These are Still Surreal Times

The following was published in the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal on July 24, 2020.

In the first month of The “pandemic” lockdown I, when asked what I thought about what was going on, often responded that it was “surreal”;  a time marked by an intense irrational reality as if in a dream. Why is that you ask? There was no rational thought being applied. For example, when it first became well established that Wuhan, China, was the epicentre of a previously unknown virus what did the government of Canada do? They proposed chartering aircraft to ferry Canadian citizens from there, and elsewhere in China, back to Canada. You know, take people that may have been exposed and now are potential carriers of the contagion and bring it back with them to our home country. That was near the end of January. And what did our dastardly neighbour south of us do at the same time? They shut the border down to all traffic to and from China, a rational move. Unfortunately for all involved fewf other countries shut down contact with China in a timely manner and so it spread in all directions.

Soon after an issue related to what is now described as Covid-19 was: “should people wear face masks”? A rational response would have been yes. We all know that medical personnel, including dentists, wear masks whenever there is a chance that they can pass on a pathogen to their patient; it is not to protect them from the ill, especially if the issue is a virus which is so small that on its own very few masks, only if worn properly, can stop them. But viruses can be spread in drops of moisture when you speak, cough or sneeze and those drops can easily be captured by those same masks. What did our “experts” say? As WHO reported on their website:  "if you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected [COVID-19] infection." While at face value that statement has a grain of truth, at the time people who were infected yet were not showing any signs of that infection and so thought they were “healthy. Plus those who we knew who were infected were not asked to wear masks. That indeed was the time that we all should have been wearing masks when in public places! Over in Asia those countries all know this and without being ordered to, just about everyone did wear a mask and look at how that worked out; much fewer people died because of fewer being infected!

Come March, well after the virus had become established in Canada, we were put into lockdown. Note that at that time Sweden took a much more rational approach and just asked its populace to minimise travel and contact with others. Did things work out differently? No, they did not. Why would that be we all wonder? Here we were mandated by threat of penalty to not get closer than 2 metres of one another. A number seemingly plucked out of the air when all that was needed was to tell everyone to avoid physical contact as it was still uncertain at the time how this pathogen was transmitted. Another forced rule was the limit on the number of people in a group setting. Again, no rational reason why the number 5 was chosen. Why not 4, or 6 or any other number?

At that time too in just about every jurisdiction, especially here in Canada, hospitals were closed except for caring for those with serious problems brought on by Covid-19. The result? Near empty hospitals yet with people with non-covid issues told to wait until further notice because no matter what, their problem was not as important. People died as a result yet all that had to be done was to keep going as usual, other than suspected covid cases wearing masks to reduce the chance of sharing their special gift, and only if Covid-19 cases started to overwhelm, then cut back on other services. In other words, be flexible. To help us accept this irrational choice we are told to honour our “heroes” in the front-line medical services doing exactly what they are paid to do. The last time I checked a “hero”’ is someone noted for doing some special achievement, something over and above what was expected of them. That does not cover people doing exactly what they are paid to do.

Here we are, months after the lock down was enacted. Deaths from the virus, in this country is almost down to single digits; the end is almost upon us. So, what does the Thunder Bay District Health Unit do? Again, something totally irrational. They demand that masks or face coverings are required for indoor public spaces. At a time where there is 1 reported case within the District. When deaths are virtually non-existent during a time of year that our immune systems are working at their best? Most importantly, when virtually no one in the district is even carrying the virus?  Months after when such an order would have been logical? Like I said at the beginning, and I will say again; surreal. When did we as Canadians start going insane?