>>> AS I MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF
THE SHOW, I AM BACK AT WORK
BROADCASTING SAFELY AT HOME
AFTER SPENDING THE LAST TWO
WEEKS AT HOME ISOLATING AND
RECOVERING FROM COVID-19.
I DID ALL THE RIGHT THINGS IN
FACT I WORE A MASK, KEPT MY
DISTANCE, BUT STILL, I GOT
CO-VID.
AND I REALIZE THAT DOING THE
RIGHT THING ISN’T ENOUGH.
OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ISN’T
GIVING THE INCENTIVE OR THE
PUNITIVE CONSEQUENCES TO
INFLUENCE THE DECISIONS WE’RE
MAKING EVERY DAY.
VIRTUALLY NO SUPPORT SUPPORT FOR
THOSE WHO CAN’T AFFORD TO
ISOLATE AND STAY AT HOME, AND NO
REAL LEGAL ACTION FOR THOSE WHO
REFUSE
REFUSE.
FOR MY HUSBAND AND ME, CO-VID
WAS LIKE A BRUTAL FLU.
OUR KIDS, NO SYMPTOMS
WHATSOEVER.
WITHOUT ACCESS TO RAPID TESTING
OR THE FINANCIAL AND JOB
SECURITY TO DEVOTE THE LAST TWO
WEEKS TO QUARANTINING, ALL OF US
WOULD HAVE SPREAD IT.
YES.
THE ISOLATION DAYS ARE NOT EASY,
BUT THEY’RE NECESSARY.
AND YET, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
CAN’T AFFORD TO ISOLATE.
THEY’RE WALKING AROUND AND DON’T
KNOW THEY HAVE IT.
OR WORSE, THEY JUST DON’T CARE.
AND WE’RE ALL JUST CROSSING OUR
FINGERS WAITING FOR A VACCINE.
OUR LEADERS REALLY AREN’T DOING
MUCH TO ADDRESS THIS CRYISIS AT
THE MOMENT.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LIKE ME, WE
GET THE VIRUS AND DON’T NEED
HOSPITAL CARE.
AND THERE IS NOTHING FORCING US
TO QUARANTINE AND PROTECT OUR
COMMUNITY.
WE KEEP URGING PEOPLE TO GET
TESTED, BUT RESULTS TAKE DAYS.
WE’RE TOLD JUST TO ISOLATE BUT
HOW DO WE DO THAT?
IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD A
POSITIVE CO-VID TEST PUTS YOU IN
A GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED HOTEL FOR
TWO WEEKS.
WOULD I LIKE THAT?
NO, BUT I WOULD RATHER MISS A
HOLIDAY AND A FEW WEEKS THAN TO
RISK SPREADING THE VIRUS EVEN
MORE.
MAYBE KILLING MY EXTENDED
FAMILY.
IT STARTED WITH MY HUSBAND THE
DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
HE WOKE UP NOT FEELING THAT
GREAT.
KIND OF LIKE A HANGOVER WHICH
HE’S HAD BEFORE.
BUT BECAUSE IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE
A HOLIDAY, WE TOOK ACTION AND
ANY OTHER DAY, I DON’T THINK WE
WOULD HAVE GOTTEN HIM TESTED.
BUT TO BE SAFE, WE DID.
AND HE TESTED POSITIVE.
SO WE ALL IMMEDIATELY ISOLATED.
MY HUSBAND ON HIS OWN, MY OWN MY
OWN AND MY THREE KIDS BASICALLY
TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES
RELYING ON FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
TO DROP OFF FOOD AT OUR DOOR.
I TESTED POSITIVE TWO DAYS
LATER.
HAD WE NOT TESTED, OUR FAMILY
WOULD HAVE POTENTIALLY EXPOSED
OUR COLLEAGUES, OUR NEIGHBORS,
OUR KID’S SCHOOLS.
WE WERE ONE DAY AWAY FROM
UNKNOWINGLY POTENTIALLY BEING
SUPER SPREADERS.
WE ARE SO LUCKY THAT WE GOT
TESTED SO QUICKIE.LY.
WE ARE LUCKY TO BE PRIVILEGED,
BUT BETTING ON LUCK IS A FAILED
NATIONAL STRATEGY.
I HAVE ALL SORTS OF STRANGE
SYMPTOMS.
DIFFERENT ONES EVERY DAY.
THE WORST WAS THE FEAR AND
ANXIETY OF WHAT EACH DAY WAS TO
BRING AND WHO I MAY HAVE
INFECTED.
