Today Monday April 13, 2020

SARS-COV-2/COV-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus is affecting 210 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances.

Infected Cases: 1,867,130

Deaths: 115,282

USA

Infected Cases: 560,433

Deaths: 22,115

COVID-19 could possibly be the best thing that has happened to our planet in the last 100 years. I know many of you will probably be shocked that I say this. I’m certainly not making light of the countless lives that have been lost and continue to die. Yes it’s truly heartbreaking, but it didn’t have to be this way. Therefore please bear with me and read on.

The Earth has taken a momentary pause and is recalibrating and allowing it to regenerate and cleanse itself. It has suffered greatly because of human consumption and continual lack of disrespect to the planet. People in India can now see the Himalayan Mountains for the first time in over 30 years. It is now visible 100 miles away due to reduction in air pollution. Satellite imagery all throughout the world has shown the decreased pollutants of our noxious air quality. Animals now run free and we are now the caged ones having to stay home and required to socially distance ourselves. We are now the prisoners in our own domain.  But on the other hand it allows many of us to spend quality time with our families and most importantly to look within ourselves and ask some fundamental questions. Like what will I do after and how will I act after we return to some sort of normalcy? Will I quickly return to being and acting the exact same way? Will I change anything in my life to be a better person? More caring, selfless, less indulgent, patient, love and respect mother Earth.

I cannot speak for others not even my closest family and loved ones. I can only give you my personal feelings on what I’ve decided to do and making the necessary preparations to see it through. This past week I called many friends and colleagues all over the world, especially here in the U.S, which is where I currently reside. Many are homeowners and or renters like the apartment I rent in NYC. Most have told me that they can hold out for about 2-3 months and then will be digging into savings. For those that have rental properties like my nephew, renters will not be able to pay their rent by May 1st and certainly not by June 1st. Mortgages will still be due, rents, car payments, school loans, etc.  What do they plan on doing if this persists for many months to come? Not everyone in the U.S made rent this month. The pandemic has brought the U.S economy to a virtual standstill, and with it the inability for many Americans to pay their rent. According to data from the National Multifamily Housing Council, only 69% of tenants paid any of their rent between April 1st and 5th, compared with 81% in the first week of March. Factually accurate headline from The Wall Street Journal, said it’s not a case of 31% not paying but a 15% decrease verses the average payments on time. On the other hand it’s only April. People dipped into savings. What happens in May? And finally what’s the rate of non-payments on home mortgages in April? So that’s nearly a third of U.S apartment renters didn’t pay April rent. A current survey taken, 50% say all of their savings will be wiped out by the end of this month. The Federal Reserve System (FED) estimates COVID-19 job losses could total 47 million and that the unemployment rate may hit 32%.

What I find very surprising is that many people are still in denial and beyond the fact they still don’t think the pandemic is that bad but that everything will be back to normal very soon as if to say a light switch will magically be turned on and our lives will immediately go back to the way it was. Just looking at NYC in the past few days the death rates have been staggering. COVID-19 one day tally the highest so far took 2,108 people to the grave. Many now are being buried in mass graves being dug on Hart Island stacked three bodies high. Seeing the drone footage reminds me eerily of similar scenes I’ve witnessed in third world countries that are experiencing civil war. I certainly never thought I’d see it in the United States of America. Also in NYC between April 1-5, 1,100 people were found dead on the street or at home which is 8 times last years numbers. Even on Easter Sunday the Governors of Florida and Texas issued no mandate to cancel religious services. One can only wonder with incredulity what our leaders are thinking? Obviously nothing as their actions show a complete lack of apathy for its citizens. It would seem to me the big question many need to ask themselves was it really that good before all this happened?

I have been writing down a number of hypothesis and a plan of action moving forward….

PLAN A-B-C

A. The best-case scenario is that a vaccine is found in the next 12-18 months and COVID-19 is vanquished. So by March or April 2021at the earliest we can all return to some sort of normalcy and resume our lives as before. Not very realistic to think that everyone’s lives will return to normal. Some surely might but millions of citizens will not.

