April 3 (F), 2020 One of Hieronymus Bosch's paintings - a slice of this moment in pandemics

April 3 (F)

I am still helping out facilitating the Art Appreciation course of a local Technical College.  After reading students' online assignments, accidentally, I found an old book about the renowned early Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch. The Garden of Earthly Delights (between 1490 to 1510) is his signature artwork.  The painting has been housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid since 1939.

Flourishing during the Northern High Renaissance, little is known of Bosch's life or intention in creating this work of art.  Some art historians intended to interpret it ranged from "an admonition of worldly fleshy indulgence, to a dire warning on the perils of life's temptations, to an evocation of ultimate sexual joy. The intricacy of its symbolism, particularly that of the central panel, has led to a wide range of scholarly interpretations over the centuries. Twentieth-century art historians are divided as to whether the triptych's central panel is a moral warning or a panorama of paradise lost."

Refer to Bosch and Bruegel: Inventions, Enigmas and Variation Archived. 2007-06-09 at the Wayback Machine ". The National Gallery, London. Press release archive, November 2003. Retrieved May 26, 2008

After my own art appreciative moment, I turned to listen to national and local radios. Then,   I thought of a motto written by the 3rd president T. Jefferson, " A well-informed citizenry is a guarantee to the democracy'",  now, better said in this way: A well-informed/prepared citizenry, in particular, those with Power in the Washington D.C.,  maybe makes 313 million people's surviving possible...

I absolutely have no words for this pandemonium now unfolding, after my following 2 months' observations on what happened in China, Italy, then Spain, and now, the US...

The US. is well experienced in the annual Flu, but not MERS, SARS and now the Novel Coronavirus. The Flu virus may not be so whimsical, capricious, even creative as the current novel Coronavirus. This unprecedented pandemic crisis in the US. is shockingly creating a grand scale of confusion and chaos now unfolding in every minute, every second. Some media critics in Taiwan described the situation which is not just the warzone but embedded with various timebombs and landmines.  These critics diligently report and document what happens since the outbreak of the Wuhan virus crisis around the world, from Taiwan and global perspectives.

The Taiwanese government has been working cooperatively with other countries in developing anti-virus medical equipment, tools, and research, as well as donating millions of facial masks to the hit hard countries.

Today, the conservative talk show mouthpieces still energetically condemned the "Doomsayers", fearmongering "math Modelers" who "fabricate the scary numbers to destroy the US. economy."  With their powerful propaganda to the ill-informed base and the un-informed listeners, they urge people to "go back to work!!!"  How patriotic these mouthpieces are, puffing with the Cuban cigars in the well-protected mansion, eating fine veal and steak with a glass of Moet Chandon Dom Perignon Rose on the golden, shining decor dining table!

As a Federal type of government, opposite to the centralized grip in handling the viral crisis of the totalitarian-authoritarian regimes, the dual administrative mode faces an unprecedented challenge. Now 50 states have different paces in exercising administrative orders to their residents with a lack of common coordination. The price of this "learning by doing" is incalculable.  Each life is precious and now is at the mercy of the whimsical viruses under the unprepared dual-levels of governments with patchwork. As to lacking the basic medical resources and daily living materials which are under the whimsical paradoxes of the intended and unintended consequences in the accelerating globalization of the geo-politico-economy, will be another topic soon. (Note, some insiders revealed since last January, a regime ordered all the oversea overt and covert business agencies to marshal all the available medical equipment and resources in the world to send back to the country.  Now, these stashed and hoarded medical materials are turned into price gouging mechanisms, international diplomatic tools, and the wartime strategic weaponry.)

Now, is not a time for bickering, accusing about who are the doomsday makers...

Insulated by the two big oceans and the unthreatening neighboring countries with a lower density of population (compared to a 1.4 billion), the US. indeed, is endowed with some advantage in trading the vast space for a very limited time.  But is it both a blessing and a curse?

Come back to some factual observations shared with people who care about this life-n-death battle and those mouthpieces who own too much power to lead their ill-informed audience into real doomsday. 

