Covid-19 on the USS Theodore Roosevelt

Looks like I need to shed further light on the issues surrounding the USS Theodore Roosevelt...

Due to the very nature of its mission our naval services have been strategically placed as the nation's front line force in readiness. These forces are usually  the first to react to international crises and provide aid in natural disasters.  In no small way they are our defacto  ambassadors at large... Making countless good will stops at ports of call... Our sailors and Marines being good will ambassadors while on shore leave, interacting with the locals of the host nation... They go a long way cementing the good relationships needed to expand commercial relationships.

This was the instance when The Big Stick and its battle group recently docked at Danang, Vietnam. It is reasonable to assume that crew member's contracted covid-19 while ashore...

The most dangerous working environment on planet earth is on an aircraft carrier flight deck... We ask these men and women to stand in harms way, doing the nation's bidding... To do so demand split second timing in a very well choreographed atmosphere, fraught with danger... Therefore they must remain mentally and physically sharp.

For those who have held a command position, either commissioned or NCO, you understand your responsibility to see to the welfare of your command... The evidence is reasonably clear that once the disease raised its ugly head Captain Crozier did just that... His requests for immediate test kits and assistance in quarantining those infected went unanswered... This ship has since seen over 600 testing positive... 8 with the disease and now one death...

In no small way, the reason why our military has performed so well in combat is that our command procedures encourage field commanders to take the initiative... Vary from plans to meet the existing conditions... It is obvious that Captain Crozier did just that... He is now tested positive with the disease, contracted while on his ship... Wishing him a speedy recovery...

The covid-19 is the best argument for universal health care.

The data coming out of this pandemic points light on the disparities the nation has with health care.

All minorities, in particular American Indians and African Americans are being infected and dying in numbers disproportionate to their numbers in relation to their percent of the population... We know that infection and death from this plague is tied directly to underlying health issues... Data also proves that these minorities or more likely to have asthma, diabetes, obesity along with other underlying lifestyle problems... Compounding this, is they are also they are the highest percentage of the uninsured...  It is also well known that the absolute number one reason why people don't seek out regular medical care is the cost.

Thus, we have a large segment of our population, already in problematic health, being exposed to the Coronavirus... Not seeking care and in turn exposing exponentially more people.

Setting aside the utter failure of the Trump Administration in facing this crisis early on...as is could have and should have... With universal health care, millions more may have been treated far sooner... Flattening the curve sooner and allowing us to return to our, likely changed forever, daily lives...

There are numerous ways of proving the coverage we are all entitled to...Addressing the shortcomings of the ACA, in particular the penalty for being uninsured,  would be the quickest and easiest method... However, Medicare for can, with everyone paying into the system, be made to work and at a reasonable cost for employees, businesses, Healthcare industry and government...

For those opposed to providing Healthcare for all... In the end allowing the  over 27 million Americans to be without Healthcare ends up costing us all deeply... In the instance of covid-19... Allocating $180 billion of the $2 trillion bail out, or almost $6.7 million per each of the 27 million uninsured!!!