Richard Davis
So many unknowns, and a virus that wants to outwit us
World governments are trying to deal with the complexity of vaccinating enough of their populations to provide an adequate level of herd immunity to be able to declare that the COVID-19 pandemic is under control.
Having a Darwinian health-care system and a lack of federal leadership means the U.S. will most likely lag behind the rest of the world in vaccine rollout. Experts are guessing that anywhere from 70 to 90 percent of people need to be vaccinated to meet herd immunity efficacy.
A saner and calmer future is on the horizon
Biden will have a difficult time finding common ground. But the departure of Donald Trump from the White House will usher in an era when we are no longer governed by tweets and when division and rancor will no longer be the tone.
It would have been comforting to have Donald Trump out of our minds in the last few months of his reign of chaos, but egomaniacs such as he do not move on graciously. We will continue to be enveloped with the shroud of madness until Jan. 20, and that...
Our secondary plague
Trump has sabotaged efforts to address the pandemic because he is too obsessed with his re-election. He has also created a new kind of existential anxiety that will only be cured if he is voted out of office.
I am trying to see all of the positive things that have come about as a result of the pandemic. We have more time to do the things we have been putting off for so long, we can read all of those books that have been on our reading...
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Masks are an effective tool — if used correctly
Over the past few weeks, I have been tempted to create a squad of the mask police. I have seen too many people who either don't seem to understand how a face mask is supposed to work, or they think half a job is better than none. When I see people who do not cover their nose with a mask, my blood pressure rises a little, but I have refrained from telling them how to use it correctly. Forty years...
Unsung heroes
All those who are treating COVID-19 patients are risking their lives. Doctors, nurses, respiratory, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists, lab techs, social workers, and a host of other professionals are on the front lines of an unprecedented health care battle, and they are making do with dwindling resources. It's as close to a worst-case scenario as there can be. There is also another group of health care workers who never get enough recognition or pay. They are the invisible foundation...
Coronavirus: How much of a threat?
We are being bombarded with information, misinformation, warnings, and all kinds of reports about the spreading coronavirus. How do you know what information is factual, and how would you deal with an outbreak of the virus in your community or in your home? Should you be concerned, or is there just too much fearmongering and hype to take this new disease outbreak seriously? The only accurate, factual, and up-to-date information is being provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), the...
Buyer, beware
Anyone who is 65 years or older is most likely receiving notices about changing their Medicare plan by postal mail, email, or a variety of other media. Medicare open-enrollment period is from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and anyone enrolled in either traditional Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan can switch coverage. New coverage would begin on Jan. 1, 2020. It is important to understand the history of the Medicare Advantage program. In 2003, President George W. Bush signed into...
Mission of friendship
In February, 13 people from the United States - most of them from Vermont - moved very far out of their normal comfort zones and spent five days living among people in the village of Kaiguchu, about two hours north of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. The Guilford Community Church has cultivated a connection with the village over 15 years - a world that, for the most part, is much like life in the American West of the mid-1800s. There...