Repeat what I posted on facebook and this blogger. This new type of virus is unpredictable, constant in changing. From what happens on the west side of the Pacific rim, this virus can incubate itself in different timeframes - from 5 to 24 days to show the symptoms. It can hide from the tests. Some suspected infected persons have to test multiple times to see the real result. The worst part of this virus is that no symptoms are shown by some virus carriers. 

There was a report from insiders of China that a SuperCarrier was identified, who transmitted the virus to 40,000 people after the contacted were tracked down.

Some other insiders' smuggling out message reveals that China's commanding hospitals to reduce the sick rolls "forced many patients to recover  instantly or quickly to meet the deadline." These evicted "normal" patients, their relapsing illness, now, probably turns into the 2nd wave of China's epidemic problem.

Turning to Japan and S. Korea as the vivid and well-observed examples, both countries were skin-deeply touched by SARS, but not hit by it in 2003.  Thus, during early February, people in Taiwan (with the lesson learned from 2003 SARS, plus under the military threat from China) were truly worried about how loose they were in dealing with the Wuhan versus in these two countries. One of the main concerns for such anxiety of Taiwan was due to many travelers, visitors, students and business connections and interactions among these 3 countries.

For example, not until the super-spreading community contagion from a fringe Christian group Shincheonji Church in 大邱 city (2.5 million population) was identified as the epicenter of this outbreak, did the South Korean government begin their combative mission. It became the most striking crisis outside China's outbreak.

The whole crisis was started by a 61-year-old woman who tested positive, known as “Patient 31” who attended the Shincheonji Church.  Yes, all began with ONE person.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/20/reuters-america-wrapup-7-south-korea-city-deserted-after-coronavirus-super-spreads-in-church.html  Here was a brief from Reuters:

" SEOUL/BEIJING, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The streets of South Korea’s fourth-largest city of 2.5 million people were abandoned on Thursday, with residents holed up indoors after dozens of people caught the coronavirus in what the authorities described as a “super-spreading event” at a church."

As to Japan, the crisis started from the Diamond Princess oceanliner.  One passenger from Hong Kong was on board from January 20 to 25 for a trip to Yokohama. After disembarking on January 25, the passenger was ill and tested positive with the Wuhan virus. The passenger showed no symptoms on the ship during the trip. At that time, there were 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew onboard.

Later, for the safety, security, and well-being concerns, all the passengers were quarantined on the ship.

Again, the loose outlet happened when a Japanese professor who gained access to the Diamond Princess cruise ship said in a YouTube video posted Tuesday (Feb. 18)  that he was shocked by the lack of coronavirus infection control measures on board. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/japanese-expert-sneaked-diamond-princess-describes-infection-control/story?id=69071246 

The more frightening scene (from today's hindsight perspective) was the first doctor onboard to check the infectious condition, who was only equipped with a regular facial mask (indeed, who would think about a whole set of PPE needed at that time!!)

These were just some random episodes before the US.' crisis happening. That's why I have been constantly exposed in shock to see ( now, in Wisconsin) the following randomly episode:

1. no masks being used (I dare not to use my "priceless" masks in this town, which my sister asked her friend to mail from Taiwan. It is a "myth", a "taboo", an "unseen, unknown" item, more accurately speaking, "unavailable" object to the local people;

2. the frontline health caregivers' ill-equipped, or lack of the PPES, as I visited the local hospital to see a friend and was shocked that no health caregivers or register associates had a mask on. (That I made a suggestion to an RN for the basic mask necessity.)

3. the relevant personnel, such as firefighters, policemen, medical helpers without the required type of PPEs in rendering the viral scene (such as moving the infected deceased without insulated bio-encased stretchers);

4. the public servants, speakers, press releasers harangue in the close room without facial masks which is unbelievable to me.
 
5. Then, some students still insisting to enjoy their spring break and then brought back the tested positive virus.
6. children group playing in the fields,

7. churchgoers still echoing the calling of their priests, missionaries' goodwill to meet with gods.

