What Does A Quarantine Due To Coronavirus Mean For Truckers?

Thanks, Liahos. That is an excellent interview. I'll put some key comments below and some of my thoughts on them.

This is an interview with preventive medicine and public health specialist Dr. David Katz

"If all we do is flatten the curve, we don't prevent deaths, we just change the date."

This is one of the many misconceptions people have. We can not stop this virus, we can only slow the spread. Eventually, everyone will be exposed and those who were going to die now will only die later. People think we're staying home to 'stop' the virus. We are not stopping anything.

"Flatten the curve makes sense in phase I so you don't overwhelm the medical system."

This is the one and only reason we're in lockdown. Supposedly this virus will overwhelm our medical systems. Yet the number of people dying from this, as you will see below, is no different than any other flu bug. So why would that overwhelm our medical systems? It makes no sense.

"Once you release people into the world that peak in cases just happens at a later date."

In other words, we're simply delaying the inevitable by having this quarantine and we're devastating people's lives and the economy in the process. It makes no sense.

"You identify who is at risk of severe infection and who's not. Sadly some young people will die, but this is like risks we take every day. Sadly, tragically some young people die every day crossing the street or in a car crash."

This is the point I've been making for almost two months now when Italy, thankfully, said publicly that the average age of those dying from this bug is 79.5 and 99% of those people had at least one pre-existing medical condition. So there's no reason to lock us all away and shut down the world. You do your best to protect the 1 or 2 out of 1,000 of us that is at greatest risk and let the rest of us live our lives normally.

Ok, here is one part of this interview I have a small problem with:

"Sweden's approach is a little too close to 'everyone in the water, don't worry about the riptide' end of the spectrum for my taste. I think if you don't protect the vulnerable, mortality in Sweden looks to be higher. Not massively higher than everyplace else, but higher. Why put those lives at risk? On the other hand, if you lock everything down you destroy livelihoods, you destroy jobs."

Ok, a couple of things. First, Sweden did basically nothing except ban gatherings of more than 50 people and stopped visits to elderly facilities. So they did protect the most vulnerable. They didn't throw everyone to the sharks.

Second, their death rate is right on par with everyone else, and far lower than many places, even though their schools are open, their businesses are running, there is no quarantine, and no one is wearing a mask. They have only lost 2,192 people in a country of 10 million. Remember, that is with no quarantine, no masks, open schools, and open businesses! In other words, all of this quarantine garbage has done nothing except devastate our economy and our lives. We didn't need to protect 99.5% of the population because it's not dangerous to us.

"There's more than one way for this situation to hurt people, or even kill them, and there's more than one way to save them. What we want to do is keep people who are vulnerable away from this nasty bug, but we don't want to destroy people's lives and livelihoods and means for feeding their families."

That's exactly what made sense to me from the beginning.

"There's a middle path. High-risk people are protected from exposure, low-risk people go out in the world early. And here's the odd part that people have a hard time confronting and excepting; we actually kind of want to get this (virus), and get it over with, and be immune because that is the path to the 'all clear' that doesn't require us to wait for a vaccine which is optimistically 18 months away but could be much longer."

In other words, herd immunity - let it pass through our society like any other bug. We'll become immune to it on our own. We don't need a vaccine for that.

"I am a 'bridges not bunkers' guy and it doesn't do any good if all we ever do is talk to people who [have our same] opinions."

I agree. That's why I've shared my thoughts throughout this mess because I want people to know that what you hear on television is not universally agreed upon. The media, the politicians, and the medical community all have very high incentives to incite panic. They all stand to benefit from this in a huge way. I do not.

I'm one of the painfully few people willing to stand up and give a contrary opinion which I know is for the greater good. I will not make money from my opinion. It does not advance any agenda. It is simply logical, reasonable, and serves the greater good.

Those who stand to gain from this panic have dominated our information cycle. I'm one of the few who can reach thousands of people with an alternative view. I know there are a ton of people out there who feel like I do and I wish they had the courage to speak up. We could have avoided this whole disastrous quarantine if they would have spoken their minds from the start.

I don't know how Sweden pulled it off, but God bless them for their courage. They were the only ones with the guts to do what made sense instead of pandering to the panicked masses and those who stood to gain from this.

"The single leading driver of bad health outcomes is poverty. 30 million people unemployed falls disproportionately hard on the people who can least afford it, who are at most risk of food insecurity, who are at most risk of depression and addiction. We want to minimize deaths but we want to minimize the fallout of societal collapse and economic ruin."

