What we are doing in the USA, enacting shelter in place laws too late, ignoring the fact of asymptomatic spreading, telling people they don’t need masks unless they are sick, is not going to work. Well, there still could be a miraculous mutation, or Elon Musk might figure out how to disable the virus from space with his satellites. More likely, however, the virus will go viral. How can we really stop it? As we have recently posted, mass testing works. We should use it to establish Virus Free Zones that expand as more people get tested and are found to be negative.
Virus Free Zone Plan to Stop Covid-19
Before millions are killed by the virus, we should enact a plan something like the below–being careful to preserve basic freedoms and individual privacy to the fullest extent possible in the process. Have it be run by local officials and citizens groups, or Red Cross volunteers, but not the US military, since people are already nervous enough in a country so politically divided at this time in history.
Step 1) Make Tests. Mobilize all available resources in the country to make tests as well as salt-activated masks. (Assuming the salt trick works as it seems to.)
Step 2) Systematically Test. Simultaneously use all available tests to systematically test everyone who agrees to be tested.
Step 3) Virus Free Zone Pass. Those who are negative for the virus can get in to a nearby virus free zone, an area sterilized of virus which also has special admittance procedures.
Step 4) New Zones. Anyone can declare their home or business a virus free zone if they meet established criteria for decontamination, including allowing in only people who test negative at a qualified testing station.
Step 5) Isolate the sick, even without symptoms. Those who test positive have to isolate from the larger population (the unknowns).
Step 6) Let it go Extinct. Retest everyone weekly until this is the virus is extinct.
Virus free zones will start small; a room here, a room there, but as new people test negative, they will grow to a whole house, a city block, and small virus free zones will merge and connect like soap bubbles getting bigger and bigger, and the virus will be gone. Human safe ultraviolet C lights should be deployed to sterilize large surface areas. We can also use alcohol, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, white vinegar, salt water, whatever is validated and approved to work.
If we do this, we will have a new protocol for any future virus threats as well.
With this method, we don’t need to test everyone. Every person tested, whatever the result, is pulled out of all contact with the largest group, the unknowns, who are sheltering in place.
This will require some significant action and sacrifice, but it seems like a valid system for stopping any viral pandemic, as long as testing is accurate and effective for screening.
