> Did you ever think that some people with kids may not be in the position to work from home and have to go to work every day?
Yes, did you read the whole comment thread before asking that question? Because I specifically addressed it in another comment hours ago.
> I’m sure you’ve seen the statistics where a large percentage of Americans don’t have $400 in savings.
Yes, and as I've often said in other places and here as well: America is a country that has serious problems in terms of how the wealth is distributed. But that problem was there before COVID, and COVID is only going to make that problem worse. It is a systemic issue that won't be solved by how we deal with the virus and the associated disease.
Just like the 'war on drugs' impacts people from different social strata disproportionally, the same with three strikes laws and lots of other problems like that. It is a direct result of the laws you make and the politicians you vote for.
> I also bet you have a job that allows you to work from home.
That bet would work out, today. But six months ago that wasn't the case and as a result of that I contracted the virus at the end of the last job abroad and spent three weeks in bed. Fortunately I made it through and have decided that if I can't do my work remotely then I won't do my work.
> How many households are led by a single parent and/or two parents who have to go to a job where they can’t work from home?
Many. So, society should foot the bill there. It's only logical. This is how it is done in other countries.
> I am not going to sit here tsk tsking all of the people who aren’t as fortunate as I am.
Neither am I.
> Not only do I have a job where I can work from home. We were also in the financial position that we had the option of my wife not going back to work in the school system and just saying it wasn’t worth the risk.
Lucky you. But that is just you. For every you there are multiple people for who that is not the case. What are you going to do about that? Are you willing to pay increased taxes for a social safety net?
America is one giant study in the tragedy of the commons. And COVID just brings that out, it did not create any of it.
Take Lithuania or Latvia. Countries that suffered from being USSR satelite states for decades. Within a relatively short while their political structure and other infra put them on a footing solid enough to deal with this situation as it should be done, and many Western countries should look to them as examples of how you tackle a problem like this.
For those countries where it is worse - sometimes much worse - and which are substantially richer than Latvia and Lithuania you should be asking yourself what went wrong and why.