started recalling that upper elementary school boy, his younger brother, Deep, that I used to give rides to school on rainy days. I remembered when they reached high school, took national tests making such high grades they received a great deal of So Cal recognition, that they had gone on to attend college, Jay at Stanford, that he became a doctor. I lost track of his further studies but have since learned they were in economics.
Now I read he has also focused some of his work on aging issues associated with older people. When last I spoke with his mother we hadn’t discussed our children or grandchildren. Neither of us have been out in the neighborhood for a while but there will be much to talk about when next we meet.
Meanwhile, if I kept an isolation diary it might read something like this I poached from another blogger whose name or blog I apologize for forgetting.
Isolation
Day 31: I had a conversation with a spider today. She seems nice – is a Web Designer.
There seems to be no one unified message so what do you think about businesses reopening, sheltering-in-place, everyone continuing to wear masks, older people being expected to continue staying in?
