COVID-19: Hype, really?

We are cursed with a new and mysterious enemy, COVID-19. There is some panic, but for the most part, people are knuckling down to get through this. There are many very brave citizens who are fighting it directly and others who continue serving us under high-risk conditions. May God bless them all and keep them.

COVID-19 is highly contagious. It's mutated into several versions and may continue to evolve, which will keep confounding experts trying to snuff it out. There is no assurance, even after someone has survived an attack, that they will be immune and to which mutations. There is no preventive. We have only limited testing capability, so we can't even tell where it is until people get sick. Infected people display a very wide variety of symptoms and ailments. Results can range from complete recovery, to impaired recovery, to death. We will have Remdesivir, which is not a cure but does shorten the recovery time by a few days. A preventive may be only months off or possibly a year or two away.

COVID-19 is an efficient killer. People are dying. There is no hype here. We must keep people from contacting and spreading it. That's why everyone must separate, avoid close contact and scrub often.

For those who can, support your local businesses. Order takeout. Leave good tips. Buy gift cards to keep their cash flow up. Some businesses will sell at the door with phone orders. Increase your charitable donations. Ask your local leaders where help is needed most. Cut expenses for your tenants and clients in trouble. Communities should post information as to what is open and what the rules are there and who is hiring.

Opening up society now will improve business: The funeral business.

Richard Cichanski

Palatine