Damn the torpedoes ….!

Damn the torpedoes ….!

I’m receiving a steady flow of notices from my diverse advocacy network members reporting the loss of loved ones and colleagues suffering with COVID-19. My condolences to all family members who are suffering through this pandemic.

And my heartfelt admiration goes out to the medical staff and first responders whose valiant efforts to preserve life deserve our support.

It’s troubling to see people ignore reality and saunter through their days without protecting themselves and others around them. Masks on, please!

The looming prospect to re-open schools without respecting the life-saving guidelines set as standards by the CDC and Florida pediatricians is frightening.

A report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in cooperation with the Children’s Hospital Association reveals a 90-percent increase in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 among children nationwide.

Florida is reporting an astonishing 137-percent increase in children’s positive cases!

I hate to predict the inevitability that the children returning to school will infect each other with minimal symptoms … .and bring the virus home to their parents and elders with tragic impact.

Our federal, state and community-based officials are walking a tightrope with a serious gravitational pull. My usually sunny optimistic outlook is now darkened in a gathering storm of fear.

The adage “Prevention is the Best Medicine” is taking a back seat to “Damn the Torpedoes, Full Speed Ahead!”

Jack Levine
Founder, 4Generations Institute
Tallahassee