Denial and Anxiety Grip the Country (Pandemic Part XIII)

Fresh out of the hospital, Trump carried on as if COVID was no big deal, telling the country not to fear it and still refusing to wear a mask. His behavior seemed erratic, even for him, and people wondered if it was caused by the steroid he was on.

Mon., Oct. 5

• There had been 210,000 deaths from the virus in the U.S.
• Three immunologists issued the Great Barrington Declaration, in which they promoted the concept of herd immunity, by recommending young people should be allowed to go about their business without precautions.

Tues., Oct. 6

• Trump said COVID is less deadly than seasonal flu.
• The Joint Chiefs of Staff were in quarantine after a Coast Guard admiral was diagnosed with the virus. He attended a ceremony at the White House for the families of deceased U.S. troops on Sept. 27.
• An official with WHO said roughly 10% of the world population had been infected.
• Presidential advisor Stephen Miller announced he had the virus.
• Trump broke off negotiations on the next COVID relief bill until after the election, and the stock market dove. Hours later, he said he would negotiate. All via tweet....

Wed., Oct. 7

• Trump left quarantine and returned to the Oval Office. The White House refused to say when he last tested negative.

Thurs., Oct. 8

• The bipartisan Presidential Debate Commission announced that the Oct. 15 presidential town hall would be virtual because of Trump's diagnosis. Trump said he wouldn't participate; he wanted to postpone it to Oct. 22.
• Trump said he might have gotten the virus from a Gold Star family at the event on Sept. 27. He said, "They get close and want to hug and kiss me."

Fri., Oct. 9

• Trump called into the Rush Limbaugh show and ranted and rambled for two hours. He said if you get the virus, you'll get better immediately. He proposed an even larger stimulus bill than the Democrats had. He had a virtual medical evaluation on Fox.
• The Oct. 15 presidential debate was canceled because Trump refused to do it virtually.
• We all went up to the cabin, but in separate vehicles, since Don was still in quarantine.

Sat., Oct. 10

• Trump held an event on the South Lawn of the White House.

Sun., Oct. 11

• There were 53,000 new cases in the last 24 hours.

Mon., Oct. 12

• Trump held a rally in Florida.
• Johnson & Johnson paused its vaccine trial because someone got sick.

Tues., Oct. 13

• There were 215,000 Americans dead, 7.8 million cases. 
• Eli Lilly paused its antibody treatment trial because of safety concerns.
• More than 20 states reported record numbers of new cases in recent days. Forty states had seen week-to-week increases in cases. Dr. Anthony Fauci said it's "the worst possible thing that could happen as we get into the cooler months."
• The FBI was investigating a group of white nationalists who plotted to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. They also considered targeting Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. Both are Democrats and instituted lockdowns to fight COVID over the summer. Trump criticized both governors about their COVID policies.
• Wisconsin hospitals were full, and the state opened a 500-bed field hospital at the State Fairgrounds near Milwaukee.
• Don finished his 14-day quarantine with no signs of coronavirus. What a relief!

Wed., Oct. 14

• It was revealed that Barron Trump had the virus.
• Trump held a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, where the testing positivity rate was 20%.

Thurs., Oct. 15

• New daily cases in Wisconsin had doubled in the last month.
• Biden had a town hall on ABC at the same time Trump had one on NBC.
• Two people in the Kamala Harris campaign (including the communication director) tested positive. She suspended campaigning.
• Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie got out of the hospital and said he should have worn a mask. 
• For the first time since early August, the number of newly reported coronavirus infections in the United States topped 60,000. 

Fri., Oct. 16

• COVID cases were up 56% in South Dakota, 92% in Montana, also rising in North Dakota and Wisconsin.
• States submitted their draft vaccination distribution plans to the Centers for Disease Control.
• There had been eight million cases in the U.S.
• A WHO study showed Remdesivir was not effective in treating COVID.
• The University of Washington model predicted there would be 390,000 deaths by February.

Sat., Oct. 17

• As part of The Big Send, I mailed 100 letters to Florida voters, urging them to make a voting plan. Volunteers sent 17.5 million letters total.

Sun., Oct. 18

• Authorities linked 330 virus cases and one death to the August Sturgis motorcycle rally, as of mid-September.
• I completed my mail-in ballot.

Mon., Oct. 19

• Cases were up 30% nationally in the last two weeks.
• The Federal deficit was $3 trillion; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin were still negotiating another aid package.
• Don delivered our completed mail-in ballots to the town office.

Tues., Oct. 20

• The CDC said there had been 299,000 more deaths this year than in a typical one. It estimated that two-thirds of the extra was from the virus and the rest was from other causes. It found the virus had hit 25-44 year-olds hard.

Wed., Oct. 21

• The CDC updated its definition of close contact to "within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes in 24 hours." Previously, it was 15 consecutive minutes.

Thurs., Oct. 22

• The seven-day rolling average of daily cases hit 60,000, the highest since July.
• The virus was surging in Europe again. Spain became the first country in western Europe to reach one million cases.
• Trump and Biden held their final debate. The mics were muted, unless it was the candidate's turn to speak, so Trump wasn't as out-of-control as last time. He was smug, childish, and mean, however.

Fri., Oct. 23

• The U.S. surpassed 80,000 daily cases for the first time in the pandemic.
• Hospitalizations were up 40% in the last month and increased 38% in the last week.

Sun., Oct. 25

• Marc Short, Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, and four other staffers, tested positive for the virus. Pence tested negative and would still campaign, as he was considered an essential worker.
• Signaling that the Administration has given up on prevention, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said, “We’re not going to control the pandemic. We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigations.”
• Amy Coney Barrett is set to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice by the full Senate tomorrow.
• 224,000 Americans dead; 8,580,000 cases
• The 7-day average of daily new cases per 100,000 residents was 20 for the country as a whole, 109 for North Dakota, 98 for South Dakota, 74 for Wisconsin, 69 for Montana, and 14 for Massachusetts (an increase of 38 percent in the last week).

It's clear we're headed into another wave of the virus, and indications are it will be worse than the first. Both daily reported cases and hospitalizations are up. In contrast with the first wave, it seems to be out of control in rural areas, where good medical care is less accessible and people refuse to take it seriously. Even in Massachusetts, which I feel has done a good job of handling the virus, cases are on the rise again.

Meanwhile, the presidential election is nine days away. Trump holds outdoor rallies with unmasked supporters packed in tight. He rails against the experts who recommend masks and distancing, including national hero, Dr. Anthony Fauci. In contrast, Biden's appearances are drive-in only, and he consistently wears a mask. Fifty million Americans have already voted, either by mail or early voting -- roughly one-third of the total turnout in 2016. Don delivered our ballots to the town office last Monday.

By my next installment, we should know the results of the election, although probably not on Nov. 3. The closer we get, the more anxious I feel. The stakes have never been higher, and there's talk of civil war. I've signed up to march in protest on Nov. 4, if Trump declares an unsubstantiated victory. God Bless America.