I’m looking at coronavirus, since re-branded “COVID-19,” in far more than the too-limited terms of healthcare

From the editor—

A month or so ago, I wouldn’t have had a new virus, heathcare systems, or global supply chain conditions in mind for my March 2020 editorial. [1-4]

In fact, I was rather thinking that a discussion centered on race would be hard to bump from leads in and around these parts. Readers outside of Saline can be forgiven in thinking, “Well sure; makes sense, just coming off of Black History Month and all.” [5]

Here at home, we know better. [6-9]

Coronavirus, officially named “COVID-19” almost three weeks ago now, changed all that. Regardless of any one given position on the numbers, this is a worldwide health crisis, and a health crisis in the United States. We have a White House Coronavirus Task Force, headed by Vice President Mike Pence. [10-13]

I know from both reporting and recently completing Community Emergency Response Team training with my wife that our region and county are well positioned to plug into this when called upon to do so. [14-16]

The thing that concerns me is that a necessarily comprehensive look at, and hopefully understanding of the societal issues of what’s at stake here are being missed almost completely missed. [17]

For example, I am thinking of the impact that the Michigan Avenue reconstruction project had on the health of our downtown businesses in 2016. Despite long lead time and well meaning efforts such as the Saline Main Street “Pave It Forward Campaign,” businesses were hurt and failed due to loss of patronage directly attributable to the inconvenience of accessing their affected locations. Some on the heals of all that, others some time later. [18-21]

“When” — as opposed to “if” — coronavirus arrives in the State of Michigan, there’ll be no Pave It Forward effort on behalf of uptown Saline. Nor Eastgate Saline, nor anywhere else in Saline. Nor Washtenaw County, nor anywhere else in Michigan, for that matter.

Wouldn’t make a difference if there was.

“Self-quarantine” and appeals to take “social distancing measures” are the overwhelming messages that come with COVID-19. [22-26]

That scales impact from family diner to movie theaters and events such as the FIRST Robotics competition in which our own Saline Singularity competed on February 28 and 29. No more Newsies musical experiences like the show that closed here yesterday. [27,28]

Key points on the blog post today by our superintendent Scot Graden particular to coronavirus include request to stay home when sick and note that face mask barriers “are not a good prevention tool for healthy people.” How long until those who’ve argued that distance learning is “just as good” get a chance to find out if they’re right (assuming sufficient band-width to handle the load), school buildings shuttered. [29]

Permanently lock up our library, too, of course, given the fear of contagens part-and-parcel of any community gathering place. Seems there’s already a lot of momentum behind “displaying” the Bixby marionettes online as opposed to the sort of physical presence they once enjoyed here anyway. [30-32]

Virtual-only City Council meetings via the web might result in larger stakeholder participation. Depending on intensity of emotion, perhaps Michigan will be ready to eschew traditional polling locations in favor of voting exclusively via Internet — 2020 Iowa presidential caucus experiences notwithstanding. [33]

Still, much as it seems society is all set for workarounds to being there, I can’t help but think about how an impact to the “collaboration” of some future visions might alter if not cripple their promise. For example, when I sat down last year during NAIAS to interview Alisyn Malek, then of May Mobility, she spoke of ubiquitous acceptance of building elevators in casting immanent inevitability of ride-sharing shuttles. [34-36]

A few months later, she was on Mackinac Island and used the word “overstatement” when speaking to the same subject content. And with an arrival of coronavirus, I doubt that close quarters would make elevators appealing for any sort of analogy today.

Barely into March of 2020 now, I think we’ve hardly scratched the surface on what we need to know about coronavirus disease. I also believe that apple will move through the snake a lot faster than some of the larger potential cultural impacts that may come along with it.

Ironically, referring back to my comment above about COVID-19 having usurped discussion of ongoing concerns regarding racial discord in Saline, I can see how it might serve to underscore appeals to avenues for healing that do not involve legislation or appeals to morality. [37,38]

Can you think of anything more powerful than eighteen months of social isolation limited to the confines of your own home or neighborhood to make the idea of getting out to thoroughly mix it up with completely different groups of people a source of unbounded excitement?

