erect all sorts of bureaucratic blockades in the path of scientists, especially the epidemiologists who should have been listened to many months ago. If they do, maybe it won't be a raging malignant narcissist with nanometer thick skin who dismantles all the infrastructure set to deal with health emergencies because his predecessor made some jokes at his expense at a dinner where everyone in attendance had jokes made at his expense.
I look at the progress in virology, molecular biology and immunology since I went to school in the late 70s and early 80s and I'm astonished, and lunkheads were in control and tightening NIH purse strings for much of that time. Science works best when it works in obscurity as long as FUCKING MORONS don't get in the way by appointing raving incompetents to micromanage everything they do and generally gum up the works.
If anything comes out of the last utterly regrettable four years, I hope it's the permanent destruction of the Republican ideal of electing businessmen to run government like a business. It isn't a business and businessmen are bad at running it and Dumdum should put the final nail in that particular campaign slogan's coffin. Maybe next we can work on "trickle down" that never trickled past the "C level" corporate executives.
I don't expect a flood of kids going into pure research after this, it means doctorates and post doc work and a vow of poverty until they hit middle age, followed with paying off their debts until they hit retirement, more commitment than most can handle. Maybe they'll be interested enough to be lab techs and nurses and pulmonary therapists and all the other people who are in such short supply right now.
Besides, have you ever tried to explain what a PCR machine does and why an assay takes so much time? Even saying "polymerase chain reaction" causes eyes to glaze over as people try to reboot before you get a chance to explain what it means. I'm not hopeful there will be a flood of people to design the next generation of equipment. I just hope there is a flood of people who know how to run it by the next time a nasty disease comes around. There will be a next time.
Also, FWIW, I thought the initial locdown was premature, that the disease would follow the pattern of other pandemics and spread slowly over the summer and that the Draconian ,measures would have to be saved for fall. Looks like I was right. Don't you just love being right.
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