One man's fear about how society reacts to COVID-19

Abdu Sharkawy

March 5 at 6:45 PM · 

I'm a doctor and an Infectious Diseases Specialist. I've been at this for more than 20 years seeing sick patients on a daily basis. I have worked in inner city hospitals and in the poorest slums of Africa. HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis,TB, SARS, Measles, Shingles, Whooping cough, Diphtheria...there is little I haven't been exposed to in my profession. And with notable exception of SARS, very little has left me feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed or downright scared.

I am not scared of Covid-19. I am concerned about the implications of a novel infectious agent that has spread the world over and continues to find new footholds in different soil. I am rightly concerned for the welfare of those who are elderly, in frail health or disenfranchised who stand to suffer mostly, and disproportionately, at the hands of this new scourge. But I am not scared of Covid-19.

What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities of anything that could fill a bomb shelter adequately in a post-apocalyptic world. I am scared of the N95 masks that are stolen from hospitals and urgent care clinics where they are actually needed for front line healthcare providers and instead are being donned in airports, malls, and coffee lounges, perpetuating even more fear and suspicion of others. I am scared that our hospitals will be overwhelmed with anyone who thinks they " probably don't have it but may as well get checked out no matter what because you just never know..." and those with heart failure, emphysema, pneumonia and strokes will pay the price for overfilled ER waiting rooms with only so many doctors and nurses to assess.

I am scared that travel restrictions will become so far reaching that weddings will be canceled, graduations missed and family reunions will not materialize. And well, even that big party called the Olympic Games...that could be kyboshed too. Can you even
imagine?

I'm scared those same epidemic fears will limit trade, harm partnerships in multiple sectors, business and otherwise and ultimately culminate in a global recession.

But mostly, I'm scared about what message we are telling our kids when faced with a threat. Instead of reason, rationality, openmindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested.

Covid-19 is nowhere near over. It will be coming to a city, a hospital, a friend, even a family member near you at some point. Expect it. Stop waiting to be surprised further. The fact is the virus itself will not likely do much harm when it arrives. But our own behaviors and "fight for yourself above all else" attitude could prove disastrous.

I implore you all. Temper fear with reason, panic with patience and uncertainty with education. We have an opportunity to learn a great deal about health hygiene and limiting the spread of innumerable transmissible diseases in our society. Let's meet this challenge together in the best spirit of compassion for others, patience, and above all, an unfailing effort to seek truth, facts and knowledge as opposed to conjecture, speculation and catastrophizing.

Facts not fear. Clean hands. Open hearts.
Our children will thank us for it.

#washurhands #geturflushot #respect #patiencenotpanic

Superbowl 2020 Celebration In Kansas City MO

Where Is The Craziness

We are used to seeing championship games being accompanied by raucous celebrations in recent years. We have previously watched championship celebrations accompanied by upturned, burning cars or looting in neighborhoods or small fires in streets—all of which reminds me somewhat of actions that occur in "second-world" countries from time to time.

What happened in Kansas City, MO as the people celebrated the Kansas City Chiefs return after winning the 54th Superbowl? Wow! It was incredible! People waited for the Chiefs' parade to pass by their position, affording each Kansas City celebrant an opportunity to cheer for their team and its accomplishment. Heck – it was drizzling snow at the time, and people remained controlled by their own consistent conscience. What a dream.

A Special Moment

I am so proud of my hometown. Kansas City has many beautiful aspects, and its self-control is one of those beautiful aspects. 

Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs and congratulations to the citizens of Kansas City. What a place, and what a celebration.

I remember that the same kind of celebration happened when the Kansas City Royals won the World Series. it must just be "something in the water." I sure hope so, and I hope I evidence that same self-control both now and in the future.

Kansas City – congratulations! You are the best!

Kansas City Chiefs – congratulations! YOU ARE THE BEST!

New on the Impeachment

Obfuscation

I have heard so many opinions about this impeachment that I can imagine anyone feeling a little overwhelmed by all the rhetoric. Personally, I am somewhat underwhelmed by the lack of strong rational background to most of what I hear.

Some Considerations

There are five (there are actually more) ideas & questions I have put to this page to express what I think may actually be important about the situation that led to the current procedure to impeach.

These are those five items:

1. Our government has given aid to corrupt governments often in the past - at least to governments that do not have the US perspective on personal freedoms or individual rights. I know we don't want to perform nation-building, but shouldn't we be able to want other nations to "do the right thing" in order to have an economic relationship with our nation?
2. I have the impression that current President Donald Trump wants to "drain the swamp" and that may mean decreasing corruption in our national government. Could this intent to decrease corruption also include corruption that includes our citizens - even in other countries?
3. It may be difficult to identify corruption, so it makes sense to investigate. Nobody wants to make an innocent person look guilty of corruption. So why not investigate or request an investigation?.
4. Can an investigation in another nation be performed with US investigators? Should we ask permission to investigate in another nation? Should we ask that other nation to investigate the matter themselves using their own investigators? Is it wrong to ask?
5. Each nation's corruption is its own problem, but what is our nation's responsibility if the corruption may involve our own citizens working in that other nation?

These are my questions.

FISA Court Ruling Allegations

Also, I heard Congressman John Radcliff speak some time ago on Maria Bartiromo's show Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News that he is certain that "Justice delayed is not Justice denied" regarding the ongoing investigation into the actions leading to the FISA Court decision to allow the continued surveillance of Carter Page.