References

1. “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)” CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2. “Novel Coronavirus Reports” CDC.
3. “Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak” World Health Organization (WHO).
4. “Rolling updates on coronavirus disease (COVID-19)” World Health Organization.
5. “NAACP Highlights Historical Moments for Black History Month” (February 1, 2016) NAACP: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
6. “Parents clash at school meeting on racism in Michigan” (February 4, 2020) BBC.
7. “Video by Saline students says racists, hate ‘outnumbered’” McKenna Ross (February 11, 2020) mLive.
8. “High school students sue Michigan administrators over suspensions for alleged racist Snapchats” Ivan Pereira (February 12, 2020) ABC News.
9. “Saline community seeks new norms, cultural celebrations to address racism” McKenna Ross (February 29, 2020) mLive.
10. “Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that caused it” World Health Organization.
11. “What’s in a Name? Why WHO’s Formal Name for the New Coronavirus Disease Matters” Sanya Mansoor (February 11, 2020) Time.
12. “Americans should prepare for coronavirus crisis in US, CDC says” Erika Edwards (February 25, 2020) NBC News.
13. “Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of Coronavirus Task Force in Press Conference” (February 29, 2020) The White House.
14. “Community Emergency Response Team” Ready (Official Website of the Department of Homeland Security).
15. “‘Community Emergency Response Teams’ provide an added level of local preparation, safety when disasters strike” Dell Deaton (December 18, 2019) Saline Journal.
16. “Washtenaw County Sheriff Open House Event Held To Build Stronger Relationships Within The Community It Must Serve” Dell Deaton (August 18, 2018) Saline Journal.
17. “Lead Your Business Through the Coronavirus Crisis” Martin Reeves, Nikolaus Lang , and Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak (February 27, 2020) Harvard Business Review.
18. “Support Downtown Saline Restaurants Now: Mangiamo Italian Grill” Janet Deaton (June 22, 2016) Saline Journal.
19. “Could Just One Photograph Fully Capture Whole of a Months-Long Historical Event?” Dell Deaton (November 1, 2016) Saline Journal.
20. Saline Main Street (home page).
21. “Pave It Forward – what does this mean for Saline?” Visit Saline.
22. “Self-quarantine may provide option to slow spread of coronavirus” Angela N Baldwin and Sony Salzman (February 29, 2020) ABC News.
23. “What to buy for your home emergency kit if you’re quarantined during the coronavirus outbreak” Katie Warren (March 1, 2020) Business Insider.
24. “Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities” CDC.
25. “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)” Health Department, Washtenaw County Michigan.
26. “COVID-19: What You Need to Know” (February 13, 2020) Washtenaw County Health Department.
27. “2020 Season: Team 5066 – Singularity” (2020) The Blue Alliance.
28. “‘Newsies: The Musical’ set to deliver the best of live local theatre with excellent vocals, dance, and staging” Dell Deaton (February 27, 2020) Saline Journal.
29. “Information Regarding Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)” (March 2, 2020) Scot Graden.
30. “Saline District Library in process of conducting expert-facilitated focus groups en route to five-year strategic plan” Dell Deaton (February 7, 2020) Saline Journal.
31. “Year-end report on Bixby Marionette Trust disposition outlined steady, important forward progress” Dell Deaton (December 11, 2019) Saline Journal.
32. “A Brief Look Back On The Meredith Bixby Marionette Story, Part II: Saline Once Hosted Museum, Held Puppet Festivals” Dell Deaton (September 21, 2018) Saline Journal.
33. “Online conspiracy theories flourish after Iowa caucus fiasco” Amanda Seitz and David Klepper (February 4, 2020) Associated Press (AP).
34. Alisyn Malek (LinkedIn Profile).
35. May Mobility (home page).
36. “Ups & Downs: The Evolution of Elevators” Rachel Ross (December 21, 2016) Live Science.
37. “Year-end Washtenaw Economic Club lunch presentation connected with community leaders on value of diversity” Dell Deaton (November 8, 2019) Saline Journal.
38. “Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism for 2020 focused on importance of defining our own location brand” Dell Deaton (February 20, 2020) Saline Journal.