200,000 Americans DEAD from Covid-19
The USA has tragically reached the unenviable milestone of having lost more than 200,000 of our citizens to this still raging pandemic. This number represents more than three times the number of US soldiers lost in the Vietnam War. Covid-19 cases diagnosed in our country are approaching 7 million. The new cases in many states remain unacceptably high with twenty-six states showing positivity rates greater than 5%; twelve of those have positivity rates above 10%. Texas has a positivity rate of 65.4% according to Johns Hopkins Covid-19 dashboard. African Americans continue to be disproportionately impacted by this dreadful disease. People of African descent, compared to Caucasians, are 2.6 times as likely to contract the disease, 4.7 times as likely to be hospitalized, and 2.1 times as likely to die from Covid-19 infection. New information has emerged regarding this disease in children. Although it is rare in children under 2 years old, they tend to be more severely affected than older children (Mayo Clinic). It is surmised that this is due to the airways being smaller and the immune systems of the under two group being less developed. It is also documented (CDC) that Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic Native American/ Native Alaskans make up 78% of Americans under the age of 21 who died from Covid-19 before July 31, 2020.
In this space, four months ago, when we had lost 76,000 Americans, we asked the question “Why are they willing to accept so much death?”. As the numbers of our families mourning the loss of loved ones continues to pile up, Americans see more ongoing mixed signals and insufficient responses from the top of our government. Our healthcare agencies (FDA, CDC) have thus been misdirected and extreme mistrust of these vital organizations has increased among the American people. It has been widely reported that the White House wrote the CDC guidance, issued several weeks ago, that recommended non-symptomatic individuals not be tested, even if they had been is close contact with a confirmed Covid-19 individual. Amid widespread backlash from the medical community, the CDC reversed the recommendation just last week. The mistrust of the CDC reached an even higher level when the agency stated today that the new guidance regarding airborne transmission was placed on its website three days ago “was posted in error”.
A second federal shortcomings that leaves healthcare workers, essential workers, and citizens at risk is the ongoing shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE). Specifically, the very protective N-95 masks remain in short supply and we are now six months into this pandemic. Large companies such as Honeywell and 3-M have been engaged to increase production, while smaller capable companies, if guaranteed a market by a national game plan, could have made up the tens of millions of N-95 mask shortfall that exists to this day. We have ongoing shortages of disinfectant wipes, flour, paper towels, toilet paper, etc.
Inadequate antigen testing, solvable by a coherent national plan, has resulted in a world highest daily COVID-19 case count, many of our children still getting education remotely, thousands of our businesses and places of worship partly or totally shuttered, travel limited, and sporting events without speculators. The NFL and Big-10 announced reimplementation of fall football after they came up with their own plans for daily testing of athletes and staff along with contact tracing and isolation of those positive cases. If we had a national plan promoting testing, adequate PPE, and public health guidelines, many fewer infections would be present and our lives in 2020 would be much different. We, as a medical organization, have called repeatedly for the President to use his unique authority to implement the Defense Production Act to solve shortages which would help to save American lives.
We are physicians whose mission is to serve and service the health of those with whom we are entrusted. We find it exceedingly difficult to manage our jobs when political influence is imposing itself on the science. Nevertheless, we continue to give the best advice based on that science. Let us therefore reiterate that it is highly recommended that you get your seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible. Please continue to WEAR your masks when out in public and not able to socially distance by at least six feet; WASH your hands (20 seconds) or use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available; WATCH your distance from individuals with whom you do not live (6ft); and avoid large crowds especially indoors.