8. curious people swamping up to witness USNS the navy hospital ship Comfort approaching the harbor, ignoring the newly enacted rule social distancing. (I could not believe my eye when I read these happening! It is suicidal by "free will"...

9. surely, the most omnipresent events performed by a nine head-dragon rushing into a china store, our president's numerous behaviors with his close proteges, need not my extra words here to misuse the space...

and the rest of not being taken seriously life-n-death episodes...

Here is an article released today by an American, Benjamin Wilson from Louisiana, who married a Chinese woman, residing in the city of Wuhan. He alerted people to expect: Act as though it's going to be a lot longer" scenario: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/act-though-it-s-going-be-lot-longer-american-wuhan-n1173911

Here is the report by NBC News:

An American who spent more than two months locked down in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus epidemic first emerged, is urging people back home to prepare for a lengthy interruption to their lives.

“Don't go into this thinking it's going to be over in a few weeks,” Benjamin Wilson told NBC News from his apartment in Wuhan where he and his family spent eight weeks in confinement.

After initially experiencing problems getting evacuated back to the U.S., Wilson, 38, chose to stay in the city where he has lived for more than 16 years, with his Chinese wife, Li Qin, and seven-year-old daughter Jasmin as it went into lockdown in late January.

For six out of the eight weeks that the family spent cooped up inside, they could not leave their apartment at all, relying on delivery services for their daily needs.

“No one would have anticipated that it would be this long,” said Wilson.

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The following is a sidebar reflection, still, writing in progress:

The whole crisis reminds me of Everette Rogers’ research, who is a professor of communication studies. His theory of Diffusion of Innovations (1962) seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology, in the current case, the virus spread. Not everyone will immediately adopt a disruptive idea despite obvious benefits (in the novel Coronavirus, the detriments), he identified some fascinating personality traits that help us organize how people will accept a new innovation (in the current case, the novel Coronavirus).

Though this theory is not about the negative side of the effect of innovation or abrupt/disruptive ideas, it has some indications of the current conditions. I will come back to modify the contents for the relevancy.

Here is an excerpt from the theory of Diffusion of Innovation. Though the contents are about the groups and time in adopting technological innovation or new ideas, in the current pandemic crisis, following a similar vein, the whole world is facing a brand new coronavirus.

Innovators (2.5%) – Innovators are the first individuals to adopt an innovation. Innovators are willing to take risks, youngest in age, have the highest social class, have great financial lucidity, very social and have the closest contact with scientific sources and interaction with other innovators. Risk tolerance has them adopting technologies that may ultimately fail. Financial resources help absorb these failures. (Rogers 1962 5th ed, p. 282)

Early Adopters (13.5%) – This is the second-fastest category of individuals who adopt an innovation. These individuals have the highest degree of opinion leadership among the other adopter categories. Early adopters are typically younger in age, have a higher social status, have more financial lucidity, advanced education, and are more socially forward than late adopters. More discrete in adoption choices than innovators. Realize judicious choice of adoption will help them maintain a central communication position (Rogers 1962 5th ed, p. 283).

Early Majority (34%) – Individuals in this category adopt an innovation after a varying degree of time. This time of adoption is significantly longer than the innovators and early adopters. Early Majority tend to be slower in the adoption process, have above average social status, contact with early adopters, and seldom hold positions of opinion leadership in a system (Rogers 1962 5th ed, p. 283)

Late Majority (34%) – Individuals in this category will adopt an innovation after the average member of society. These individuals approach an innovation with a high degree of skepticism and after the majority of society has adopted the innovation. Late Majority are typically skeptical about an innovation, have below-average social status, very little financial lucidity, in contact with others in late majority and early majority, very little opinion leadership.

Laggards (16%) – Individuals in this category are the last to adopt an innovation. Unlike some of the previous categories, individuals in this category show little to no opinion leadership. These individuals typically have an aversion to change-agents and tend to be advanced in age. Laggards typically tend to be focused on “traditions”, likely to have lowest social status, lowest financial fluidity, be the oldest of all other adopters, in contact with only family and close friends, very little to no opinion leadership.