Surreptitious Saturday

CORONAVIRUS

“The best case is that the virus mutates and actually dies out,” said Dr. Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist who as a young doctor was part of the fight to eradicate smallpox. Brilliant was a consultant for the movie “Contagion,” in which a virus evolved to become more deadly, but that’s the exception. “Only in movies do viruses seem to become worse,” he explained. Two other lethal coronaviruses, SARS and MERS, both petered out, and that is possible here. “My hope is that Covid-19 will not survive,” said Dr. Charles G. Prober, a professor at Stanford Medical School."  The Best-Case Outcome, Drudge Report 3/21

"It is hard to draw lessons from an ongoing event, but here's a tentative takeaway from this crisis: it is as much a political event as biological disaster. The leaders, ideas and histories of different nations matter in shaping how they respond. The fact that most of the country is experiencing the same problem at the same time could inspire a shift away from hyper-individualism and consumer citizenship, but this will not happen automatically. Building a stronger concept of the citizen requires an active consciousness of how our notions of self, society and government have changed in ways that make it harder to put the collective good first when we really need to."  Joseph Stieb, ditto

"The school has become much more than a place of instruction. It is the site of feeding, caring, and supervision (if not disciplining) of children. Deprived of the shelter of the local school, children and young adults will have to look to parents for meals, instruction, and surveillance. Are parents ready to fulfill the responsibilities assumed by the state? What will happen when parents return to work or look for new employment? Will teenagers obey a guidance or curfew that is not enforced under penalty of law?"  Matthew Continetti, National Review Online

"It’s difficult for us, the healthiest and safest generation in history, to contemplate that some things are beyond our control. People are dying. Even if we avoid the worst of the medical emergency, the economic one will be devastating for millions. Still, I’m not being a delusional patriot when I say there is no place I would rather be to ride it out than the United States."  David Harsanyi, ditto

"Calling COVID-19 “Chinese Coronavirus” is accurate. It originated in China. But it didn’t merely originate there. As Victor Davis Hanson has noted, China’s Communist Party rulers hid its outbreak from the rest of the world for several crucial weeks. They misrepresented its contagious nature for several more. They permitted thousands of Chinese nationals to travel throughout the world while obfuscating the potential consequences. And the Chinese government is falsely claiming the U.S. military is responsible for introducing the virus. Under those circumstances, to object to calling the virus “Chinese Coronavirus” is, to say the very least, profoundly misguided."  Peter Kirsanow, ditto

"Even CNN commentator Dana Bash — who rarely misses an opportunity to attack the President —conceded that he’s “the kind of leader that people need” at a time like this after hearing Donald Trump outline his comprehensive strategy for fighting the coronavirus and helping Americans weather the financial consequences of the pandemic. It’s inspiring to see so many formerly rabid partisans putting politics aside and rallying behind our President at this critical time. Mayors and governors are directly responsible for the health and well-being of their constituents, and they know that President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been downright superb."  Andrew Surabian, Townhall 3/21