Keep Calm & Carry On: A Common Sense, Fact-Based, Balanced Approach to Combating the Coronavirus

Updated 2:17PM EST, Sunday, 3/15/20. Please scroll to the end of article for update.

The book of Ecclesiastes from the Bible tells us to avoid all extremes.

It is enormously important as we face this Coronavirus or more specifically, COVID-19 that we heed this advice. 

The book of John, another book from the Bible, tells us to seek the Truth, and the Truth will set us free.

It is also vital we strive to be Truth Seekers when navigating the information we are receiving about the COVID-19.

My Wife, Elderly Dad, and Elderly Father in Law have compromised immune systems and underlying health conditions, putting them in the category of Coronavirus concern, so I have been monitoring and studying COVID-19 from the beginning.

Business Guru "Deming" states that without Data, "your just another person with an opinion."

It is important to seek truthful, balanced data with this topic.

Keep in mind that Social media is all about the number of views. Mainstream media is all about viewers. Politicians and their Pundits are all about getting elected, getting their person elected, or keeping them elected.

Fear & Drama Sells, Gets Clicks, Gets Viewers and Wins Elections.

So Seek Information from Credible Sources in General, and in Particular in this Situation.

There are 3 Medical Professionals, I have found who are providing sound, credible information. All 3 have street cred and will come up immediately when searched on Google.

• The first is Dr. Anthony Fauci. He is Head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases since 1984 – serving in this role under 6 US Presidents.
• Another is Dr. James Robb, who has been studying the different Coronavirus Strands since the 1970's and is considered a subject matter expert in this area.
• Another is Dr. David Katz founding Director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center.

David Katz wrote an excellent article I posted on my LinkedIn Page two days ago. I would encourage you to read: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-should-we-reacting-coronavirus-pandemic-david/?trackingId=tnYV8CjxTpuZt42IQLzM5Q%3D%3D

I would like to share a few highlights from Dr. Katz's Article, which demonstrates a truthful, balanced, non-political, and non-profit common sense COVID-19 approach.

Katz feels we are under-testing, over-reacting, and somewhat misdirecting our efforts.

1. First, he states we really can't stop the general spread of this virus without Martial Law, and we don't want this.
2. Second, he states, COVID-19 appears lethal almost exclusively to the elderly and chronically ill.
3. Third, he states the overall death rate is almost certainly much lower than the global figures suggest. Only in South Korea and on cruise ships has anything remotely like systematic testing taken place, and there the mortality is slightly above 0.5%, nothing like the almost 4% reflected in the global data. This means death from the infection is much less likely than it seems, with the exception of the most highly vulnerable.
4. Fourth, he is not convinced all of the burgeoning disruptions in the lives of children (i.e., school closings), young adults (i.e., changes in college and university routines), and working adults will prove of much value. People still need to shop for food, run critical errands, etc., and so the virus will spread anyway.

He favors business as usual for the young and healthy; widespread testing away from hospitals and clinics; enhanced home services for the frail and home-bound elderly to shield them from outside exposure until this winds down; and "firewalls" of infectious disease interdiction around our nursing homes, care facilities, and hospitals.

At this point, a lot of us are going to get this virus no matter what we do, and the global data suggests that for most of us, it will be a fairly unremarkable respiratory illness followed by recovery.

He goes on to write that the reaction to this pandemic is partly because it is genuinely serious, but partly because it is new and unfamiliar.

Currently, there are 139,000 COVID-19 Cases (that we know of), 5,000 Deaths, and 70,000 Recovered. The death toll for the Flu this season is 94,000, almost 20 times greater than the Coronavirus.

Does that mean we do nothing? Certainly not. That would be irresponsible.

My family and I have started to follow Dr. James Robb’s advice given in an email to family and friends entitled: “What I am doing for the upcoming COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic”, with some additional common-sense steps:

1. We are not handshaking; we are a fist-bumping.
2. We are using only our knuckle to touch light switches, elevator buttons, etc. when in public places, school, or work.
3. We have hand sanitizer in our cars and use it after pumping gas or coming from a public place.
4. We have a small hand sanitizer in our pockets and use this for the same purposes and before eating when eating out.
5. We are wiping down the grocery cart before using with the provided Purell Wipes.
6. We are using paper towels to open the door in the restroom when leaving.
7. We are washing our hands with soap for 20 seconds.
8. We are showering before we leave the house. When we come home from work, school or the gym, we throw our clothes in the wash and shower again.
9. We are regularly wiping down the handles, light switches, doorknobs in our house with Clorox wipes.
10. We are not wearing our shoes in the house.
11. We are trying not to touch our face.
12. We are wiping our cell phones down with Clorox wipes regularly.

In conclusion, I am reminded of a quote attributed to Winston Churchill (though he didn't actually say it - but it certainly captures his spirit) when England was facing the Nazi invasion: "Keep Calm and Carry On."

We also are facing an invasion of not only a virus, but misinformation, misunderstanding, fear, and panic.

We need to "Keep Calm and Carry On."

Updated 2:17PMEST, Sunday, 3/15/20

I received a Private message from a Client who felt my article was irresponsibly discouraging social distancing.

First, let me stress, I am not a Medical Professional. In my article I encouraged readers to research and read articles and papers from Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. James Robb, and Dr. David Katz who are.

Second, because my wife has a compromised immune system, my family and I are, as much as possible, following Dr. Fauci’s counsel to practice social distancing.

Please take a look at an article, published today in The Hill, highlighting Dr Fauci’s counsel regarding social distancing and his affirmation of the US Travel Bans, both of which I support, here: https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/487626-fauci-worst-case-deaths-unlikely-if-we-do-the-kinds-of-things-that

Third, my article is certainly not exhaustive. As I shared in my post, it was converted from a speech I gave to our employees alongside my CEO, COO, and VP of HR Fri morning 3/15.

Fourth, I forgot to mention, another important practical step experts have suggested. We need to wipe our smart phones down with a virus/bacteria killing agent regularly!

This situation is fluid, and not something I have ever dealt with in my lifetime. Like the rest of us, I am relying on the experts to provide honest, data-driven, fact-based, guidance and counsel, so I can keep those entrusted to my care (my family and my employees) safe.

I am striving to Keep Calm and Carry On! Please join me in this effort! 

This article is adapted from a Presentation John Binkley, Managing Partner of CRGSearch shared with CRG Employees during a Company Wide Coronavirus Conference Call on 3/13/2020.

CRGSearch, a Division of CRG, is a Nationally Recognized Leader in Executive Search, Professional Recruiting, and Talent Optimization Consulting with over 50 Years of Combined Experience and 3,000 Successful Placements.

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