May 11, 2022
One million
I have not been writing much lately. I have been working on some other writing projects and catching up on my sleep. I will let you know when I have more to share about my writing. In the meantime, I do have several topics I want to explore in upcoming posts, some involving other pandemics.
But today, I am mourning the loss of at least a million souls in the US from COVID 19. So hard to believe. So much heartbreak and suffering. Millions more are affected, mourning the deaths of their loved ones.
Covid was the third leading cause of death in 2021. It didn’t need to be this way. Politics and disinformation interfered. Vaccinations could have prevented at least 240,000 of those deaths, Mask wearing could also have made a difference. Politics affected outcomes more than we could have foreseen. Resistance to vaccines is being egged on by politicians or other spreaders of disinformation who stand to profit. Counties that voted for Trump have much lower vaccination rates and now higher death rates. Southern states have been particularly hit hard because of behaviors such as not masking, not distancing, and not getting vaccinated. Death rates are higher because of resistance to behaviors that help. They are also challenged by lack of access to medical care. Having a primary care provider is one of the factors shown to help patents feel safe with vaccines and avoid dangerous disinformation. So much of rural America lack these basics.
Other factors have played roles too. The early pandemic was scary when New York and a few other places were overwhelmed with ill patients. The best care of COVID patients was new and unknown. As they learned, COVID became much less deadly than in the beginning with better care and treatment options. The second pandemic was based on age, with people over 65 the most affected. Still, COVID was the number one cause of death last year in those age 45-54. Being unvaccinated is the third pandemic and is the biggest risk factor for death, since the vaccines became available. The fourth is the rural/urban divide. Deaths have increased rural areas, for many reasons, less vaccinations, less access to care, less hospitals available, more political interference. The fifth pandemic is in the poor, which include blacks and other minorities, much more than in the wealthy, white population. Lack of access to care and poorer health are important. All of these factors make a difference in how we do. Looking to the next few months, the same factors will be effecting what we see. Poorer people and the unvaccinated will be at risk. Those with weakened immune systems, including the elderly are at risk as well.
The pandemic has eased up although new variants are arriving to keep us on our toes. A new challenge is that formal testing has dropped off as people are less worried and/or have access to home testing. That means tracking outbreaks will be less accurate and more challenging.
So what are we to do to keep safe and be able to live? Some evidence shows that our friends and family are the most likely people to expose us. Deciding on our own behaviors can help keep us safe. Should I go to that party or take this flight? What are my risks and my loved ones’? Ventilation, distance, and masking are still effective. Knowing how to access treatment if you qualify is important too. Good to know that the data on the second booster shows protection from serious illness and death. Elderly people and people with immunocompromising conditions are still at risk.
I admit that I am getting out more. Some days feel almost normal. After all, we flew to Juneau for the Alaska Folk Festival, played tunes with friends, were in a big venue with masked and vaccinated people, and we stayed safe. And now that masks are no longer mandated on planes, I will still wear the best fitting N95 masks I have when I fly.
Wash your hands, cover your nose, keep your distance when unmasked or have good ventilation. But have some fun too.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/nearly-1-million-covid-19-deaths-a-look-at-the-us-numbers/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/covids-toll-us-reaches-1-million-deaths-unfathomable-number-rcna22105
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/05/07/one-million-covid-deaths-families/
https://www.statnews.com/2022/05/10/the-five-pandemics-driving-1-million-u-s-covid-deaths/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/21/quarter-us-covid-deaths-were-preventable-with-vaccination/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220428142700.htm southern death rates
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/05/04/world/covid-19-mandates-vaccine-cases/a-new-subvariant-is-spreading-rapidly-in-the-united-states
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/05/06/1093820978/coronavirus-faq-should-i-go-to-that-party-what-do-i-do-if-guests-got-covid