Herd Immunity

 President Trump is experimenting with herd immunity.  

Trump has huge crowds at his rallies this month, many unmasked. He assumes that he is not contagious, but did not quarantine long enough after his own COVID-19 illness to be sure. He encourages the reopening of states even when the number of infections of COVID-19 is increasing. The idea is either he believes one can mentally prevent infection and its complications or that by infecting many, society will soon recover from the pandemic. 

The American Indians of Central America experienced herd immunity when they eventually recovered from the measles epidemic brought on by the Spaniards who followed Columbus into the Caribbean islands and Central America. 

Europe experienced herd immunity when it eventually recovered from the epidemics of smallpox and Black Plague.

Bring on the recovery. We can try herd immunity on Ebola now that we know it works. After all, at times there seems to be as much as a 10%  survival rate. 

Once we recover from COVID-19, we can await the next pandemic, or even just the next epidemic. After all, it only takes a few years to develop a vaccine. And the complications or side effects of a vaccine are deemed acceptable if testing is cut short. 

And now that there is no access to fresh fetal tissue needed to develop the immune therapy that Trump received (His meds cost taxpayers $100,000, BTW.), only the very rich can receive the limited supply of available immune therapy. And since we have no ideas if such therapy actually worked, let the rich be the guinea pigs.