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About this blog: I grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the area in 1963 when I started graduate school at Stanford. Nancy and I were married in 1977 and we lived for nearly 30 years in the Duveneck school area. Our children went to Paly. We moved ...  (More)

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I Support Helping our Local Small Businesses Start to Reopen Quickly AND

Uploaded: May 12, 2020
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Palo Alto was seeing small businesses close. Then it was a combination of not enough customers and rising costs.
In the past two months more businesses have closed and many more are on the verge of going under.
I had the opportunity to listen to local businesses on the forums conducted by the city manager and staff. Most of the businesses are quite small and I found their stories heartbreaking and credible. I heard from restaurant, retail, personal service businesses and a dentist.
I am not an expert in this area and invite local businesses to share what would help them start (and I emphasize start) to reopen.
One idea that is interesting to me as a resident is the idea of using streets and parking lots to expand outdoor seating for restaurants.
Why did I end the title with AND?
I have 4 ANDs
One is that this is done safely, I have some confidences that our businesses are up to that task.
Two is that we as residents observe the safety protocols. There are stories (hopefully isolated incidents) where customers were rude and broke all the safety rules. My experience here is that most Palo Altans are doing a great job of trying not to infect others.
Three is that if one and two do not work out in practice, we vies this as an experiment that is not yet ready for prime time.
Four is my personal ask.
Nancy and I are spending as much as possible in local small businesses. I know everyone cannot do this. But this is a way we can really help local businesses, some now that are open, and others as they open.
I would love to hear positive suggestions.
I will delete political statements or statements of blame,

Democracy.
What is it worth to you?

Comments

Posted by Alice Schaffer Smith, a resident of Green Acres,
on May 12, 2020 at 11:45 am
Alice Schaffer Smith is a registered user.

I think that your suggestions are right on the money. This of course assumes that each restaurant is vigilant in their safety measures. Thank you for such a great suggestion.

Stay masked and safe

Regards

Alice


Posted by ASR, a resident of College Terrace,
on May 12, 2020 at 12:02 pm

During these difficult times, please consider your business to local small business so they can survive.

It's essential to allow small businesses as part of small town living.


Posted by Trish, a resident of University South,
on May 12, 2020 at 3:03 pm

David and I have been ordering delivery, almost daily, from Palo Alto restaurants--and tipping generously. We want to support our area restaurants and their staffs. As we begin our eighth week at home, we will continue to help our eight restaurants--and maybe more as we continue to shelter at home.
This is one way to contribute to our community, one bite at a time.


Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood,
on May 12, 2020 at 6:12 pm

I support the need to help our small businesses. I support the reopening of whatever can be reopened with whatever additional safety/health controls necessary.

Unfortunately the City Council instead of trying to help small businesses find ways to reopen safely spent time last night making the wearing of face coverings mandatory when most are already doing this, businesses are requiring them, and there have been no problems with people refusing to wear face coverings in Palo Alto.

The council could have spent the time trying to think of ways to reopen restaurants, hair salons, restaurants with outside seating, etc. What businesses need is some hope and help from the council, not more roadblocks to reopening.


Posted by chris, a resident of University South,
on May 13, 2020 at 1:05 pm

Cupertino has had the mask ordinance for quite a while and it has a much lower per capita case rate than the us.

How do you explain this correlation?

I see more and more people in Palo Alto ignoring social distancing and masks. It''s time to remind people as we gradually open things up. Otherwise, the virus will come back with a vengeance.


Posted by stephen levy, a resident of University South,
on May 13, 2020 at 1:15 pm
stephen levy is a registered user.

Thanks Trish, we do the same. I hope it helps, for us it just feels like the right thing to do and we are able to afford to do so.

Chris, thanks for your comment. My understanding, see the lead story on the online, is that masks are now required with a few exceptions like walking for exercise.

I also see people without masks, we shall see what happens now after the city order.

Most times when Nancy and I are walking people are respectful and more friendly than usual.

I agree with you that compliance with the guidelines is critical and especially if reopening can be successful and sustained.


