“Normal,” already? Are these people kidding anyone but themselves?

May 2, 2020 –

We all know that correlation does not imply causality.  But let’s consider adding 2 + 2 here.

For the most part having shown surprising willingness to let data and health experts guide his response to the Covid-19 crisis, Gov. Reeves on Monday nonetheless started the economic “reopening” process in Mississippi, shifting from a “stay at home” order to a more relaxed “safer at home” guidance, and allowing a broad range of non-essential businesses to resume, albeit with restrictions, normal operations.  Five days later, the state experienced a spike in both new cases and deaths caused by the Coronavirus.

Acknowledging the disappointing numbers, Reeves wisely retreated quickly to a more cautious position, saying Friday that he needed to see what the weekend brought before taking any additional steps toward “normalcy.”

Well, here’s the deal, guv, based on medical science and not wishful thinking.  The pandemic is not abating, and is not likely to recede substantially anytime soon.  Some reprieve may occur in the hot and sultry summer months ahead (assuming Covid-19 behaves like other viruses tend to), but a summer decline in infections will only be temporary and will likely presage a strong resurgence of the virus in fall.  “Normalcy” is not just around the corner, and neither upbeat tweets from Pres. Trump nor hotheaded demands for “freedom” from gun-toting, Confederate flag-waving protesters can make it so.

You can most assuredly delude yourself, and you can try to get others to join you in your delusional folly, but you cannot, unfortunately, delude a stubbornly contagious virus.