You have heard of Nostradamus, the 16th century physician and seer. He studied for about a year before having to discontinue his studies due to the plague. He worked as an apothecary for many years after and developed a "rose pill" to treat a later outbreak of the plague. Later yet, he worked as a physician's assistant, again treating plague victims. Soon after, he moved to the occult.
Flash forward 450 years, and we have a new one. Introducing:
Nostradumbass
He's a seer! “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”
Nothing surprises us anymore. But our collective jaws dropped when this happened on Thursday.
Immediately, the manufactures of Lysol and Clorox issued warnings. Please, please, PLEASE, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GODdon't ingest our products!
And on cue, he and his fan club turned themselves in to pretzels to try to defend their demi-god.
"He was promoting a legit endoscopic UV light treatment!" came the voices. Okayyyy....Where are the studies? Cuz even in this more benign light-therapy hypothesis, there ain't no evidence-based treatments using internal light to treat a viral infection. And....ummm.... where do we put the scope, exactly??
"It was taken out of context!" they then screeched. What context? There is context right before our very eyes. WE CAN HEAR HIM AND SEE HIM AS HE IS TALKING. Do you not understand this? There are multiple LIVE cameras on him with real microphones collecting his every sniff!
"Ah, come on! He was just joking!" came the next twist.
OOOOohhh! Hahahah! Great job, supposed leader of the free world! What a great time to joke around! Haha, yeah, people sick and dying everywhere, much fear throughout the land, with plenty of people desperate enough to try anything to prevent or treat this scourge. I sure do appreciate a good, sarcastic prank during global pandemics! Don't we all!?
And then. The memes. Thank the gods for the meme-makers.
It's true among black communities across the country. The District of Columbia, southern states, and midwestern states are suffering the most disproportionate casualties.
Of course, this virus itself is non-discriminatory. It goes where it goes. It will live in a black person's lungs as well as it will live in a white person's lungs.
But that's the virus. It's the rest of us that's the problem.
Why is this happening?
It's possible that there are genetic factors at work. Recent studies have indicated that genetics may play a role in the ability to fight off this virus. But I highly doubt that this is a factor in the disproportionate casualties in the black population, especially when you look at the specific communities in the chart above. In reality, the reasons go quite deep, as the systemic racism in this country is complex, profound, and long-standing.
Systemic racism has kept people of color in the lower socio-economic strata since the beginning of our country. And as socio-economic pressures increase in vulnerable populations, health risks increase. In general, black people are:
Less likely to have heath insurance
More likely to have pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, which increase the risk of complications with COVID-19. These risk factors in themselves are the result of deeper societal and healthcare biases and disparities
Less likely to have access to health care; for example they are unable to take off work when sick or needing to stay home care for others. They are unable to afford medications
More likely to have chronic stress - a risk factor in itself for poor health
More likely to be living in close quarters with poorer sanitation
More likely to be affected by any type of natural disaster, for all the reasons stated above
There is also systemic racism in America's healthcare system. There have been disparities in healthcare for white people vs. black people for our whole history. Black people are simply treated less well, less often, or differently, than white people.
Black people, rightly so, are distrustful of white physicians. There is a long history of not just subtle bias, but unethical, immoral "studies" like the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment that worked to crush black people under the white medical establishment's heel. This should never be forgotten.
People of color are more likely to have lower-paying jobs in the service industry, more likely to be in a higher-risk-of-exposure "essential" job, have a job that precludes working from home, or unemployed.
Social distancing, the best way to prevent the spread of this disease, is a privilege afforded to white people more than black people. Black people are less likely to be able to survive a furlough or telecommute. They are more likely forced to take public transportation to their job. They can't afford to have food and goods delivered. They can't afford to stock up on food or even to go food shopping only once a week.
Many African-American men are afraid of wearing a mask in public. They face the choice between bringing unwanted – and possibly dangerous – attention from law enforcement vs. protecting themselves from the virus. Many choose to forego the mask. I. Hate. This.
I must note that there are similar patterns for Latino and Native American populations. The Navajo Nation, in particular, is experiencing huge casualties in this pandemic. Their rural poverty lends an extra heartbreaking layer to the effect of this pandemic on the Navajos. Washing hands for 20 seconds? They may not even have running water.
What are the solutions for this set of tragic and unjust disparities?
There are no easy answers. The systemic racism is deep. But the first step is: you're soaking in it. Being aware and learning about the problem is the first step. If you're in heath care, it's even more important to be aware and fight back against your own biases.
Think globally, act locally. Work for justice and equal treatment. Advocate for universal healthcare. Fight racism where you are. Get involved. Speak up - educate others. Embody Katherine Johnson's words: "You are no better than anyone else, and no one is better than you."
