Following the political science on the coronavirus

One of the more aggravating aspects of the dreary, never-ending coronavirus pandemic has been its politicization.

We've seen "red" (more conservative and Republican) states wanting to forge ahead and reopen while "blue" (more liberal and Democratic) states have been more cautious.

The refrain often heard is to "follow the science". But which science is being followed? Political science?

COVID-19 has exacted a high toll, with more than 183,000 dead, each death a painful one for survivors. The virus also has been more deadly than common influenza.

But the vexing question for historians after the pandemic subsides will be whether it necessitated hollowing out the world's largest economy.

The latest surprising coronavirus news came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), whose recent data showed 94 percent of people who died of COVID-19 had a comorbidity, or underlying illness. That means that only 6 percent of those stricken died of COVID-19 itself.

"For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death," the Aug 26 report said.

The CDC said that among the most prevalent underlying medical conditions were influenza, pneumonia, respiratory failure, heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney failure and heart disease.

Anti-lockdown forces seized on the data, but skeptics argued that some of those underlying conditions actually were caused by the coronavirus.

The TV media especially — the self-appointed hall monitors of the pandemic — are prone to gasping about college kids on spring break not socially distancing. Then there are the ersatz medical experts at Twitter and Facebook deciding what people can watch and read about the virus, even when those making some of the claims are medical doctors.

The pro open-up crowd will point to Sweden and say how that country hasn't fared badly without any lockdowns. But then they'll be on the defensive after an outbreak among carefree people at a bar or private party that leads to assorted establishments in an "open up" state being closed down. There also have been a few sad cases of adamant coronavirus doubters succumbing to the disease.

President Donald Trump and Joe Biden, his Democratic opponent in the Nov 3 election, also differ on how they view the virus.

The president once downplayed the threat and said it was another attempt by the Democrats and media to undermine his presidency.

Biden has floated the idea of a national mask mandate, and of the economy he recently said he "would shut it down" if there were a second wave of the virus.

As for lockdowns, here is Exhibit A: New York. Generally seen as the country's most important city, New York is now a shell of itself, with people still unable to enjoy the once-common pleasure of eating inside a restaurant, despite the curve of cases and hospitalizations not only having been "flattened" but basically run over by a truck.

Speaking of trucks — and buses and cars — are potential menaces that al fresco city diners face as they savor the crumbs of eating essentially on streets and sidewalks (with the further insult of being served with plastic plates and utensils), with nothing more than a flimsy barrier separating them from vehicular demise.

The mayor of New York recently said restoring indoor dining wasn't a priority because not everyone can afford to eat in pricey city restaurants. That may be true, but the hundreds of thousands of city food and beverage industry workers are likely having a tough time eating at all, as their jobs have vanished amid the government restrictions.

Incidentally, New York is the only city in the Empire State where indoor dining hasn't yet returned. With cooler weather and the fall approaching — a time of year preceding the holiday season when New York is in all its glory — the city is without one of its emotional pillars, the conviviality that restaurants and bars provide.

New Jersey will bring back indoor dining Friday at what seems like an arbitrary 25 percent capacity. Why not 28 percent, or 32 percent, or 45 percent? Not sure how the science dictates 25 percent; it seems like a rounding decision.

Most restaurateurs I've seen interviewed this week say they need at least 50 percent capacity to make it worth their while.

Gyms reopened Tuesday in New Jersey at 25 percent capacity.

Fitness establishments have been the most puzzlingly persecuted businesses in this mess. Most machines at gyms except for maybe treadmills are sufficiently socially distanced, and long before anyone heard of COVID-19, gyms have been leaders in sanitizing equipment.

Regular exercise is crucial to maintaining one's physical and mental health. Working out in your kitchen is not the same.

Then there was the tiresome debate over hydroxychloroquine, a drug that maybe hasn't been shown to be a breakthrough treatment for the virus but has been around a long time and has generally proven safe.

Major media, however, treated it as if it were cyanide after the president touted it.

The common thread here is politics. It's not always a matter of medicine.

The virus also has provided a way to see America writ large: the push-and-pull of the individual versus the state.

To mask or not to mask?

For the record, I called for mask-wearing in March when the CDC and World Health Organization were still advising against it.

But it would be nice to drop the mask mandates eventually. And if you want to continue to wear one ad infinitum, accessorized with a plastic face shield that makes you look like a welder, that's your right, too.

Contact the writer at williamhennelly@chinadailyusa.com