Posted by resident, a resident of Downtown North,
on May 14, 2020 at 10:03 am

This is a fatal and incurable disease. Safety has to come first. If retail businesses are going to reopen before a vaccine is available, the businesses have to take precautions to maintain social distancing inside the businesses. Grocery stores are already doing this by limiting the number of customers allowed inside, disinfecting grocery carts, marking off social distance spacing lines at the checkout counter, installing plastic shields between the cashiers and customers, etc. All other businesses are going to have to follow this model. Don't expect customers to understand the rules for each business unless the business makes the rules easy to understand and follow.


Posted by AccuracyPlease, a resident of Midtown,
on May 14, 2020 at 12:02 pm

@resident: "This is a fatal and incurable disease."

No, respectively that is not true. Please refrain from wildly inaccurate statements, regardless of how strongly you feel about a subject.
These are the reported numbers as of this morning: More than 1,397,700 people in the United States have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 84,100 have died. That translates into a 6% fatality rate. The actual rate is likely less, since the number of actual infections are likely MUCH higher. Nevertheless, it is a high rate. NOT fatal, but definitely HIGH. The numbers also show that at least 1.3 million people have been infected and are now well. So it is also NOT incurable.

What it is is HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS and NOT CURRENTLY PREVENTABLE by vaccine.

I do not reject your concern for public safety and for your own personal safety. But lets not engage in hyperbole or misinformation.


Posted by math, a resident of Palo Verde,
on May 14, 2020 at 12:13 pm

@chris: re Cupertino numbers vs. Palo Alto
Correlation (if it indeed exists) does not imply causation.

That does not mean that I do not agree with wearing masks when in environments which make it difficult or impossible to remain 6-10 feet from all other persons, especially inside with poor ventilation. I just do not believe in wearing masks whenever one is out of one's domicile, particularly merely being out of doors, whether walking around my neighborhood or walking from parking my car to wherever I am going (e.g. some business that I am trying to support).


Posted by Chip, a resident of Professorville,
on May 14, 2020 at 12:40 pm

Just asking:
- How are clothing stores supposed to reopen? Can we try on garments? What about returning merchandise?

- If the streets & parking lots are turned into restaurant seating areas, where do people park? Not everyone is young enough or sufficiently fit to bike or walk. Some potential customers are disabled.

- Can we really maintain a 6" distance from salespeople who would normally show us how items operate? Such as tools, big or small appliances, electronics, adjusting seats on new bicycles, personal care products or cosmetics? Probably no testers available.


Posted by More accuracy, please, a resident of Portola Valley,
on May 14, 2020 at 3:34 pm

@accuracyplease: "The actual rate is likely less, since the number of actual infections are likely MUCH higher."

And the actual deaths due exclusively to covid 19 without the major underlying causes of comorbidity is certainly much lower.


Posted by Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View,
on May 14, 2020 at 5:13 pm

@AccuracyPlease, you CANNOT say the death rate is that amount, I'm not even going to type it here so as not to repeat the gross information again.

United States population: 331,000,000
COVID DEATHS: 84,575
% death: .025551

California population: 40,000,000
COVID DEATHS: 2,974
% death: .007435

Santa Clara population: 2,000,000
COVID DEATHS: 130
% death: .0065

THESE are the true factual numbers. I don't understand why everyone isn't thankful for these numbers, glad that they are SO INCREDIBLY LOW. There is hope! And it is beyond time to open up, with caution and care, and get people back to work!


Posted by "Openers" clam up on plans, a resident of Green Acres,
on May 16, 2020 at 10:09 am

All the folks ("Openers") who want to throw the doors wide open always neglect to tell us their opinion of when it should be shut again.

At what level in the Second Wave do you feel we should shut down? How many deaths in a region? How many consecutive days of increasing deaths? At what percentage of hospital capacity?

What;s the metric (in your great wisdom of epidemiology and public health) do you propose?

I ask, because Openers seem to be ignoring the metrics used by Public Health officials.