Support organizations that fight against racial injustice, like the following. (Note: please vet any charity before giving them money!)
I haven't felt too bloggy lately. The news is anxiety-inducing and overwhelming and I feel better when I'm not digesting media about COVID-19. But, as I stated in my very first post, "the purpose of Little Sister Resister is firstly, to chronicle this moment in American History, from my Little Ol' Eyes."
And this is a moment. Not for America, but for the world. And so, I chronicle.
The official Federal response has been, quite simply, a shit show.
IMPOTUS continues to be a transactional "leader" during the Covfefe-19 crisis, insisting that governors be appreciative before he'll cooperate in sending medical equipment to their states.
Corruption and incompetence laid bare by the appearance of SCROTUS's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who also piled on the governors while dangerously inserting himself into the crisis, costing precious time. His judgment is terrifying to say the least. Then he goes on TV proclaiming of the stockpile of medical equipment, "the notion of the federal stockpile was it’s supposed to be our stockpile, it’s not supposed to be states’ stockpiles that they then use." What the actual fuck is that supposed to mean?
The incompetence goes on and on. It's a deep, deep, dark rabbit hole. But probably the most tragic aspect of the "administration's" failure was simply the waste of time. Agent Orange knew early about the problem but chose to downplay it, letting the monster creep free among us, until now, weeks away from its peak, with 397,754 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 12,956 deaths in the United States as of this morning, April 8.
This tragedy is best exemplified in this ad. The ad is powerful, and I love Mika and Joe's treatment:
But we can all rest assured. Though this crisis is upending each and every one of our lives, SCROTUS's briefings are getting very good ratings (even better than The Bachelor!) and he is #1 on Facebook. Sleep well, my friends, with that knowledge.
Church services have continued around the country, with naysayers, blasting from both hips (literally), dying. "And the deniers shall be the first to perish from the earth" (Covid 1:9). Doesn't SCROTUS know he's killing his base?
There is yet more incompetence and recklessness, much more than I could possibly work out here. The history books will have volumes written about this pandemic and the worldwide response, laying bare the rot of 45's incompetence. A black stain on our history.
But you know what? There are leaders who are truly inspiring.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. He's been tough, truthful, and at the same time reassuring. Randy Rainbow agrees completely. Andy, we're all thirsty for what you're serving.
Andrew Cuomo: this is what a leader looks like.
Our California governor, Gavin Newsom. He was the first governor to issue a stay-at-home order, which, by the looks of the data, seems to be working to flatten the curve. California is in a good place at this point, such that Newsom is lending ventilators to four states and two territories. I prefer to listen to Newsom's updates vs. anything that comes out of Washington. He is straightforward, well-spoken, and frankly, easy on the eyes. This is what a leader looks like.
Captain Brett Crozier, the commander of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Capt. Crozier raised alarms about the virus sweeping through his crew. He was relieved of duty, but obviously highly regarded by his sailors. He has since tested positive for coronavirus. He risked his career to bring attention to the plight on his ship. This is what a leader looks like.
The Queen. For the fifth time in her 68-year reign, other than her annual Christmas addresses, she spoke to her nation. Her words were hopeful and reassuring. This is what a leader looks like.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Dr. Fauci as been front and center on the "president's" coronavirus task force. He is often at the televised briefings, and somehow has held on to his job while pushing back against misinformation and stupidity. He knows when to hold 'em, knows when to fold 'em. But he doesn't have a very good poker face. It was the face palm heard 'round the world.
Fauci is smart, works hard, and speaks the truth. This is what a leader looks like.
Seventeen-year-old Seattle high school senior Avi Schiffmann. You may have used his data to track the virus, as millions have. What you may not realize is that he rejected an $8 million offer to have advertising on his site.
Schiffmann realized he had the skills to help, and created the site for the good of all of us. This is what a leader looks like.
These leaders all have one thing in common. They tell the truth, they tell it plainly, and they are right there with us. We appreciate the truth. We need the truth. The truth can calm us, heal us, prepare us.
And there are thousands more leaders out there in the trenches, men and women who work as paramedics, nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, PTs, OTs, and SLPs, CNAs, hospital housekeepers, grocery store clerks, gas station attendants, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, drive-through restaurant workers, migrant farm workers, letter carriers, bus drivers, and on and on. They are all working to provide us what we need and keep us well, while literally risking their own lives. They don't get to stay home. So you need to. Be patient. Stay home.
Now, for some additional links:
Here is a pulmonologist from NYC, who gave his personal friends and family this level-headed information. Watch the video here. It's long, but it's full of great information.
