“There is so much loss here, and so much of it is preventable. I'm not just talking about loss of life. Ultimately, it's like loss of hope. When the vaccines came out in December, those of us in health care were like, 'Oh, my God, it's like the cavalry coming over the hill.' ... To see now what's playing out? It's all so needless.”
Dr. Jim Souza, chief medical officer at Idaho’s St. Luke's Boise Medical Center, as it reached admission capacity.
There’s so much focus on the malfeasance of the super-COVID-denying governors in those red states with the most out-of-control Delta variant outbreaks. Florida’s Ron DeSantis and his Dept. of Education seem to revel in defying a state court order reversing DeSantis executive order banning employers and public-school districts from mandating masks or vaccination. School districts are finding state funding cut. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is enjoying his state’s spate of disallowing mask and vaccine mandates, allowing unlicensed concealed weapons and severe limitations on voting practices unambiguously targeting minority voters. Arizona’s Doug Ducey is desperately trying to overcome his GOP voters’ anger that he certified the November election results against Trump… by also forbidding mask and vaccine mandates, including public schools.
Infection and mortality rates in red states are beginning to mirror the worst from the pandemic’s initial phases. Hospital beds are overflowing, ICUs are at capacity, morgues cannot handle the volume. But this time, there’s a difference: the Delta variant is disproportionately infecting the younger demographics, even school-aged children. Red state parents all too often support maskless elementary schools, only to find that their children become seriously ill… and bring a Delta variant infection home with them.
But there are so many powerful forces working hard against preventative common sense. Nothing moves diehard fans to mingle, almost always maskless, like college or high school football in the South and the Southwest. As one Texas Longhorn fan noted, and as get be seen by the maskless horde pictured above: “‘Once you get those 100,000 people in that stadium, crowded, cheering, it’s an experience that will never get old.’
“Last year, college football was a letdown for fans in Texas and across the nation. COVID-related cancellations in the five elite college football conferences, known as the Power Five, meant 285 games compared with 453 in 2019. Capacity limits for many of the games that were played have left students, alumni and other football fanatics desperate to resume tailgating and other in-person traditions this weekend.
“But COVID-19 still complicates game day, nowhere more than in the South. COVID-19 vaccination rates have lagged and hospitalizations have surged, filling intensive care units in Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas and other states that are home to powerhouse college football teams.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged unvaccinated people not to travel for the holiday weekend, but many have ignored the advice. Though football conferences consulted medical advisors during the pandemic and responded to varying degrees, Southern schools in the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference are home to some of the least restrictive tailgating and in-stadium practices in the country.” Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Jenny Jarvie writing for the September 5th Los Angeles Times. Government COVID Tsar, Anthony Fauci, suggests that by December, we could add another 100,000 COVID deaths to our sad mortality numbers.
For the most part, the explosion of Delta infections is directly and primarily traceable to red state anti-vaccine anti-mask mandates. Social gatherings and governmental orders against COVID preventative matters have made a huge impact on red state infection rates. After the Sturgis motorcycle rally, “South Dakota’s daily coronavirus cases have increased 685% from an average of 54 when the rally began on August 6 to 424 as of September 1.” Forbes, September 2nd. Attempt to blame “over-testing” for the bad numbers are negated by the reality of the number of hospitalizations and additional COVID deaths. For those governors attempting to blame undocumented individuals crossing the southern border, the fact that states far from any border are experiencing disastrous infection rates, like Idaho where such immigrants are statistically irrelevant, also challenges that lame explanation.
Even where Republican governors try to reverse the Trumpian GOP vector against vaccines, they are booed, rejected and mocked by their own party. “In deep-red Idaho… vaccinations, masks and nearly anything related to the coronavirus marks a de facto borderline between more traditional Republicans and the far-right.
“Republican Gov. Brad Little urged residents this week to show love for their neighbors by getting vaccinated and announced he was using federal programs and mobilizing the Idaho National Guard to bring in hundreds of additional health care workers. In response, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin called the statement ‘shameful.’…
“The intensive care rooms at St. Luke's Boise Medical Center are full, each a blinking jungle of tubes, wires and mechanical breathing machines. The patients nestled inside are a lot alike: All unvaccinated, mostly middle-aged or younger, reliant on life support and locked in a silent struggle against COVID-19…
“Most of the ICU patients fell prey to con artists before they fell ill with the virus, said Souza, the chief medical officer. He points to a patient who first tried the anti-parasite drug ivermectin. U.S. health officials have warned it should not be used to treat COVID-19. The man, in his 50s, refused standard medical treatments until he became so sick he needed to be hospitalized… ‘What we’re left with is organ supportive therapy. Misinformation is hurting people and killing people, Souza said… What the science is clear on? Vaccines, he said. ‘We don't have any vaccinated patients here.’…
“Idaho hit a grim COVID-19 trifecta this week, reaching record numbers of emergency room visits, hospitalizations and ICU patients. Medical experts say the deeply conservative state will likely see 30,000 new infections a week by mid-September.
“With a critical shortage of hospital beds and staff and one of the nation's lowest vaccination rates, Idaho health providers are growing desperate and preparing to follow crisis standards of care, which call for giving scarce resources to patients most likely to survive.” Rebecca Boone writing for the September 4th Associated Press. For those not as likely to survive… well… sorry. You are expendable. That vast swath of unvaccinated Americans are de facto volunteers in a nasty experiment to see how many new vaccine-resistant variants they can breed to keep the virus alive, ticking and potentially infecting millions of their fellow citizens who did get vaccinated.
I’m Peter Dekom, and it is increasingly apparent that those vociferous unvaccinated super-spreaders are the most selfish and uncaring Americans in the nation.
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