Posted by Former PA resident, a resident of Mountain View,
on May 16, 2020 at 1:44 pm

Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View, wrote:

United States population: 331,000,000
COVID DEATHS: 84,575
% death: .025551

Santa Clara population: 2,000,000
COVID DEATHS: 130
% death: .0065

"I don't understand why everyone isn't thankful for these numbers, glad that they are SO INCREDIBLY LOW."

It's "Low" only very, VERY relatively. Compare:

Taiwan: population 23,800,000
COVID DEATHS: 7
% death: .000029 (nearly 1000 times lower rate than US)

That contrast is the biggest lesson in all this -- a coherent and prepared response, vs. unprepared, complacent, losing control at the start. Most of what people bicker about politically in the US today stems ultimately from THAT fundamental problem.

And we won't "wait until a vaccine" to do anything. Availability of a vaccine is speculative and may never happen (despite rhetoric). But the lethal 1918 flu variant died out, in something over a year, without a vaccine, just measures like we're taking now (not just "to flatten a curve" but to drop down the transmission rate so the virus ceases to be so widely distributed in the population). Mass testing (so badly overdue) will allow positive control and economic freedom. As in Taiwan.


Posted by J.U., a resident of another community,
on May 17, 2020 at 10:16 am

Pretty much every question around covid-19 focuses on the deaths... and they are a big deal and they will impact those of us left behind.

BUT those deaths are a small percent of the populace and the measures we are taking are effecting a huge percent, nearly all of us. I would like to see policy and general discussion include the affects on the living because many of them are quite negative and will likely be inter-generational, just look up stress and epigenetics (and yes, all life has stress, but this is a situation we, as a community, are to a large extent creating)

A solid general list of what's at stake with our current measures is here Web Link (the website's main page also does several scenarios of living/dead and explains what numbers they use)

Plus, context matters and many of us are in danger of becoming myopic about covid-19. For consideration, a random quick list:
- per the CDC >600,000 deaths/year from heart disease Web Link (heart disease and cancer, over 1M)
- major locust issues in Africa are threatening crops and “Some 20 million people are already severely food insecure in the region..." Web Link


Posted by A Time & Place, a resident of Los Altos Hills,
on May 17, 2020 at 10:17 am

Social distancing & wearing face masks have their appropriate time and place.

Common sense & practicality should prevail.

For example...there is absolutely no need to be wearing a face mask when there is absolutely no one around you as maximum social distancing is automatically in place.

Wearing a face mask while driving alone in an automobile is also ludicrous.

On the other hand, when there are other people around you, wear a face mask to ensure public safety as well as protecting yourself.

Carrying a small bottle of hand sanitizer is more important as we inadvertently come in contact with a lot of surfaces...including money, doorknobs, shopping bags etc.

Some non-essential businesses do not need to reopen immediately regardless of whether the proprietor goes out of business as they are frivolous necessities (i.e. tattoo and nail salons, tanning salons, and saloons.

Do your own nails, take a walk outdoors in the sunshine, and buy your alcohol at a supermarket. As far as tattoos are concerned...use a sharpie.






Posted by Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View,
on May 17, 2020 at 12:12 pm

I just posted this on another thread and it was deleted because “post removed: repetitive to other posts by same commentator".

Now, I realize I have been saying the same thing for months now, that's actually pretty much making my point, it hasn't changed. But wouldn't one think that multiple articles repeating the same COVID related issues in different ways, wouldn't you think you might just get repetitive commentary? So why this censoring, what are they afraid of? The TRUTH? Here's my post: make your own judgements. And yes, it is very specific to this particular discussion as it's specific to why things haven't been, and will not be, opening up
â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"
This is not about science. It's all about politics and control and fear. I am not afraid of this virus, but I am in total fear of what is happening to our people. This is beyond insane. Shaming people that they're selfish for wanting to get back to work, to be able to keep their businesses from failing, to earn $ to pay their rent, their mortgages, get groceries.

