COVID-19, Amazon Drones, and The New Shopping Experience

COVID-19 sucks. And, whether you’re a believer in its death-dealing capacity, or a doubter who believes the virus is overblown, the death toll is real.

True; there were some issues in tabulating casualties, but even in my own relatively limited social circles, I know more than ten people who have died due to COVID-19. True; most were advanced in age or had underlying health conditions, but a few were young and healthy, if a tad overweight.

How do we know it was COVID? The symptomology only matches this strange pathogen’s known profile, with most people suffering from extremely severe breathing issues. Others exhibited circulatory problems, but in every case, COVID exacerbated their other issues. If not for this virus, I think it would be fair to say that most of the people I know who have lost their lives might still be alive today.

I know; I know. This has been the most politicized health crisis, probably in history. Even so, let’s go beyond the politics and examine how we might find strategies to cope. If you still think it’s all just a hoax, you need to get informed and stop being a lemming. Being a COVIDIOT is as bad as any other extreme view.

Firstly, there’s the Amazon drones. I already know a good portion of readers have clicked on this article because of this. These are the forward-looking young people, older folks who love technology, and the curious, certainly.

On late August, Amazon garnered FAA approval to operate its drone delivery fleet. The Federal Aviation Administration will now allow Amazon to “safely and efficiently deliver packages to customers.” With two giant Amazon warehouses right on Staten Island, we’re sure to be a hub for drone activity for Amazon Prime Air.

And, that’s not a bad thing. It will take trucks off the road, reducing both traffic and car exhaust. It will also potentially reduce the risk of having a driver deliver packages, possibly encountering many residents along the way.

Of course, most of the Amazon drivers’ encounters with people would be outdoors, where risk of contracting COVID are severely minimized.

Then there’s grocery shopping. Workers there encounter tons of people. While every employee remains masked during work hours, somehow that’s just not completely effective. Actually, no one ever claimed it was, however masking up does reduce the probability of contracting COVID-19.

Stores are crowded, as are the big bog retailers deemed essential, never having been forced to close. While these sorts of markets are definitely essential, there are more people passing through, and thus a statistically higher likelihood of catching COVID. It’s just basic probability.

And so, here’s a novel concept: What if we could call in an order to the supermarket or big box store and the employees would then go around the store and get all your items and then place the order outside and have attendants (indoors, behind glass) who can remotely unlock caged areas (protected from rain with rudimentary roofing, but still outside) with each person’s grocery order in a different caged pen when you arrive and show ID through the glass?

COVID doesn’t spread well outdoors. This might just help bring the infection rates down.

If we were to have a month of no contact for EVERYONE, and just freeze the economy…as in no bills due, no mortgages, no rent, no anything…and of course the government would have to give the citizens some money, I think the COVID-19 crisis would come to a rapid end. Would it be more costly, or logistically feasible, to vaccinate everyone? I would wonder…

Some people might not want the vaccine. And, of course, the vaccine may not work as well as we’re told it will. Perhaps there are tactics we can take to further reduce our potential risk, while actually spending less than the cost of vaccination. It’s worth thinking about.

RAD ICAL