avatarBritni Pepper

Summary

The provided web content discusses the alarming state of air travel in America during the Covid-19 pandemic, with a significant number of flights still operating despite the health risks and a lack of adherence to social distancing guidelines, particularly highlighted by a church service in Louisiana with nearly two thousand attendees.

Abstract

Despite the worsening Covid-19 situation in America, the content reveals that a substantial number of flights are still taking to the skies, with two-thirds of the world's air traffic being over the United States. This goes against the recommended measures to combat the virus, which include isolation and social distancing. The article expresses concern over the potential spread of the virus by those flying, especially from hotspots like New York City. It also criticizes President Trump's approach to the pandemic, citing an instance where he gathered people closely for a meeting, contradicting the social distancing advice. The piece also touches on the grim statistics of the pandemic in the U.S., predicting that the country's death toll will soon surpass China's, with the number of infections potentially reaching 200,000. Additionally, it points out a specific event where a church in Louisiana held a service for nearly two thousand people, showing a disregard for the risks of virus transmission.

Opinions

  • The author finds the continued operation of flights in America during the pandemic "horrific," suggesting that Americans should be sheltering instead of flying and potentially spreading the virus.
  • There is a strong critique of President Trump's handling of the crisis, particularly his disregard for social distancing recommendations during a meeting with his team.
  • The author expresses concern about the spread of Covid-19 by individuals seeking to escape contagion hotspots, labeling them as "disease refugees" who may inadvertently carry the virus to new locations.
  • The article conveys a sense of disbelief and frustration at the lack of precautions taken by a Louisiana church holding a large service, suggesting that such actions are irresponsible and could lead to further infections and deaths.
  • The tone suggests that the author views the U.S. government's response to the pandemic as inadequate and setting a poor example for the public.

Flights to Danger

America takes off

Apart from my daily agonising over America’s worsening Covid-19 situation, two things stood out for me today.

The first was a graphic from Flightradar24, by way of the New Zealand Herald.

Flightradar24 is a freemium flight tracking app, which is handy for those planespotters who like to look up and say, “Ah yes, Qantas Flight 63 to Johannesburg, tracking a bit southerly today,” shortly before whoever they are addressing beats them around the head a little.

World airline flights are way down. On a normal day, 13 000 flights in the air at any one time. Now, just 4 800. And two thirds of those are over America.

This is horrific. America is the world’s focus for Covid-19, and they should all be hunkering down in their bunkers. Instead, they are flying around as usual, hundreds of passengers sitting cheek by jowl, a dozen strangers within social distance.

Many of those flying would be seeking to escape from the hotspots of contagion, especially New York City and as is ever the way with disease refugees, bringing the Lurgy with them.

Social distancing? Not in Trumpland!

There are a few simple rules for beating the virus, and after staying put, in isolation, for 90% of the population, the next most important is social isolation for those who must go out and do stuff.

A metre and a half is the recommended distance here. A good rule of thumb is to be as far from another person as you or they are tall.

Evidently not in Trump’s world. He calls in a dozen of his movers and shakers, has them stand shoulder to shoulder for half an hour while he makes a few brief remarks, and then sends them off to see other people, possibly hop on a plane to the other side of the country.

Nothing like setting a good example.

And now the news

It’s hard to avert my gaze from the world disease stats. Every hour, another thousand Americans infected, another twenty dead.

And rising steeply.

As ever, looking for small mercies here. The curve is still increasing way too fast, but it looks like it has straightened out instead of continuing to steepen.

I wouldn’t be at all sanguine, though. By the end of the month America’s body count will have risen past China’s, and the number of infected will be somewhere around 200 000.

And that’s me being optimistic. Given the number of people zooming around the country — and I mean literally zooming, not using the conference app — the numbers can only rise ever higher.

One last thing…

Southern Baptist Girls Choir (CC by 2C2K Photography)

A church in Louisiana is demonstrating that God has their back, by holding a service with a congregation of nearly two thousand firm believers. I guess they see it as a win-win situation. If they live, fine, if they die, they go straight to glory. Along with all the friends and family they infect before they ride that golden stairway to the stars.

If I believed in Heaven and Hell and a judgemental God, I think he’d send them in the other direction for acting like a bunch of idiot wankers, but that’s just my view.

Britni

Britni Pepper writes for Kindle Direct Publishing. She runs a blog where she reviews erotica, and rambles on about this and that. She may be reached on Twitter and Facebook.

More lurgy:

Covid-19
Pandemic
Airlines
Church
Nonfiction
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