This crisis has greatly served the medical community, the media, the politicians, and the large corporation. It has destroyed the small business sector and put tens of millions of people out of work. Yet it's the very people who are suffering most that were so swayed by the news to believe, "We're all in this together."

I know a lot of people thought they were rallying for a cause that would save lives and save our society, but in the end it didn't save lives or our society. What it did was put us into an economic depression, destroy thousands of businesses, put tens of millions of households into bankruptcy, and at least temporarily ended the careers of tens of millions of people.

It also enriched the larger corporations like Amazon and Walmart who were allowed to keep running while small businesses were thrust into bankruptcy. Those who suffered, like airlines and banks, were handed billions of dollars by the federal government.

The gap between rich and poor just grew immensely wider, and many middle-class folks will now fall into poverty.

Now here's a real gem about testing and these numbers we keep seeing:

"One day in the Bronx we admitted 20 people who we were [absolutely positively] sure had COVID, and 19 or 20 of them tested negative. So the testing is not great and the false negative is high."

The false negative is high. That could mean a couple of things. If they are getting false negatives then way more people have it than they're saying, which means not only has it already spread, which is inevitable anyway, but the death rate is far lower than they're projecting.

I find it interesting he doesn't seem to think it could possibly be anything else. There are thousands or millions of viruses circulating at any given time, yet even the medical community assumes it must be COVID. It just has to be.

Why can't it be something else? That's what I don't understand.

So when I say the numbers are inflated, this is why. Because they assume everyone who is sick has COVID and every death is from COVID. It's odd that even doctors would just make this assumption without being able to prove it. You would think they would want to be sure.

"In New York, it looks like 4 million people have the antibodies (which means they've already had COVID). 20,000 deaths out of 4 million people, that's .5%. We're starting to see that the mortality rate, when you get the denominator, is really small and I think the denominator is even bigger than that."

In other words, the numbers are finally starting to show what seemed apparent from the beginning - this is no more deadly than any other strain of flu, which is what this is - the flu. In the end, the mortality rate will be right in line with any other flu and it will be obvious we did all of this for nothing.

"I fear that in the future people will think the way to deal with microbes is by locking yourself away and it can not be that. Germs are ubiquitous. You can't avoid them. You must beat them on the inside (our own immune systems)" - Bill Maher

"98% - 99% of the cases of this infection are mild. Most people don't even seem to know they have it. A small portion of the cases are potentially severe. The severe cases happen in people who are old or people who are sick."

We've known this from the start, yet here we are all locked in our homes as everything we've worked for our entire lives - our homes, our businesses, and our economy dissolve before our eyes.

Wake up, people! Start seeing this for what this is - the flu. It was nothing more than a gigantic money grab by the media, a painfully poor assessment by the medical community, and a chance to look like knights in shining armor for the pandering politicians, and most of our society fell for it.

We need to return to being a nation that questions what we're told by our politicians and the media. We need to think for ourselves and do the research before rallying to a cause, especially when it's their cause masquerading as being for our own good.

Please don't trust the government when they say they must take away our lives, our rights, and our freedoms for "our own good."

For the most part I’ve been a sideline spectator throughout the life of this thread, but have read every word. I’m very busy and thankful for that...and I try to focus on traditional trucking topics.

Although relatively healthy, I’m 61 years old, which by definition puts me at greater risk of catching this (so they say). I’m careful; frequent hand washing, well rested, exercise, good nutrition, etc. That is SOP for me regardless of what we are being told to do. I’ve been masking up for 2 weeks now (required) and have made numerous Walmart deliveries during that time. I typically will venture into the “beehive” once per dispatch to use the restroom or purchase consumables (I know when they have TP). Point? I have zero symptoms. Do I have it or had it? ...possibly. No idea...

I agree with most everything Brett has shared. Unfortunately the paradigm in this country has already shifted; influenced by the words of the media and the power of those who govern us. Fear is rampant and will likely carry over, negatively and adversely effecting the speed of economic recovery. There will be a huge number of people afraid to return to work and their normal routine. Sad, because I believe (begrudgingly) that’s part of the end game here... I pray I’m wrong. I pray we will not become a weak nation of grossly needy people...

Make no bones about it...there is subtle, yet growing power base in this country that wants 99% of us to be 100% dependent on the federal government for sustaining our lives. At the top of this elite heap are the very rich and famous. They are the only people who can afford to stay home for months and not suffer any consequences.