B. If we try to return to work and start opening up businesses too early, a second wave of the virus will likely return by the fall/autumn which is also the return of the regular flu season. This will not only extend the current length of the global pandemic and if it follows the same model as the Spanish Flu of 1918 that had 3 waves it will be much more virulent.

C. World economy gets wiped out and because of our continual printing of money as in the recent $2.2 trillion dollar stimulus package then there will be hyper-inflation and followed by a depression resembling the likes of the 1929 crash or worse. There have already been parts of the U.S with lines of people waiting for food donations but not on foot like in 1929 but a caravan of car lines stretching back 2 miles.  This is only the tip of the iceberg. Except Plan A - None of the above is very optimistic and if any or all happen then all bets are off and a cascading of calamities will ensue and major hunker down plans go into full effect!

I have an apartment in NYC and fortunately have been able to sublet it to a friend for a few months but my lease is up come middle of the summer and with the current state of NYC and the U.S, I will probably not opt to sign a new lease! (I wrote an article on March 20, 2020, “People’s Lives Are Going To Change For A Longtime”. I said, “the sooner we can wrap our hearts and minds around this the sooner we will be able to adjust”.) I can’t say that loud enough, especially now. Just look at the present state of the world and where we are. It only took 4 weeks. I have been feeling it’s time to emigrate once again and leave America. I have other friends with a similar mindset. Seeing the current state of the U.S and the incompetence of its leaders my feelings are very much and positively 100% inclined moving forward.

Nations must have an exit strategy and First-World Countries must do massive amounts of testing realistically in the tens of millions, if not then the virus will only persist and kill hundreds of thousands of people. To think the U.S, the most powerful and wealthiest nation in the world and we are still only testing under 8 per 1,000 people. Japan is even more lamentable testing only 1 for every 2,000 of its citizens is utterly disgraceful. This is a prime example that the leaders care little for you and I and only about propping up the economy with fabricated projections and monopoly money. What a sham! There is only 2 ways I see it for leaders to go and both have horrible ramifications. Either they put everyone back to work and try and hold up the economy and many more people will die or they wait and continue the Non Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPI) allowing the economy to nose dive but save lives. Either way people will die and the economy will tank. It’s an awful position for the leaders to have to make but be it as it may they will have to live with it or not, but many of us will die because of it. But it didn’t have to be this way.

The current administration is directly responsible for the numerous deaths that have unfolded. I’ve always assumed one of the main functions of a government is to provide for and protect its citizens. Instead, what I have seen is a blatant disregard for our nations safety and our government’s inability to proactively respond in the face of a global pandemic. Another reason for my decision to emigrate, I can no longer trust our government. For the very first time I even spoke to my Father about my need to leave the U.S. He was not surprised. With that said we all must remain extremely vigilant and try our best to stay safe and healthy and let the virus run its course and allow the Earth to recalibrate itself. I have lived all over the world and as my Hakka roots are steeped in the ‘Wanderer Tribe’ I welcome the changes ahead.

Yasir Hussain’s thought provoking Instagram stories broke the hearts of his fans amid the coronavirus lockdown.

He wrote, “We fell asleep in one world, and woke up in another. Suddenly Disney is out of magic, Paris no longer romantic, New York doesn’t stand up anymore, the Chinese wall is no longer a fortress, and Mecca is empty.

Hugs and kisses suddenly become weapons, and not visiting parents and friends an act of love. Suddenly you realize that power, beauty and money are worthless, of love. Suddenly you realize that power, beauty and money are worthless, and can’t get you oxygen you’re fighting for.

The world continues its life and it is beautiful. It only puts humans in cages. I think it’s sending us a message: You are not necessary. The air, earth, water and sky without you are fine. When you come back, remember that you are my guests. Not my masters.”

P.S

NOTHING SHOULD GO BACK TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS NORMAL.

NORMAL WASN’T WORKING.

IF WE GO BACK TO THE WAY THINGS WERE, WE WILL HAVE LOST THE LESSON.

MAY WE ALL RISE UP AND DO BETTER.

Stay strong, serene and smart and continue to stay safe, healthy and vigilant.

Always Be A Hard Target.