The numbers do NOT add up. Period. And when it became obvious that they are no where near the projections, it then became not about flattening but that we need to avoid the “threatened IMAGINED second wave" (of which there is NO PROOF). And there was about a weeks worth of hysteria over “strange ailment affecting kids" but that didn't really pan out so it's off the wire now. About three weeks ago when all the rallies started, people were projecting “just you wait, there's going to be a huge spike in numbers"....there hasn't been. Seriously, when you read this it reads like a tabloid.

And now it's down to “We have to wait for a cure or vaccine". How in the hell are we supposed to wait that long without our economy crumbling. This is INSANE. The numbers do NOT ADD UP.


Posted by stephen levy, a resident of University South,
on May 17, 2020 at 12:56 pm
stephen levy is a registered user.

I have not deleted any comments so far but my topic was helping our local small businesses, not a debate on the relative severity of the virus spread.

I would appreciate if posters from now on read my blog post and responded to it as many posters have done.


Posted by Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View,
on May 17, 2020 at 1:21 pm

[Post removed.]


Posted by Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View,
on May 17, 2020 at 1:23 pm

Apologies for typos


Posted by stephen levy, a resident of University South,
on May 17, 2020 at 3:20 pm
stephen levy is a registered user.

This is a post from wake up that apparently the TS moderator deleted, not me. I was under the impression that I controlled deletions that were not spam or offensive. I asked wake up to respond to my blog post and consider that was done.

From wake up

I was referring to moderators on other articles. And I hope that you see that the entire point of my post is that the severeness of the SIP, and hence the people losing their small businesses, is in no way relative to the risk/numbers that we are now tracking over two months. I have been an extremely strong proponent of small businesses. I have helped develop neighborhood groups where we post daily the menus/offerings of various restaurants. I've posted links to small retailers who quickly set up online gift card purchases, and links to their hastily designed websites. I have posted on FB (my personal strongest social network, I don't do Twitter or IG). I helped a local food truck figure out a way to take online pre-orders and promote to a whole neighborhood so they makea one trip to a group rather than individual trips to lots of different places...she told me her sales increased dramatically and was so thankful. I signed and shared a Change.org petition to close streets in downtown Los Altos So that businesses can use that area for more socially distanced reasons. But these businesses can not survive on this alone. It is beyond time to open up. To be honest, for months now I've supported the masks, the social distancing....but the more numbers that come out, the more I'm seeing about false reporting and that there aren't the huge spiked that have been threatened, Im even starting to question the need for masks/distancing. I am willing to I'm honestly it sure that's even necessary. But also willing to compromise and say, let's wear the ,asks but for gods sake, let these small businesses open back up!


Posted by @wake up, a resident of Adobe-Meadow,
on May 18, 2020 at 6:07 am

> Is ANYONE concerned about this censorship?

@wake: "anyone"?

Let's flip that around - are YOU concerned, when you post with Doug, about the deleted, censored and disappeared posts on his blog?

Or just your and @resident's posts, on this and the other normal blogs? 'cuz I don't see you objecting at obvious censorship over there.

Odd, that.


Posted by Pv resident, a resident of Portola Valley: Portola Valley Ranch,
on May 18, 2020 at 5:56 pm

Let's reopen everything & let the public be responsible - We really can't wait any longer. Instead of focusing on the death rates let's focus on those who are ok ?? At some point of time we are responsible we can not always look over our shoulder to se if we are going to get hit by a car has we cross the street, have a falling branch knock us over as we are walking or corona iris hit us as we are shopping in Costco - probably more likely than shopping at a smaller Mom & Pop store in down town
Whoever thought you could buy shoes curside ???


Posted by Anon, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood,
on May 19, 2020 at 11:11 am

The following thoughts are probably an anathema to most small business owners, but, here goes anyway:

1) We live in an increasingly "service" economy. That is, a small proportion of people work directly in commodity production, manufacturing, farming. But, "services" is misleading, because some services provide productivity in the primary, productive economy, while others don't.

2) "The shutdown" at first affected almost everything, now, gradually, the primary industries are restarting. "Coincidentally" many of these primary jobs are or -could be- (e.g. meat packing warehouses), low-human-density/low-touch.