And the numbers? The government and the media are now in “save face” mode. They will continue to inflate the numbers, superficially fanning their fire of fear, to further justify the knee-jerk decisions they mandated upon the masses. Question the numbers and realize data is only reliable if the source is trustworthy, void of any agenda and factually supported.

The stipulations many governors have placed on the “return to normal plans” are borderline insane. It’s a deep hole they dug for us with no clear path to the surface.

I’ve emailed every representative I have available to me and made it very clear that some of us can see through the panic and contend the reduction of our freedom unacceptable. It’s a quiet noose that is gradually and systematically tightening. That is what we need to ultimately fear and fight...not the virus.

We vote guys and gals...use the power and use it wisely.

Be smart and safe everyone. Peace.

I for one will be glad when you can an have a sit down meal in a truck stop. One even sit in the driver's lounge.

ALL indoor seating areas are closed.

I couldn't even get my own coffee this morning.

Tell me how touching a cup that no one else has ever touched and pouring coffee that no one else will touch into said cup prevents the spread.

Yet I can touch several items on the shelves or in the self serve food cooler that others will buy, touch the wrapper, touch the food inside the wrapper, and then put said food in their mouth.

Not to mention after I got my coffee I handed bills and change to the cashier that have been touched by who knows.

Https://youtu.be/wVs5AyjzwRM

Everything you need to know in a nutshell.

Rob D, the Denny's at the Flying j in Whiteland Indiana opened for sit down service a couple weeks ago. I was pleasantly surprised.

That said, our freight continues to be a bit strange, but busy nonetheless. I've been off this week for an emergency dental appointment I had yesterday. 9 days after breaking off a tooth eating popcorn. 9 freaking days to get into a dentist FOR AN EMERGENCY! Thank God I managed to get into a Walmart the following day and get some temporary dental filling compound to hold me over until I could actually find a dentist that was answering their phone. I'm looking forward to getting back out Monday just in time for the DOT safety blitz.

To Brett: isn't it amazing that people aren't dying of heart attacks, stroke, etc, despite people being too terrified to seek care in an ER from symptoms of these conditions? Oh and my friends are admitting they're not THAT busy at work in the hospitals. Sure they have covid19 patients, but only the sickest end up in the hospital or in an ICU on a vent, and naturally, only sick people are tested. Kentucky has FINALLY began testing of some people who aren't sick.

What do you call an average 1.25 million traffic fatalities per year?

“Socially and Politically Acceptable”

G-Town - IDK where you live, but if they are experiencing 1.25 Million traffic fatalities each year, I would definitely move! Here in the US, we 'only' have around 40,000 traffic fatalities each year.

(Just teasing, but where did you get that number?!?)

What do you call an average 1.25 million traffic fatalities per year?

“Socially and Politically Acceptable”

G-Town - IDK where you live, but if they are experiencing 1.25 Million traffic fatalities each year, I would definitely move! Here in the US, we 'only' have around 40,000 traffic fatalities each year.

(Just teasing, but where did you get that number?!?)

I googled it again...40,000 last year from multiple sources. I don’t remember where I got it, but clearly it was totally wrong.

My apologies.

Here is what I am sharing with my people and my drivers - I think we should all take a minute and think about WHY we feel the way we feel about our country's current situation.

What do you call an average 1.25 million traffic fatalities per year?

“Socially and Politically Acceptable”

G-Town - IDK where you live, but if they are experiencing 1.25 Million traffic fatalities each year, I would definitely move! Here in the US, we 'only' have around 40,000 traffic fatalities each year.

(Just teasing, but where did you get that number?!?)

I googled it again...40,000 last year from multiple sources. I don’t remember where I got it, but clearly it was totally wrong.

My apologies.

Again, I know that, I was just giving you a hard time. Accidental misinformation is exactly that, accidental. And you even went a step further by admitting your mistake - we could all learn from your example here. Thank you, G-Town!

What we ALL need to get better at is "stopping the spread of purposeful disinformation".

Unfortunately, its like the old Anti-Drug PSA: "I LEARNED IT FROM WATCHING YOU, DAD!"

"Dad" being our media, be it mainstream, online or "alternative fact" sources, our politicians, & our state and federal leadership. They are all shooting from the hip right now, claiming to be sharing facts that are, at best, biased opinions being shared without nuance or context. And many regular people in return are doing the same dang thing because that is what our nation has taught us to do.

Stay safe out there, everyone. Be it from the virus, or the million other potentially deadly pitfalls truck drivers have to avoid everyday out there on our roads.