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There was an interesting set of omissions in the April 14 Friday Opinion commentary by Shira Doron, Elissa Perkins and Westyn Branch-Elliman, “End covid’s last hangover”:
- Millions of people have some kind of long covid.
- Sixty-nine percent of Americans are fully vaccinated
- It is not likely that all Americans will get paid sick leave.
- Who will fund better ventilation in schools?
- The United States has a poor covid deaths/population ratio, standing with many of the world’s poorest countries.
- Riders on the Tokyo subway are masked every day. Most Americans simply won’t wear masks.
It seems as though there is a long way to go for the United States on this and the next pandemic.
I struggled to understand the April 14 Friday Opinion commentary “End covid’s last hangover.” The authors referenced a wide variety of complicated issues, including teen mental health, childhood obesity and health-care staffing shortages. The solution they proposed was quite simple: Everyone should go to work or school as long as they feel okay. Waiting five days after an illness or being concerned about spreading an infection is not necessary. They feel it’s best not to test for the coronavirus to “conserve resources and prevent burdensome costs.”
This proposal confuses and worries me. My understanding is that people can spread the virus even while feeling fine. My view of living in a community includes caring about our neighbors who are immunocompromised and about our older family members, both of whom are at great risk if they catch the coronavirus. I am left wondering why the authors completely ignored the millions of Americans suffering from long covid, and the real probability that many more will join their ranks if they get the coronavirus.
This seems like a dangerous solution to a complex health challenge.
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