Thread by @VincentRK

COVID thoughts

I’m happy that we rapidly found stuff that works:
-Masks
-Proning
-Dexamethasone
-Monoclonal antibodies
-Upcoming vaccine

I’m disappointed about the many mistakes:
-Lack of a comprehensive strategy
-Mixed messages
-Politicization of masks
-PPE shortage

As a result of our success we have lowered the number of deaths. But the daily death toll is unacceptably high: ~1000 per day. How can we possibly lower it when the number of new cases is skyrocketing?

If you compare to Europe, you could come to the conclusion that nothing matters. It’s just the way COVID is. But we have to ask, have they made the same mistakes as us?

If you look at where COVID started we can say it’s all fake news. That we can’t believe numbers from China. But is that the truth? Can they really hide a 1000 COVID deaths a day? How did they do it?

But we don’t need to look at China. We can look at free countries like S. Korea. Japan. Australia. New Zealand

Did they do something well that the US and Europe didn’t do? Is it mainly border control where they prevented people from coming in (something much harder for us to do)

Whatever it is we should try to learn from our mistakes. Learn from countries which have been wildly successful. Maybe it’s just pre existing immunity and border control and we simply can’t replicate their success. Maybe. But we can only conclude that after we correct mistakes.

Note to S. Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand et al. For heavens sake don’t let up. This virus goes for the weakest link. One mistake & COVID can take off. Until there is a vaccine you are paradoxically more vulnerable than nations which have had high case numbers. Ask Czechia.