3) Many productive services such as financial services, software development, and so on, could also be low-touch, once we get used to using Webex or Skype+Microsoft_Teams and so on ("Zoom") for customer interaction.

4) A large group of services aren't really "producing" anything, goods or productive services. They are all about human contact. The "hospitality" industries, hotels, including cruise ships, everything done in Las Vegas, sit-down restaurants, hair salons, etc.

For most of primary goods production, and related services as in 3) above, we really need to find ways to get those up and running ASAP. Up and running -safely-, with low risk of Covid-19 transmission. Economically, it is dangerous to shut down these industries. For example, beef and pork production dislocations are very noticeable now because the meat-packing facilities are directly hit by Covid-19, and, are producing what a lot of people eat.

But, the human contact industries in 4) above, represent a different challenge. Many of the jobs are lower-skilled, lower-paid, and, from a consumer standpoint, can just turn on/off as needed. Sit down restaurants, haircuts, nail salons, bars, gambling .... (long lists of personal services)

My point-- not all jobs, not all services, are "necessary", and, it just so happens that the not-so-necessary jobs are the Covid-19-high-risk jobs. In our current self-organizing economy, these jobs seem to largely be poor people "serving" wealthier people while the wealthier people transfer money to the poorer people. That is what a lot of these personal services jobs boil down to.

Bottom Line: Perhaps we should just drastically reduce the 4) jobs, and just pay people not to work. Very little impact on the productive part of the economy, and, much reduced Covid-19 transmission risk. (Yes, I know every small business owner will hate me for suggesting this, but, we don't actually need bars, casinos, sit-down restaurants, cruise ships, Las Vegas, etc.)

It seems the only logical way to proceed until we get vaccines.


Posted by Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View,
on May 19, 2020 at 2:18 pm

@Anon...portion deleted

I value the person who serves me a wonderful meal in a restaurant and who makes what was a long day nice by being cheerful and smiling and brightening things up. I VALUE the hairdresser and nail technician who makes me feel good about myself or my daughter feel good about herself. The barber who makes my husband and son feel good about their hair/beards.

I VALUE the bartender 2ho see the person sitting by him/herself looking down who asks how their day was, how they've been.

So yeah, you may feel they're non-essential. I don't, fortunately I love life and living and those who make it such a pleasure. Cher's and have a nice day.


Posted by stephen levy, a resident of University South,
on May 19, 2020 at 2:32 pm
stephen levy is a registered user.

@ anon and wake up

though I see the world differently from anon, I thought the post expressed a viewpoint worth being heard.

I did delete a personal portion of wake up's response and a subsequent political post. The remaining part of wake up's post represents a positive affirmation of workers that I share.


Posted by Anon, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood,
on May 19, 2020 at 2:52 pm

Posted by Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View,

>> I VALUE the hairdresser

You can value both the hairdresser and the haircut, but, as far as the part of the economy that feeds you, you could get the same economic effect by cutting your own hair and venmo'ing the payment the hairdresser so the hairdresser can eat. But, note this: every time someone contracts COVID-19, there are huge costs. There is actually a positive economic benefit in getting R-naught low. If not enjoying haircuts and bars and restaurants is the difference between R-naught > 1.0 or < 1.0, let's skip the personal services and pay the hairdresser and bartender and waiter to not work. Those services are not the part of the economy that we can't allow to fail.



Posted by Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View,
on May 19, 2020 at 5:36 pm

I am with GREAT restraint typing this.

@Anon. Please, in all your esteemed knowledge and wisdom, please do share with us the “huge costs" imposed on us by COVID-19. Really. Break it down, with facts and numbers, please do share this. Even more Interesting would be the HUGE costs you personally have experienced?

Somehow I don't think your costs will include the HUGE COSTS of people losing their jobs, their businesses. The HUGE costs of a suicidal person, a victim of domestic abuse.


Posted by DTNResident, a resident of Downtown North,
on May 19, 2020 at 10:38 pm

@Trish,

Thanks for ordering delivery! The delivery companies (grub hub and uber eats) take 30% off the top for the delivery, making every single delivery unprofitable for the restaurant. You're driving them further into the hole.

