“Okay, Let’s roll”

Haiku

This is serious:

Partisan to unity.

(India, U.S?)

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New research: Delay more deadly than thought

As India goes into nationwide lockdown (24 March 2020), new research indicates that coronavirus SARS-CoV2 landed in Northern Italy long before the first Covid-19 case was reported on 20 February 2020. Possibly arriving as early as 1 January, by the time the first case was reported “the virus had already spread to most towns and cities” throughout the region.

Some countries acted swiftly, with restrictions easing and citizens returning to a ‘new normal’. Some countries put aside partisan politics, with political parties working together (or not against each other) towards a common objective for their citizens. Others have yet to begin a fully co-ordinated, outcome-oriented response. The level of testing in populous nations like India, Brazil, and the United States has been low, and partisan bickering high.

This new research does not augur well for delay. Nor is any reason for delay relevant. It just is. The virus has no ideology. It doesn’t care. Literally. It will operate to its maximum capacity in whatever environment leaders’ actions allow it, doubling every few days. (Remember the grain of wheat on a chessboard problem for how exponential growth works?) The response is not “mine” over “yours”. There is only one response, neither red nor blue.

The study finds that:

the transmission potential of COVID-19 is very high and the number of critical cases may become largely unsustainable for the healthcare system in a very short-time horizon… Aggressive containment strategies are required to control COVID-19 spread and catastrophic outcomes...

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“Let’s roll” is a colloquial call to action, often used to signify the start of an attack or mission.

“Are you ready? OK, Let’s roll” is attributed to Todd Beamer, one of the passengers and crew aboard United Flight 93 who attempted to regain control of the hijacked aircraft on 11 September 2001. Their actions likely saved many lives. The plane crashed into a field rather than its intended target, believed to be the White House or US Capitol. Beamer, an American, had just returned home from a trip to Italy. No-one survived the crash.

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