I have downloaded and skimmed through the Justice Department document about their findings, and I can't speak about their conclusions because I haven't given the document a careful perusal. It is provided to you all in the previous sentence because maybe you can get a sense of it yourselves. After some searching, I have read the opinions of several people, and found those opinions to be offered to support whatever it seemed the author wanted to be the truth. My suggestion is to read the document.

If the information provided to the FISA Court was true, then how long should a surveillance continue? Forever?

If the information provided to the FISA Court was not accurate, then what is the recourse for the surveillance that was continued against a US citizen inappropriately?

If the information provided was thought to be true at the time it was offered, yet later found to be inaccurate, should there be a legal action to be followed to achieve equilibrium?

What is to be done if the information provided to the FISA Court to achieve surveillance of Carter Page was known to be inaccurate yet useful?

I think we should know these answers in order to know what brought on this impeachment and why or even if it matters at all as a matter of national security.

Separation Of Powers

Isn't it true that each of the three branches of the US Government are supposed to be able to check each other from becoming dominant?

Doesn't that imply that the President of the United States is expected from time-to-time to Obstruct Congress? If the Congress is never obstructed, they may well become the dominant branch of government. That is not to say the "job" of the POTUS [President Of The United States] is to obstruct Congress. Nothing should be further from the truth. However, it seems the constitution implies that the three branches are to provide a form of check-and-balance against the rising power of any one branch. However, that statement may require review by the Supreme Court to determine its validity.

Is it truly obstruction to decline to allow your appointees to give testimony to an agency known to desire your downfall? This must also be a subject for lawyers to determine, but I would rather hear the debate delivered by an actual impartial group on its merits alone and not based on who the answer will either exonerate or convict. I doubt we can expect to put together such a panel.

It doesn't benefit any citizen if the Executive branch is the greatest power in our government – that would seem like we elect a ruler every four years. It doesn't benefit any citizen if the Legislative branch is the greatest power in our government – that would seem like our lawmakers become enforcers as well. It doesn't benefit any citizen if the Judicial branch is the greatest power in our government – that would seem to allow those who are selected to judge the constitutionality of the law to also determine the law and probably also to send the troops into your home.

My opinion (and it is only an opinion) is that the compilers of this great document—The Constitution Of The United States—knew what they were doing. There is a reason that the POTUS faces the other nations of the world as representative of the people of our nation and the Legislature makes the laws that govern our nation and the Supreme Court determines if specific legislation is in agreement with the intent of the Constitution Of The United States—NO ONE BRANCH CAN DO IT ALL WITH CLARITY.

It truly hurts the ego when someone "steps on your toes" in business or relationships or conversations. However, in government each of the branches is almost expected to do exactly this in order that government does only what it is supposed to do rather than everything it wants to do.

I personally expected them – the three branches of government – to obstruct each other whenever necessary to curtail encroachment of one over the others. I don't expect the President to disband the legislature or the Legislature to impeach the President (except for treason or high crimes) or for the Supreme Court to be stripped of the power to determine if a legislation is constitutional.

Conclusion

We don't have to get along. We don't have to believe the same thing. You don't need to agree with anything I have written in this article. I don't have to believe you either. Please don't get rid of me because you disagree with me. Please don't tear up my article behind my back because you don't like me. Please don't get me fired because I do something you don't like. Please don't hate me because I am not the person you want to be doing the job I was chosen to accomplish. Please don't embarrass all of us to all our friends and enemies.

Remember that I am not your enemy. I am your compatriot.

OK – Put 'Em Up!

I think this is a rant, but let's find out together.

Sometimes we just have to fight!
I wonder why. We should be able to get along. Shouldn't we?

We share a planet. Also a Nation, a City, and a neighborhood. Sometimes we even share the same house or the same bed. Come on people.

It is truly a magnificent monument to our individual and collective arrogance to believe one person's opinion is tantamount to a truth on a pedestal so elevated that another person's opinion cannot hope to ascend to a reasonably equivalent height.

Here is the crux of the problem. You think you know what is best for the world. I think I know what is best for the world. That person over there thinks he/she knows what is best for the world. None of  us might be right or wrong. It's when we act on our opinions that things get all screwed up.

It would probably work better between us all if we agreed it is acceptable for you to be you and me to be me. Whatever I think. Whatever you think. If you think cars are better than buses and I think I want to use group transportation, that should be ok. Sound like it could be right, right?

What about public toilets? What about sexual orientation? If I want to understand myself as a male-born-a-male and you want to understand yourself as a male-born-a-female, we can use the same bathroom because you can enter a stall. Oh crap! I can't decide for you that you must always use a stall, can I?

Or, what about sexual identification? Let's say I decided to identify as a male-born-female and use the female bathroom (I am a male—by the way), you will be comfortable with that won't you?

If I want to refer to you as a black (assuming you are negroid) is that ok or must you be an african-american... How do I refer to you if you are a negro from India? Am I actually being this insensitive? If I call you an Indian, how does anybody else know I am not referring to you as an american Indian. Can you refer to me as a white man, Caucasian, or even a cracker? Why are policemen called Pigs, and why is there such a big deal about not serving them at Starbucks?

Are you a terrorist? Am I? Reading this article, I sort of sound like one to me. I mean, really, should it matter to me that you won't drink wine, or won't wear taffeta, or only eat vegetables, or think my choice for President of my country sucks, or don't think I have any reasonable thoughts if the ones I have aren't the same as yours, or shouldn't have the right to live because I am Jewish?

How in the world do we get past these kind of differences? Is it even possible? Can we get along? Really, I wonder. It is a serious question. Do we really need to kill each other? Is that the only option?

Ok, then, ten paces, turn, and fire.