Read on Twitter
Covid twists & turns… a 2020 retrospective…
A year that skidded down a misguided path and ended with a shimmer of hope amid the rubble and ruin.
Thread 1/
A year that skidded down a misguided path and ended with a shimmer of hope amid the rubble and ruin.
Thread 1/
In 2020, the year's storyline was set in motion with the Imperial College prediction of 2.2 million US covid deaths.
From there, the Western world careened down the response path that would ultimately define 2020.
The year ended with just 15% of those predicted deaths.
2/
From there, the Western world careened down the response path that would ultimately define 2020.
The year ended with just 15% of those predicted deaths.
2/
Early estimates in 2020 put the covid fatality rate at 3%.
This fueled fear and prompted drastic and unusual mitigation measures.
The actual fatality rate would turn out to be closer to 0.3% with nearly half the deaths in long term care.
3/ https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/03/who-says-coronavirus-death-rate-is-3point4percent-globally-higher-than-previously-thought.html
This fueled fear and prompted drastic and unusual mitigation measures.
The actual fatality rate would turn out to be closer to 0.3% with nearly half the deaths in long term care.
3/ https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/03/who-says-coronavirus-death-rate-is-3point4percent-globally-higher-than-previously-thought.html
New models & new predictions du jour.
President Trump took an "optimistic" tack.
"So we’ll see what it ends up being, but it looks like we’re headed to a number substantially below the 100,000," he said on April 10.
4/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-24/
President Trump took an "optimistic" tack.
"So we’ll see what it ends up being, but it looks like we’re headed to a number substantially below the 100,000," he said on April 10.
4/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-24/
Early in the pandemic, public health experts including Dr. Fauci and Dr. Osterholm did not support broad mask-wearing.
That changed by mid-year.
5/ https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/05/12/flashback_march_2020_fauci_says_theres_no_reason_to_be_walking_around_with_a_mask.html
That changed by mid-year.
5/ https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/05/12/flashback_march_2020_fauci_says_theres_no_reason_to_be_walking_around_with_a_mask.html
The federal covid response in 2020 was significant...
CARES Act, PPP, Federal Reserve actions, ventilators, USS Mercy, USS Comfort, PPE, field hospitals, Operation Warp Speed, testing, and daily task force meetings...
Although memory seemed to fade by election time.
6/
CARES Act, PPP, Federal Reserve actions, ventilators, USS Mercy, USS Comfort, PPE, field hospitals, Operation Warp Speed, testing, and daily task force meetings...
Although memory seemed to fade by election time.
6/
In spring 2020, MIS-C became a new mystery of covid affecting children.
This coincided with the first US wave subsiding and schools considering their options for the rest of the school year.
7/ https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2020/05/14/sanjay-gupta-juliet-daly-covid-19-kawasaki-disease-misc-newday-dnt-vpx.cnn
This coincided with the first US wave subsiding and schools considering their options for the rest of the school year.
7/ https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2020/05/14/sanjay-gupta-juliet-daly-covid-19-kawasaki-disease-misc-newday-dnt-vpx.cnn
By mid-2020, covid deaths were waning
But testing was still ramping, and detected cases were rising.
The focus turned to suppressing cases and stopping the spread.
8/
But testing was still ramping, and detected cases were rising.
The focus turned to suppressing cases and stopping the spread.
8/
As covid deaths declined in mid-2020, the headlines shifted to cases.
The dangers of asymptomatic spread gained attention.
Mask mandates proliferated.
The fall surge would subsequently cast doubt on the effectiveness of mask mandates.
9/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/health/coronavirus-asymptomatic-transmission.html
The dangers of asymptomatic spread gained attention.
Mask mandates proliferated.
The fall surge would subsequently cast doubt on the effectiveness of mask mandates.
9/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/health/coronavirus-asymptomatic-transmission.html
Also, as deaths declined in mid-2020, "long-haulers" gained attention.
It wasn't just about deaths anymore... it was about long lasting damage and the potential of no recovery.
10/ https://news.yahoo.com/absolute-nightmare-cleveland-clinic-works-193000424.html
It wasn't just about deaths anymore... it was about long lasting damage and the potential of no recovery.
10/ https://news.yahoo.com/absolute-nightmare-cleveland-clinic-works-193000424.html
Some even posited that the next health crisis had already begun with millions of "long-haulers" set to bury our healthcare system for years to come.
11/ https://www.healthline.com/health-news/long-haul-covid-19-may-be-a-public-health-crisis-after-the-pandemic
11/ https://www.healthline.com/health-news/long-haul-covid-19-may-be-a-public-health-crisis-after-the-pandemic
As 2020 went on, the line between politics and pandemic blurred.
The summer surge in the south and the pre-election wave in the midwest changed the political landscape.
12/ https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/09/11/covid-19s-summer-surge-into-red-america-sets-the-stage-for-novembers-election/
The summer surge in the south and the pre-election wave in the midwest changed the political landscape.
12/ https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/09/11/covid-19s-summer-surge-into-red-america-sets-the-stage-for-novembers-election/
By the fall of 2020, "science" became the rallying cry.
The public was told science was behind government decisions, restrictions, and public well-being.
If it wasn't "science," it was misinformation, myth, and folly.
13/ https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/26/health/coronavirus-myths-science-gupta/index.html
The public was told science was behind government decisions, restrictions, and public well-being.
If it wasn't "science," it was misinformation, myth, and folly.
13/ https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/26/health/coronavirus-myths-science-gupta/index.html
"Science" was used as the mantra to signal credibility as medical experts and media outlets sought to gain support for a preferred covid approach in 2020.
14/ https://www.straight.com/covid-19-pandemic/ten-covid-19-facts-that-should-scare-you-into-wearing-a-mask
14/ https://www.straight.com/covid-19-pandemic/ten-covid-19-facts-that-should-scare-you-into-wearing-a-mask
By the second half of 2020, a "new normal" was presented.
People were to learn the new ways of life to protect one another and to stop the spread.
Pre-pandemic living was said to be a thing of the past.
15/ https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/20/world/gallery/new-normal-coronavirus/index.html
People were to learn the new ways of life to protect one another and to stop the spread.
Pre-pandemic living was said to be a thing of the past.
15/ https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/20/world/gallery/new-normal-coronavirus/index.html
Most of all, throughout 2020, fear upstaged calm prudence.
According to some, that was what was needed to make people listen and save lives.
16/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/opinion/covid-public-health-messaging.html
According to some, that was what was needed to make people listen and save lives.
16/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/opinion/covid-public-health-messaging.html
By late 2020, new vaccines had arrived.
A remarkable achievement if they work as touted.
With their arrival came hope for a brighter 2021.
17/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/12/11/trump-stephen-hahn-fda-covid-vaccine/
A remarkable achievement if they work as touted.
With their arrival came hope for a brighter 2021.
17/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/12/11/trump-stephen-hahn-fda-covid-vaccine/
And that was 2020 with its twists & turns...
A year that began with promise.
Then quickly skidded down a misguided path.
Dominated by uncertainty, fear, and reaction.
And ending with a shimmer of hope alongside the rubble and ruin our response had wrought.
/End
A year that began with promise.
Then quickly skidded down a misguided path.
Dominated by uncertainty, fear, and reaction.
And ending with a shimmer of hope alongside the rubble and ruin our response had wrought.
/End