"Well I'll just order takeout." Guess what: the telephone number on your app requires the restaurant to pay the 30% of the average order when you make the call. If the average is $100, and your order is $30, they pay every cent, all $30, to the delivery company.

So no, you haven't been supporting your local business, you've been costing them a fortune. The way to do it is to pick it up yourself, and make sure the number you call is different from the one on the app, which forwards into their local number. THAT's how you support small business.

But trust me, your local restaurant cannot survive given the current situation. It's noble of you to want to support them, but they'll be out of business, as they have to spread their fixed costs over a smaller number of patrons to be profitable, which means prices are going to go up a lot, and most people will just balk.


Posted by DTNResident, a resident of Downtown North,
on May 19, 2020 at 10:56 pm

I hate to interject actual data into the argument that has been going on here, but let's look at Georgia who opened their restaurants and hair salons on April 20, a month ago, after an 18 day shutdown.

Cases declined ever since. Ooops! So there's no data that ending a shutdown causes cases to increase. None.

Link to Georgia Department of Health, scroll down to the graph 2/5ths of the way down the page. Web Link Our 75 day shutdown has been purely for political purposes, not for health. Turns out people are more careful than you think.


Posted by Anon, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood,
on May 20, 2020 at 1:29 pm

Posted by Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View,
>> I am with GREAT restraint typing this.

Because someone disagrees with you?

>> @Anon. Please, in all your esteemed knowledge and wisdom, please do share with us the “huge costs" imposed on us by COVID-19. Really. Break it down, with facts and numbers, please do share this.

You can get some idea from reading this discussion article entitled, "How much does it cost to get COVID-19"

Web Link


Posted by Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View,
on May 20, 2020 at 4:48 pm

The restraint is because you refuse to look beyond your narrow scope. Regardless, your article is from 4/27 which in the timeline of COVID experience and understanding is like looking to the Byzantine era. It has no relevance now.

I have been saying for over a month that the numbers do not add up. You keep throwing down statements that are pure conjecture and speculation. Not only that but to answer Mr Levy's blog question about how to help help our small businesses open your response is let them fail, they're not needed.

The costs to COVID are now by far more impactful on our people's lives, their jobs, their well-being....the costs from a viral health perspective are minimal. Over 99% survival rate. Over 99%!


Posted by Anon, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood,
on May 21, 2020 at 9:31 am

Posted by Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View,

>> The restraint is because you refuse to look beyond your narrow scope. Regardless, your article is from 4/27 which in the timeline of COVID experience and understanding is like looking to the Byzantine era. It has no relevance now.

Here is some current data from NYC. Web Link We know that this is what *can happen* with widespread virus spread. We know it *can* happen because it *did* happen.

You have continued to ignore the differences among various kinds of businesses with respect to risk of infection spread vs. risk to the economy. Small businesses are not all alike.

However, I favor helping out all small businesses as a matter of policy, even if I personally don't feel that bars are "essential".


Posted by The Business Man, a resident of Castro City,
on Jun 20, 2020 at 10:09 am
The Business Man is a registered user.

From what I can see now it becoming acceptable that people will get sick and die from COVID in order to open up our businesses. In fact the rates are increasing and people aren't doing a thing about it.

This is not public health RISK AVOIDANCE but RISK MANAGEMENT.

Management accepts losses whereas Avoidance attempts to prevent losses as a priority.

Stephen, please let us know which of these to you belong to?

Premature opening is going to cost more in the long run.


Posted by deenadhayal, a resident of Bailey Park,
on Jul 13, 2020 at 11:30 pm
deenadhayal is a registered user.

Web Link
Web Link


Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood,
on Jul 14, 2020 at 7:16 am

Two days. Some of our businesses have been able to reopen for 2 days. In fact even before the end of the first day, they were told to close after their second day open.

Why was this done? Because people were gathering in family groups. So punish the businesses. Because patients were brought from Imperial County to local hospitals. So punish the residents here. Does that make any kind of sense?

Very soon there won't be any businesses left to reopen!


