Mandates, Masks & Misinformation

As Dr. Fauci recently stated: this pandemic resurgence has become a virus of the unvaccinated. Over 85% of the COVID cases recorded recently are attributed to the Delta variant, which is not the original manifestation they developed the vaccines to treat. However, the good news is that these vaccines are working against this variant also, even as reports of some vaccinated people testing positive, few have been sick enough to be hospitalized.

Many cities and counties are returning to mandating indoor masks again as Delta rages across the country. County and State governments are starting to mandate vaccines for their employees; colleges and universities are also requiring vaccines for students who are returning to on-campus classes. Those who refuse to vaccinate might face job losses as this surge increases; at the least, refusal would subject them to weekly testing and mandated masking. The Federal government is asking the military and all federal employees and contractors to get vaccinated but has stopped just short of an absolute requirement for vaccination. Although some states are reluctant to comply, even some Southern Governors, such as in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama, are urging their residents to get vaccinated.

Not so with authorities in Florida, Texas, and Arizona, however. Those governors continue to politicize the pandemic and are thundering from their podiums that their states will not knuckle under to rules from the Biden administration which they feel should be guarding the borders rather than usurping states’ rights and telling governors how to run their states. President Biden called out Florida and Texas this week basically telling their governors “to get out of the way” if they will not step up and help control the virus outbreaks in their states.

Governors Abbott in Texas and DeSant9s in Florida are both looking at serious outbreaks of COVID in their states, yet are not allowing mask mandates for public schools or buildings. They are not requiring state employees to be vaccinated, but are allowing testing to be done. For the first time since February, the US is again recording over 100,000 cases a day. Statistics below show the problem between vaccination rates and cases in some states:

·         Louisiana - 35% vaccinated – 4,603 new cases, 2,097 hospitalized.

·         Florida -    49% vaccinated – 19,450 new cases 12,647 hospitalized.

·         Arkansas - 37% vaccinated – 2,263 new cases    1,207 hospitalized.

·         Alabama – 35% vaccinated – 2,829 new cases    1,845 hospitalized.

·         Texas   -    44% vaccinated –11,900 new cases   8,194 hospitalized.

·         Maryland - 59% vaccinated –     696 new cases       520 hospitalized.

·         Virginia -     55% vaccinated - 1,469 new cases       660 hospitalized.

·         Connecticut - 64% vaccinated – 534 new cases       200 hospitalized.

The US finally reached the 70% vaccination mark, that President Biden hoped to have by July 4^th, this past week with that many residents having had at least one vaccine; currently, the fully vaccinated rate stands at 50%. Over 80% of residents over 65 are now fully vaccinated. But as the Delta variant snakes into nursing homes, many with unvaccinated staff, death rates are slowly rising in these facilities. Many non-profit nursing homes are requiring vaccinations for their staff, as are some chains of nursing homes. At the same time, some smaller nursing home executives spoke out against possible Medicare rules requiring vaccine mandates, as they feared staff will leave if mandates are in place. Where are their concerns for the residents that they are supposed to care for? With bed shortages and waiting lists in hand, I assume they are not worrying about where their next elderly victims are coming from (Hint – sarcasm here!)

As schools prepare to open for the first major terms of in-person learning in 18 months, the masking and vaccination battles continue. Some schools require that teachers and staff be vaccinated before schools open, while in other states, governors declare that school boards cannot require either masks or vaccinations. Since the CDC has again advised indoor mask-wearing in all venues, these states are at odds with these advisories. Some unions have spoken out in favor of vaccinations, while others have spoken out against vaccinations being required for return-to-work protocols. Today the American Federation of Teachers, a major union, spoke in favor of vaccine mandates; the White House indicated that 90% of teachers and staff were vaccinated. Parents, wanting most to protect their children and send them back to safe environments, have few choices aside from providing masks and hoping the schools enforce the wearing of masks.

I have returned to limiting my exposure and wearing a mask whenever I go into public areas. Maryland still has lower numbers than many places, as is shown above, but the numbers of cases are increasing with each passing day and deaths are again noted.

From the lips of the former President, his aides, Dr. Atlas, and his favorite TV networks, misinformation about COVID and its treatments have been present almost as soon as they identified the pandemic. The tales have only increased as time went on. CNN and the New York Times have reported on the website of one Florida physician, which contains thousands of postings of misleading data. This osteopathic physician who makes millions from sales of his publications and nutrition products is, also according to the Washington Post, a major funder of the anti-vax movement. The government identified him as one of the top purveyors of misleading data about COVID in the country. Others have claimed that the vaccine will alter your DNA–it won’t. (This was thought to have come from the idea that the mRNA vaccines–are derived from DNA–they are not!) Other anti-vaxxers claim all vaccines cause autism–this has been around for a generation and the British physician who supposedly provided proof has been roundly scorned for his faked science. (Because of this claim, however–the anti-vaxxers added COVID vaccines to their repertoire.) Some claim that the vaccine will harm an unborn child and urge pregnant women to not take the vaccine. (The scientists advise pregnant women to consult their own physicians, but advise further that it is usually safer to take the vaccine than to add the risk of COVID to their pregnancy.) Still, other groups claim that taking the vaccine will cause infertility. This is also an old claim used by some Muslim clerics in third world countries against the polio vaccine campaigns being run by the World Health Organization. (The polio vaccine does not cause infertility; neither does the COVID vaccine.) Many of these claims have been repeated on right-wing media outlets, leading to further disillusionment among their faithful listeners/viewers. So, considering these admonitions, vaccine hesitancy is real, but health care providers can overcome it with proper education and factual information. Some pundits have claimed that since rewards–lottery tickets and scholarship have not worked, then perhaps penalties might be effective. I am unsure, but I do think that if more companies were to provide vaccinations at the workplace for their employees and allow them a day or two off with pay to address any side effects which might occur, that more people might step up to get the vaccine. It’s just a thought, but I think it is worth trying.

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COVID stats this week – NY Times (8/8/21)

US Totals – Total Cases: 35,812,64. New Cases: 110,360. 

Total deaths: 616, 594. New deaths: 516.

Maryland totals: 8/6/21–Total cases: 472,224. New cases: 890.

Total deaths: 9,846. New deaths: 4.

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The Senate tonight moved closer to the passage of the infrastructure bill and seemed to have enough senators on hand to pass the legislation. It then goes to the House where the Democrats have only a four-seat majority, so they can stand few nay-sayers on this. It is thought that Nancy Pelosi wants the other major spending bill (the so-called Reconciliation bill) to be passed in tandem, so hold on to your hats this might be a bumpy ride. But infrastructure is popular everywhere, except in the camp of the former president who has railed against it.

The former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen testified recently to Congress and reported on the pressure he received from that president to declare the election fraudulent. He was told to just say it was corrupt, and the president and his minions would take care of the rest. He declined to go along with this scheme and others; hence, the insurrection!

The zoo this week reports on the upcoming birthday party for the panda – can you believe it has been almost a year that we have been watching this little ball of fluff turn into a one-year-old? Tonight, the panda cam shows Xiao Qi Ji sound asleep.

“Til next week, peace!