Do My Neighbors Have COVID-19?

Do my neighbors have COVID-19?  It appears that way. Why else would there be a quarantine sign on their front door?

Obviously they are infected with the coronavirus! Probably all six or seven of them or however many are over there. Or maybe they are not infected but have been in the presence of someone who has and have to quarantine as a precaution. I don't know!

But I should know. The fact that I do not know is a huge problem.

We are in the midst of a global health crisis or so we have been told. In the Philippines we must wear face masks, and in many cases face shields, in order to leave the house. Barangays and cities have gone through rolling quarantines of various lengths since March. We are not allowed to eat out or have parties or even attend church. Everyone is forced to maintain social distancing at all times in public or face fines, jail time, or both.

We are told that COVID-19 is a deadly, deadly disease that is no joke despite the survival rate being close to 99% and the chance of death being exacerbated by underlying co-morbidities such as diabetes and obesity. Just how many people in the Philippines have died from COVID-19 alone with no contributing factors? In the US it's only 6%! We are told that we are living in a new normal, a new world, and that we must all be afraid and treat everyone we come across as being potentially infected until a vaccine is available.

So why wasn't I told my neighbors have COVID-19? Why did no one knock on my gate and inform me of the situation and check up on me to see if I had any contact with them? Why does no one I ask know anything about this situation except through hearsay and rumor? That is exactly how fake news spreads.

If the virus is as deadly as they say then I and the whole neighborhood should have been informed about this situation. This is a PUBLIC health crisis after all. The fact that no one thought it proper to inform us belies the many hysterical claims spewing forth from the government.