Posted by The Business Man, a resident of Old Mountain View,
on Jul 16, 2020 at 6:46 am
The Business Man is a registered user.

This situation is getting worse by the day:

Let's address the Moderna vaccine story. It was a test on 45 healthy people and they suffered a variety of symptoms after receiving the vaccine. Yes there is an “antibody" response but the report shows they never were exposed to COVID. Thus they are not PROVEN to be immune to COVID. The report is in many ways misleading by the methodology and the results.

Next, the CDC is now being bypassed regarding the COVID data and treatment by the White House. This means that a political office, the Health and Human Services will distribute information it sees fit. This is VERY concerning because the evidence of the current surge in infections shows no signs of reduction.

Next, the marketing of PHRMA to claim it is making progress on COVID where there is NO EVIDENCE of this actually happening is scary. There is NO medication that actually is designed to address COVID, people are just trying out and using medicines that are only thought to be effective, but no proof of effectivity has been produced.

Finally, the idea that Business and the Government is acting on wishful or best case information and not addressing the worst case means we are all at risk. There has been no scientific proof that we have an effective vaccine or medication that actually DOES treat COVID. WHY?

Because the “RULING CLASS" of the country is terrified with the idea that if the people realize how dangerous and out of control the COVID is the increased risk of loss of their CONTROL over the people will be. Imagine if all the people realize that these systems are all failing them? The people will revolt in such a number that the Business and Governments will collapse.

This is why you have so many people trying to attack anyone demonstrating that the situation is NOT improving, it is in fact getting WORSE.


Posted by Wake up!, a resident of Mountain View,
on Jul 16, 2020 at 4:33 pm

I am increasingly shocked how the “must continue to SIP" group tells those wanting to open up (whether that means businesses, going back to school etc) that THEY are selfish.

There is a 99% recovery rate from this virus and you're telling people they're selfish because they want to get back to work, to life, to school? THEY'RE selfish because YOU need to be 100% safe? THEY'RE selfish because YOU have the means to stay home and wait it out?

Anyone else think this is totally backwards? [Portion removed.]


Posted by The Business Man, a resident of Old Mountain View,
on Jul 16, 2020 at 5:47 pm
The Business Man is a registered user.

In response to Wake Up:

There has been many reports indicating that those who recover from COVID 19 are not permanently immune to it. In fact there is NO scientific proof that these antibodies remain effective over time. Many reports indicate they only last for 60 days. The Mayo Clinic recently published an article titles “COVID-19 antibody testing “ (Web Link It specifically stated:

“Antibodies may be detected in your blood for several weeks after you recover from COVID-19. Although these antibodies might provide some immunity to the COVID-19 virus, there's currently not enough evidence to know how long these antibodies last or whether past infection with the virus protects you from getting another infection. Studies on COVID-19 antibodies are ongoing to learn more about immunity."

Finally there is this report from the Journal Nature titled “Coronavirus research updates: Antiviral antibodies peter out within weeks after infection “ (Web Link

In fact there are some medical reports that have been validated that some people are getting sick from COVID 19 twice. Here is one report from ABC news “Can you get COVID-19 twice? What the experts say “(Web Link This report indicated:

“Scientists don't yet know for sure if it's possible for people to be infected a second time, but two recent studies â€" one from China and one from the United Kingdom â€" FOUND THAT THE ANTIBODIES THAT FIGHT AGAINST FUTURE INFECTION FADED WITHIN A FEW MONTHS.

The first study, from Wanzhou, China, and published in Nature Medicine, found that neutralizing antibodies faded quickly â€" after just eight weeks â€" in both asymptomatic and symptomatic people." [Portion removed; please do not use all caps.]

So, your claim that 99% of people recovered, but it looks like in 60 days they can get reinfected. [Portion removed.]

Now if the fatality rate is kept below .1% on the first wave of all people in the US. Which is 335,000,000 then as many as 335,000 upon the FIRST infection [portion removed.]

Imagine having these losses annually until the research finally gets this situation under control. Do you understand the seriousness of what is happening?


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