Differences on Display

I keep hearing people compare our infection and mortality curves against other countries, especially those in Asia. We have bought in to the belief that we’re most advanced civilization on earth. I hope that we are not demonstrating a hubris that we regret. Other parts of the world have scars from prior pandemics and seem to be taking this much more seriously.

Sometimes visuals can make a difference. We have the most sophisticated technology in our hospitals, but the the technology is irrelevant if our healthcare workers don’t have the personal protective equipment to stay safe.

One Picture Says it All in Wuhan

Scene to melt hearts: Dr Liu Kai and his patient watching the sunset before returning to the ward at Renmin Hospital. — China Daily/ANN

Scene to melt hearts: Dr Liu Kai and his patient watching the sunset before returning to the ward at Renmin Hospital. — China Daily/ANN

Spring Breakers in Florida Care Not

Spring break revelers play chicken fight at Pompano Beach, Florida, on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Julio Cortez / AP

Spring break revelers play chicken fight at Pompano Beach, Florida, on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.
Julio Cortez / AP

 

South Korea: Ready and Protected

A patient suspected of having  contracted the virus being brought to a hospital in Daegu, South Korea.Credit...Kim Jong-Un/Yonhap, via Associated Press

A patient suspected of having  contracted the virus being brought to a hospital in Daegu, South Korea.Credit...Kim Jong-Un/Yonhap, via Associated Press

 

Test Center Lacks PPE: Hoarders Taking Supplies

Medical staff at a drive-thru testing site for the coronavirus in West Palm Beach on March 16, 2020. (Saul Martinez/The New York Times)

Medical staff at a drive-thru testing site for the coronavirus in West Palm Beach on March 16, 2020. (Saul Martinez/The New York Times)

 

Italian Hospitals Getting Overwhelmed

Columbus Covid 2 temporary hospital to fight the new coronavirus infection, at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, on March 16, 2020. (ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP)

Columbus Covid 2 temporary hospital to fight the new coronavirus infection, at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, on March 16, 2020. (ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP)

 

L.A. Nurses Protesting Lack of PPE

Nurses protest in front of the Kaiser Permanente hospital in Los Angeles Monday March 23, 2020. The nurses say they have not received enough masks and protective equipment to deal with the current coronavirus pandemic and that they are putting their…

Nurses protest in front of the Kaiser Permanente hospital in Los Angeles Monday March 23, 2020. The nurses say they have not received enough masks and protective equipment to deal with the current coronavirus pandemic and that they are putting their lives and the lives of their families at risk. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

 

Wuhan Medical Staff Full Protection

Scene of care in Wuhan Corona Quarantine Facility

Scene of care in Wuhan Corona Quarantine Facility

 

Different types of PPE Across the U.S.

“The System is doomed”  Medical workers wearing their PPE, personal protective gear - NBC News

“The System is doomed” Medical workers wearing their PPE, personal protective gear - NBC News

 

South Korean Military Sanitizing Streets

South Korean soldiers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at a shopping district in Seoul (AFP Photo/Jung Yeon-je)

South Korean soldiers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at a shopping district in Seoul (AFP Photo/Jung Yeon-je)

 

My Own F#@&!$g Neighborhood

Teens playing basketball in my neighborhood, right down the street  - Nextdoor on 3-25-20

Teens playing basketball in my neighborhood, right down the street
- Nextdoor on 3-25-20

 

Police Testing Temperature at Checkpoint in Wuhan

A police officer takes the temperature of a driver at a checkpoint on a street on the outskirts of Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020, amid a deadly virus outbreak which began in the city. China on January 27 extended its bi…

A police officer takes the temperature of a driver at a checkpoint on a street on the outskirts of Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020, amid a deadly virus outbreak which began in the city. China on January 27 extended its biggest national holiday to buy time in the fight against a viral epidemic and neighbouring Mongolia closed its border, after the death toll spiked to 81 despite unprecedented quarantine measures. Image Credit: AFP

I’m staying home. For the sake of our friends and neighbors on the front lines, I hope you do too.

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The Asian Curve has at Least 3 Differences

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The Speech We’ve Been Missing