A MICROSCOPIC BUG SHUTS DOWN THE UNITED STATES

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Cameron County has already cancelled duty for prospective jurors in the county and state courts.
In a notice published yesterday, Acting District Clerk Elvira Ortiz announced the cancellation until April.

"All those jurors who have received a notice to appear to serve as a prospective juror for March 23, 2020, do not have to appear. This action is being taken pursuant to the recommendation made by the Office of Court Administration due to the coronavirus pandemic as the President has declared a national emergency."

This follows the closing of all county parks and beach accesses by Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino.

And Cameron County District Attorney's Office is formulating plans to have its staff work from home by electronic means to establish social distancing and minimize the potential to transmittal. 

On the city side, and "in an effort to reduce the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19,) the Brownsville Public Library System has suspended all programming (such as MovieTime, StoryTime, LegoDay, Karaoke, Teen hangout, etc.) at both Main and Southmost branches until further notice.

Both branches remain open at this time but, we will update you as things develop."

And the City of Brownsville Municipal Court is taking cases ona person-to-person basis and not in open court, and closing down community service to limit contact between defendants and site supervisors and staff.

And yet, bar owners on South Padre Island – where thousands of Spring Breakers congregate in close proximity and gladly exchange bodily fluids – remains open with the owner of the largest beach bar, Clayton Brashear, advocating for a ridiculous (and self-serving) 500-person limit to crowd size.

Contrat that to the 10-person limit urged by President Donald Trump and his Public health czar, or the 50-person and 250-person crowd limit by various city and county officials. Obviously, economic – not public health – considerations guide this philistines. The president called for the crowd limits to extend for 15 days to blunt the effect of the virus.

In order to combat this virus, one as to understand it. In the first place, you cannot see it, touch it or feel it. It varies in size from 0.1 micrometers, or, as a scientist said in a recent television interview 20,000 viruses could fit on the head of a pin. For example, look at the graphic below and compare a single COVID-19 virus to a single red-blood cell.

PM is particulate matter, and 10 and 2.5 are diameter measurements: 10 micrometers or less
Co and Vi are derived from “coronavirus,” D stands for disease, and 19 is for 2019, the year the first cases were seen.

Compared to a human hair, the COVID-19 virus is 50 to 69 times smaller. (Se graphic below)

This is much different than what our parents went through

when the danger of nuclear annihilation seemed a possibility during the Cold War.

Here you won't see the bombs flash in the sky. You won't
save yourself by squatting under a school desk.

And you won't be able to sweep the "dust" that remains after the attack. What's more, if the virus is already in the air, you can huddle in a fallout shelter and still get infected by airborne virus from someone's breath

We have arrived to our Strange New World.

Unlike the Cold War and nuclear holocaust, this danger is invisible, yet deadly. And it's something that we, as a nation, can do something about regardless of our political persuasion, or whether you agree with Trump or Pelosi or not.

Adversity unites a nation. Let's see whether we're up to it.