I still remember the day (many years ago) when I met a doctor who told me they were an epidemiologist, and I responded with a bewildered and baffled look, as I had no idea what that term meant at the time.
However in the last two years, I think my respect for the research done by epidemiologists has increased dramatically as I suddenly understood just how important is there line of work and research. All of a sudden their efforts at understanding pandemics and how to best fight them, have become so important to the ways our societies function and I am beyond grateful to them and their research.
I am sure just like each and every one of you, I have found myself learning new pieces of info during this pandemic, that I had limited or no knowledge of beforehand.
G-d willing this surge will be over soon with minimal damage and loss and this will hopefully be the last surge of the Pandemic.
Which brings me to the Omicron Variant and it's R0 rate.
One of the new concepts that I found myself learning in recent times is the R0 rate, or the rate or reinfection for each strain of COVID. The R0 rate is the number by which one can see or even predict the direction of a pandemic at any given time.
The original strains of the COVID 19, had a limited R0 rate, which helped slow their devastating spread along with mitigating efforts by society. Then along came Delta with a new increased R0 rate, and now we have the Omicron Variant which has an estimated R0 rate of 10 which is a staggering reproduction figure which is what we are grappling with today.
R0 from a Homeless Man
Two days ago, I met a man who was selling drinks to raise money for a Homeless Shelter. We ended up having a long discussion about life and he shared with me that he had been homeless at one point of his life for ten years. This all changed, when one person took an interest in him, helped him get off the streets and get the help that he needed. Today he is a counselor who helps out by working with individuals in a homeless shelter for five days a week and helps raise funds for the other two days of a week to support the homeless.
One life was touched by a concerned individual many years earlier, and now the receiver is on the giving end and helping so many others be able to live as he REPRODUCES the good.
It was a moving story and we were very touched and inspired after hearing it.
It also reminded me that when it comes to doing good and the power of positivity and goodwill, the R0 rate doesn't decrease, but instead continues to increase over time.
The question is how much is the R0 rate of good.
Is it going to be below R1 which is when a pandemic will slowly burnout, but it will bode no good when we are talking about making a better world. Or will it perhaps be at a higher rate of 1 or even better at a really rapid ate, so that the power of good, is moving from one person to the next and causing the next good thing to happen in the world in a truly powerful way.
While the R0 of infectious diseases is not in our hands, the R0 rate of reproducing good is most definitely in our hands and we can be the ones to cause goodness, kindness and positivity to take off in a very big way in society.
As we pray and do all we can so that this pandemic will end, may our actions of positivity and kindness help cause a tidal wave and surge of good for the world around us.
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Yisroel