All excellent contributions to the conversation today.
Not sure what we're going to learn from Sweden because as stated in the article their population density is far less than many countries. That said, we've seen incidents in the US of small towns getting hit very hard with the COVID-19 for a brief period of time due to attending a funeral with lots of people, or gathering to sing in a chorus for a few hours even though members avoided physical contact.
I think the lock down is saving lives and providing us the time needed to figure out what needs to be done to get us through these next 12 months, but not sure how much longer we can continue with the lock down.
The heros in this story will be the doctors and nurses on the front lines and they need our support (in great part by all of us being more conscious of every action we take when leave our homes).
In varying degrees, they are being prevented from using their training and experience to try different approaches to treat COVID-19 patients. Some, "the cowboys", - (please read the article I linked to yesterday if you haven't already) - are trying to figure out how far they can reasonably push the boundaries to develop and/or use treatment protocols that show promise of working or are working.
I know what I need to do optimize my immune system and to protect myself. I'm doing it. But I also understand that every time I leave the house to shop for groceries or to go to work, something could happen, or I could make a mistake, that leads to me getting COVID-19.
And if that happens, my relationship with my doctor will be critical. My husband's relationship with his doctor will be critical. I continue to believe that being informed about the treatment protocols can help. Referring our treatment providers to those protocols can help.
By taking those two steps, it may not help me or my husband, but it will plant a seed. What that doctor is unwilling to do today may change over the months ahead. It may not save my life or that of my husband's, but it may save someone else's life in the future. Informed is empowered.