All federal power must be used to fight pandemic, says former VISTA Volunteer, Army officer, city & county elected official, and union organizer.

TUCSON, AZ - Trump botched the COVID-19 (C-19) virus healthcare emergency, turning it into a conservative versus liberal political football. Biden’s now organizing to beat the virus with 3 minutes left in the last quarter of the game with the virus ahead 50 to 0. It may be too little too late.

Here’s why. The first wave of illnesses and death were mostly from the original virus.

The second wave was likely a combo of the original plus a bit of the new mutant virus B.1.1.7 from the United Kingdom. That mutant virus is now estimated by experts to be 70% better at transferring itself from a sick person to infect a well person. Worse, the UK experts now estimate it is 30% MORE deadly than the first virus.

The third wave may be dominated by the U.K. virus. Therefore more will be sick and die.

Why we have a mess: Trump’s idea of letting 50 state legislatures/governors, tens of thousands of health departments, businesses, school districts, hospitals and nursing homes each make their own decisions on what to do quickly turned into a deadly farce.

We have many Republicans leaders who believe wearing a mask is a matter of freedom of choice. Should wearing a safety belt or motorcycle helmet be a matter of personal choice -- when we the public pay for the Social Security disability payments for the rest of their lives after serious accidents?

How foolish. There is the general good and individual good. Individual freedom must be limited. Unlimited freedom produces chaos - the general good is destroyed.

We have 61 million children under 15 for whom there is NO approved vaccination. Experts say vaccines may not be ready for kids until fall or early 2022. Biden’s goal of having students in classroom within 100 days is unrealistic and dangerous. Kids may not die as often as seniors but they are transmitters of the viruses. We must continue on-line education until the kids are vaccinated and schools are safe.

Dr. A. Fauci says 80% to 90% of adults, about 216 million to 243 million, need to get two doses of a vaccine within a month. To achieve herd immunity we need to give 432 million to 486 million shots within a few months. Biden’s plan of 100 million doses within 100 days is inadequate.

Biden must expand his national healthcare emergency by using his authority to require masks, social distancing, mandate which businesses can stay open, which close, hours of operation, curfews, nationalize C-19 production/distribution/vaccinations, implement a national virus testing system, requiring reporting of all matters related to C-19 to the feds, expand transparency, etc.

He must immediately mobilize the estimated 600,000 federal military Reserve members and 440,000 National Guard members (using U.S. Code Title 32 under which the feds pay the Guard’s cost) and place all personnel in each state under the state Dual Status Commander with that general in command of all federal, Reserve and Guard troops in that state. The DSC reports to both that state’s governor and the Secretary of Defense.

These Guard/Reserve members know their communities and can do just about anything required to contain/suppress the virus working under a coordinated national plan. The Latino, Native American and Black communities in America are being worst hit by the virus. Those communities should get help first.

We have no other choice but to go BIG? Why?

When a person becomes infected, the virus replicates itself exponentially to defeat the person’s immune system. That replication process is where mutant viruses are born which may be more contagious and/or deadly than the virus the person was infected with. At any time a new mutant can occur that will NOT be defeated by the present vaccinations (Moderna and Pfizer). There are two new mutant viruses in S. Africa which possibly will not be controlled by present vaccines. If this proves accurate, we’re back to square one.

80% to 90% of persons need to be vaccinated NOW to suppress the present set of viruses which experts think will probably work after people get two shots. But if new mutations, significantly different from the present set of viruses, occur then present vaccinations may NOT work, many will be re-infected, become ill and die.

Biden must use all federal power to suppress and stop the virus in America -- before it defeats us. If he’s unable to do this, he will be a one term president and we will be a diminished nation.

***

Buzz Davis, formerly of Stoughton, WI now of Tucson, has a masters in public administration and a masters in urban affairs, is a former VISTA Volunteer, Army officer (infantry & communications) Vietnam Era, city & county elected official, union organizer/leader, Bush impeachment organizer, Recall Walker organizer, former Exec. VP of WI Alliance for Retired Americans, Democratic Party leader, a retired WI state government planner & recently led a 5 yr. effort to Stop VA Privatization with Veterans for Peace & unions.

Sources:

“A new COVID-19 challenge: Mutations rise along with cases” https://www.aol.com/news/covid-19-challenge-mutations-rise-060100868-171633028.html “The Right Way to Activate the National Guard,” 3-21-20, retired generals Craig R. McKinley and James Winnefeld https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/21/joe-biden-sign-executive-orders-and-directives-aimed-covid-19/4219616001/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/National-Strategy-for-the-COVID-19-Response-and-Pandemic-Preparedness.pdf “Why scientists are more worried about the Covid-19 variant discovered in South Africa - The variant carries mutations that may weaken the effect of vaccines, and Moderna is now exploring changes to its vaccine” https://www.vox.com/2021/1/21/22240475/covid-new-variant-south-africa-uk-brazil-vaccine-coronavirus “When will kids be able to get the Covid-19 vaccines? It may be a while” https://www.vox.com/22225218/kids-covid-vaccine-safe-moderna-pfizer-school-reopening “Biden’s Covid-19 vaccine goal isn’t ambitious enough It barely improves on current vaccination rates” https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22243713/biden-covid-19-coronavirus-vaccine-goal-100-million-100-days