Texas Lt Gov Dan Patrick bluntly said what trump has been saying more subtly with his 15-day plan to open up businesses and schools — that grandparents should sacrifice their lives to save the economy for the children. Also, he is implying that there are only two (false) choices — save the economy or let the elderly die.

In the video segment below, Tucker Carlson, instead of being his usual chatty and nasty self, listens in silence, probably thinking of his parents, and asks a question in the end —

Tucker: You are basically saying that this disease could take our life, but that’s not the scariest thing to you, there’s something that would be worse than dying.

Patrick: Yeah

x Tx Lt Gov Dan Patrick says grandparents would be willing to die to save the economy for their grandchildren pic.twitter.com/wC3Ngvtsbj Ã¢ÂÂ Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) March 24, 2020

This is not some isolated wacko making a hideous statement. This is pretty much in line with trump’s and McConnell’s plans — open up businesses in 7 days, let the older folks die, shower trillions of dollars of our grandchildrens’ money on (select) businesses, and as for workers — let them eat Chloroquine.

This is also in line with the approach advocated by many republicans — let the virus spread, young people will develop immunity while “just” 3.4% of the population will die. What they discuss behind closed doors and the dark hallways of right-wing “think-tanks” is anybody’s guess.

Will only the elderly die?

No, it won’t just be the elderly who will die; the death rate among the young and middle aged is nothing to sneeze at. The death rate will be much higher as hospitals run out of beds and supplies. Even those who survive will get serious lung damage. The infection and death rate among doctors, nurses and other health workers will be staggering.

x #COVID19 hospitalisation and ICU admissions stratified by age group in the US:



- 20-44 age group: ~1 in 5 hospitalised, 1 in 20 in ICU

- 45-64 age group: ~1 in 3 hospitalised, 1 in 10 in ICU



The risk of severe disease and intensive care admission in young adults is not zero. https://t.co/spLcunLs7H Ã¢ÂÂ dr muge cevik (@mugecevik) March 24, 2020

Stats from NY -

x Younger people listen up: 55% of NYS #Coronavirus cases are ages 18-49.



Young people arenÃ¢ÂÂt invincible. You can get this and you can give it to someone older you love.



You shouldnÃ¢ÂÂt endanger your own health & you certainly shouldn't endanger other people's health.#StayAtHome Ã¢ÂÂ Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 21, 2020

Do lockdowns and social distancing work?

Yes, lockdowns, social distancing and testing work. Italy in spite of getting a slow start is showing good progress and bending the curve. Italy, like us, ignored the problem initially but has taken the right steps over the past 2 weeks. Many other countries, now including India, are applying the lessons learnt from China, S, Korea and Italy to their own situation.

Note that the x-axis is not date, but days since the infection numbers started to take off, since Italy is about 10 days ahead of the U.S.

Some reactions:

Gov. Cuomo using his bully pulpit to say it clear and loud - this is republican social Darwinism. And we will not allow this to happen.

x "My mother is not expendable & your mother is not expendable. We're not going to accept a premise that human life is disposable. We're not going to put a Ã°ÂÂÂµ figure on human life. What is this, some modern Darwinian theory of natural selection? God forbid." pic.twitter.com/qIVuWcr5w5 Ã¢ÂÂ Maya Harris (@mayaharris_) March 24, 2020

Ken Carroll: Dan Patrick demonstrates all the hallmarks of a cult member, praising the cult leader and expressing his desire to lay down his own life in the service of the cult leader. Just like Jim Jones followers who drank poison and had their children drink it too.

#NotDying4WallStreet is trending on twitter.

x Folks, do NOT listen to trump.

He will get you KILLED.



DO: listen to Dr. Fauci.

DO: listen to your Governor.

DO: listen to medical experts.



I'm #NotDying4WallStreet.

NEITHER SHOULD YOU. Ã¢ÂÂ BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) March 24, 2020

The inconvenient truth -

x So long as covid-19 spreads uncontrolled, older people will die in historic numbers, middle aged folks doomed to prolonged ICU stays to fight for their lives, hospitals will be overwhelmed, and most Americans terrified to leave homes, eat out, take the subway, or go to the park. Ã¢ÂÂ Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 24, 2020

x But there's no functioning healthcare with hospitals overwhelmed, no return to work with people terrified of a virus raging uncontrolled. There are two ways to end this. Let a vast swath of people catch covid which is unthinkable, or break the epidemic. We must choose the latter Ã¢ÂÂ Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 24, 2020

What needs to be done and how some responsible blue states are going it. Check out the full set of tweets in this thread by the Director of The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

x But we need to press ahead for now w closed schools, mass

telecommuting, no gatherings, strong advisory to stay home unless you need to

go out Ã¢ÂÂ all are needed to slow this epidemic. 23/x Ã¢ÂÂ Tom Inglesby (@T_Inglesby) March 24, 2020

Epilogue

Let’s do all we can to protect our loved ones — young and old. Let’s follow all the guidelines on staying home, social distancing, washing hands, getting tested if you notice any symptoms, etc. We will get through with this, in spite of the spite shown by Republicans to humanity.

Let’s also keep in mind that most states (at least the blue ones) will act responsibly; Most companies (except a few conservative ones like Hobby Lobby) will not force their employees to come to work in the middle of a raging pandemic. And if they do, most workers should refuse to go to work — there’s nothing worse than watching our loved ones die.

And let’s keep reminding the electorate of the depraved nature of this despicable party called the GOP, so we can end this nightmare in November.

The cure for the disease is to expunge the real virus from the White House.

P.S.

For those who want to explore more science-based information about Coronavirus, check out diary “Coronavirus - Myths, Realities and Uncertainties” for some more info.