As this epidemic continues to takes its grim toll around the world, I see us learning and relearning many things, above all how interconnected we all are —for better or for wore--and how much we can achieve if we join forces and work together against common goals.
On the positive side, I have never seen the community come together across every sector—business, government, medical, universities, faith-based, non-profits, everyone--as well as we are at this moment. On a phone conference from my alma-mater, Yale, I learn that a Chinese nurse association is not only sharing their protocols with the United States and other countries but is translating them into English. I learn that scientists are sharing their papers on open platforms so that new insights can be shared everywhere quickly, disregarding claims for proprietary privilege.
Governors in the Northeast and on the West Coast are collaborating to forge common regulations respecting the reality of inter-state travel in the interest of all their citizens.
Governors in the Northeast and on the West Coast are collaborating to forge common regulations respecting the reality of inter-state travel in the interest of all their citizens.
Here in Cincinnati, we have some 40+ food distribution organizations working together to get food to the neediest. Most of these didn't talk to each other before. The Greater Cincinnati Fountain and the United Way unite to raise over $5 million in a couple of weeks for a special Covid-19 fund supporting first line workers helping people. Major hospitals no longer act as competitors but collaborators as they jointly plan to ensure there are sufficient. beds to handle the expected surge
Arch rivals, Apple and Google join forces to create software that promises to allow people who test positive to register that fact on their smart phone. This will enable other people who came into close proximity to them to know they might have had the virus transmitted to them.
Arch rival drug companies, GlaxoSmith-Kline and Sanofi, join forces in an unprecedented partnership to develop a coronavirus vaccine.
Arch rival drug companies, GlaxoSmith-Kline and Sanofi, join forces in an unprecedented partnership to develop a coronavirus vaccine.
Companies, Procter & Gamble (P&G) prominent among them, have quickly added capability in their plants to produce facial masks, ventilators and hand sanitizers. To take just two of many examples, P&G's Pampers brand in China has developed a contest for babies to keep busy and in Italy a link to a musical video which shows babies how to wash their hands .
Positively, we have gained a far higher respect for scientifically based data and the uses of technology for communication. Zooms daily active users jumped from 10 million to over 200 million in just 3 months.
And we have gained—the hard way-- much greater awareness of the need to be prepared to respond to future disasters, including ones that impact the entire globe overnight as this one has. One result of this will be far less willingness to rely on single sources of supply for disaster-critical materials and likely have more of them produced domestically.
Positively, we have gained a far higher respect for scientifically based data and the uses of technology for communication. Zooms daily active users jumped from 10 million to over 200 million in just 3 months.
And we have gained—the hard way-- much greater awareness of the need to be prepared to respond to future disasters, including ones that impact the entire globe overnight as this one has. One result of this will be far less willingness to rely on single sources of supply for disaster-critical materials and likely have more of them produced domestically.
As in any crisis, the relative strength and character of leaders are being revealed. We are witnessing strong leadership in many, many quarters—governors like Ohio's Mike DeWine and mayors like San Francisco's London Breed, corporate leaders, medical leaders like Dr, Fauci and Dr. Birx and the heroic healthcare workers on the front line. Sadly, dangerously, we have not witnessed it in the President of out Nation.
On the dark side, we are seeing deaths now over 25,000 in our country, over 10,000 in New York alone. and over 120.000 world wide, over 20,000 in Italy, my wife's and my "second home"with the numbers still climbing. Over 16 million workers have already filed for unemployment in the U.S. Hundreds of business have closed, including my son's fast food business in Boston.
Beneath these numbers lies untold grief, fear and uncertainty: "will I have a job?", "will my business reopen?" And there is the loneliness of millions, many isolated in one and two room apartments.
Never have I been so conscious of my own and my family's privilege.
On the dark side, we are seeing deaths now over 25,000 in our country, over 10,000 in New York alone. and over 120.000 world wide, over 20,000 in Italy, my wife's and my "second home"with the numbers still climbing. Over 16 million workers have already filed for unemployment in the U.S. Hundreds of business have closed, including my son's fast food business in Boston.
Beneath these numbers lies untold grief, fear and uncertainty: "will I have a job?", "will my business reopen?" And there is the loneliness of millions, many isolated in one and two room apartments.
Never have I been so conscious of my own and my family's privilege.
We are also seeing, starkly, the horrible, deadly consequences of our systemic inequality in people's access to good health and living conditions. I hope and pray we will finally take decisive action to close this gap. We have long known that the average black man's life expectancy is almost 10 years lower than the average white man. Now, we are seeing this realty play out in the morgues of the nation. There is no excuse not to act on this reality today by providing quality health care for ALL and upgrading livable residential opportunities for the poor.
I have never seen more united and determined action by all parts of the community—State. local, private, government, academic, health care, non-profits, everyone--to battle an existential challenge.
It is inspiring. It is necessary.
It is famously and rightly said, "It Takes a Village". Well, we have such a village right here in our community and in our Nation and it is thriving. You can feel its pulse.
May this spirit of collaboration be long remembered and called on to unite our community and Nation in confronting other existential challenges and opportunities we face.
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