FEARS THAT FOR ME WERE ALL
MANAGEABLE BECAUSE I’M VERY
LUCKY TO HAVE GREAT DOCTORS WHO
ARE ANSWERING MY CALLS.
AND BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO PUT MY
LIFE ON HOLD AND FOCUS ON MY
HEALTH FOR NEARLY TWO WEEKS.
THAT IS NOT A NORMAL
CIRCUMSTANCE FOR MOST AMERICANS.
IT’S NOT OUR NORM.
STRESS, ANXIETY, AND CONFUSION.
THOSE ARE NORMS.
AND THOSE ARE PARTLY TO BLAME
FOR WHY THE SPREAD CONTINUES.
TAKE THIS EXAMPLE.
SOMEBODY ELSE WHO IS DOING THE
RIGHT THING.
THE PERSON WHO CUTS MY HAIR WHO
I HAD POTENTIALLY EXPOSED.
SHE CANCELLED HER THANKSGIVING.
SHE TOOK HER KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL.
SHE STOPPED GOING TO WORK AND IN
TURN, MADE $0 FOR THE NEXT
NEARLY TWO WEEKS.
SHE WAITED THREE HOURS TO GO GET
A TEST, A TEST THAT CAME BACK
NEGATIVE EIGHT DAYS LATER.
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE ASKING AMERICA
TO DO.
DO YOU THINK MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
ARE DOING THAT FOR REAL?
THE ANSWER IS MANY OF THEM ARE
NOT.
AND HERE’S WHY.
THE TRUTH IS, WHEN YOU HAVE
CO-VID LIKE I DO, YOU CAN SHOP.
YOU CAN WORK.
YOU CAN SEND YOUR KIDS TO
SCHOOL.
ALL WHILE SPREADING THIS VIRUS.
AND BY THE WAY, THOSE
TEMPERATURE TAKERS IN GYMS AND
RESTAURANTS, THEY’RE FOLLOWING
THE PROTOCOLS.
BUT HAD ANYONE TAKEN MY
TEMPERATURE OR MY HUSBAND’S,
THEY’D HAVE LET US IN.
WE HAD NO FEVERS.
HOURLY WAGE WORKERS ARE GOING TO
WORK SICK BECAUSE THEY CAN’T
AFFORD NOT TO.
THEIR EMPLOYERS ARE IGNORING THE
SYMPTOMS BECAUSE THEY’RE TRYING
TO KEEP THEIR BUSINESSES ALIVE
AND ADDING TO THE CONFUSION,
DURING THE TIME I WAS ISOLATING
THE CDC CHANGED THE GUIDELINES
FROM 14 DAYS TO 10 DAYS.
AND THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO
KNOW THEY ARE SPREADING IT AND
THEY DON’T CARE.
I ALSO LEARNED THAT PEOPLE DON’T
WANT TO TAKE YOUR CALL.
WHEN YOU’RE THINKING YOU’RE
DOING THE RIGHT THING AND
TELLING THEM YOU MAY HAVE
EXPOSED THEM TO THE VIRUS, THEY
DON’T WANT TO HEAR THE POTENTIAL
INCONVENIENCE ON THEM.
AND THAT IS A PROBLEM.
ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS NO ONE
TO HOLD THEM TO ACCOUNT.
HERE’S THE TRUTH.
MILLIONS CANNOT AFFORD TO DEAL
WITH THE VIRUS.
AND MILLIONS MORE REFUSE.
AND WE DON’T HAVE A VACCINE YET.
THIS VIRUS ISN’T OVER, AND NOW
IS NOT THE TIME TO GET
COMPLACENT.
PLEASE.
THIS IS OUR REALITY.
AND WHAT IS MOST CONCERNING IS
THAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS DOING
VERY LITTLE TO MAKE THESE
GUIDELINES ANY EASIER TO FOLLOW.
THE RIGHT THING IS A LOT EASIER
THE MORE PRIVILEGED YOU ARE.
CO-VID DOESN’T CARE IF YOU’RE
RICH, POOR, BLACK, WHITE, YOUNG,
OLD.
CO-VID DOESN’T CARE IF IT’S
THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS OR YOUR
BIRTHDAY, BUT HOW WE MANAGE THIS
VIRUS IS A WHOLE LOT EASIER IF
YOU’RE LUCKY TO HAVE THE
PRIVILEGE OF SUPPORT.
THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GET THROUGH
THIS IS TO HAVE A SYSTEM THAT
WORKS FOR EVERYONE.
AND AFTER HAVING CO-VID, I KNOW