Move over Grinch. It’s no childish matter Dr. Seuss. The new holiday story this season is “How the COVID stole Christmas” by Drs. Robert Redfield and Thomas Dobbs.
Who?
No, no. The “Who” of Whoville are Dr. Seuss characters. The characters in Drs. Redfield’s and Dobbs’ story are “Us.”
Citing grim numbers last week, Dr. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said, “December, January, and February are going to be rough times,” adding that he sees this as “the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.”
Echoing Dr. Redfield, Mississippi health officer Dr. Dobbs said, “Without a doubt we are headed into the darkest period for coronavirus in Mississippi.”
With cases surging throughout the nation and with deaths exceeding 2,000 daily, Redfield projected COVID deaths could total 450,000 by the end of February … if the public doesn’t “get serious” about fighting COVID. And that’s with vaccines becoming available during the same period.
Mississippi COVID cases hit 2,457 in one day last week and are running at far higher levels than ever before. “We are rapidly ascending to a peak that no one knows what it will be,” said Dobbs.
The “main driver” of the current surge, Redfield said, comes from “home gatherings” where family members and friends don’t wear masks or social distance. Children and young adults who are infected but show no COVID symptoms are spreading the disease to others. This is happening coast to coast he said.
“It’s nonessential social activities that are absolutely undermining the health and well-being of our state,” said Dobbs.
As cases surge to record levels, hospitalizations have too. More and more hospitals are at full capacity.
Redfield said the nation’s healthcare system is being strained to the point of collapse, adding, “90% of hospitals are in red zones.”
“We’re seeing an increasing strain on our hospital system,” said Dobbs, as daily hospitalization rates in Mississippi topped 1,000 for the first time since March. He said that 13 hospitals had no ICU beds available and 20 more had less than 10% available. The Clarion-Ledger reported 30 patients were stacked waiting for rooms to become available at the state’s largest hospital, the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
To turn the tide on COVID until vaccines are readily available, the CDC and the Mississippi Department of Health stress that we must “get serious,” as Redfield said, and avoid nonessential social activities, practice social distancing, wear masks in closed settings and outdoors when social distancing cannot be maintained, avoid large groups, and wash hands regularly. The Mississippi recommendation includes avoiding sporting events, funerals, weddings, and in-person church services.
So the climax of this Grinch-like Christmas story is this – to stop the COVID surge we must avoid our wonderful Christmas parties and family gatherings.
Bah, humbug, you say.
Yes, many of you will ignore these recommendations as will many of our political leaders. And, yes, as a dire result, a merry Christmas will be stolen from too many of Us.
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” – James 1:14.
Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.
18 comments:
"because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope." Romans 5:3-4
That's one of the main problems in this country today. So many have never suffered. They have never been required to do without, they've gotten what they wanted and they got it now, they've never been inconvenienced or had to deal with difficult issues. They whine because they can't be with friends and family. These are the ones that are having the most difficulty dealing with this situation.
Aside from the usual clowns who claim they don't work, what's with the Governor of Mississippi not mandating masks in 82 counties? Is it pride, ignorance, befuddlement, arrogance, incompetence, hard-headedness or a combination of several of those?
Now from the 'ain't nobody gunna take away my rights' crowd in 3..2..1..
Don’t be the Grinch. Wear the mask. It won’t kill you, but it could kill the one’s you love if you don’t.
Where were the Bible verses and admonishments when Dear Leader was doing his science denial shuck-and-jive? And now at what cost?
The pity is pandemic history...both in deaths and economics is predictable.
We are redoing 1918 ( one month off due to warm weather) when different States and cities went their own way.
Wanna guess which way worked best for both low death rates and economic recovery? Hint : back then Philadelphia was a huge loser.
You don't have to guess. You can stop playing politics and read or watch documentaries.
You still can luck out and be lucky enough not to run into that contagious person...it's just your odds of missing that person are getting lower.
10:22 - Is anybody stupid enough to fall for your bullshit about Trump determining your actions or lack thereof? I guess that means you're standing at attention and saluting smartly when Biden appears on your screen (assuming you own a TV and mom lets you have cable).
@9:04 AM
and all other masks enthusiasts:
Imagine you could get your wish and force Gov. Tate to implement your desired mask mandate. What would be next, after the cases continue to climb? A harsher mandate? Double up, like our visionary Joe Biden? Change the mandate to N95's? Force people to wear them in your homes? Harsher enforcement to fine those who wear them below the nose? Jail them in covid infested jails if they don't pay the fine? Build internment camps to house the disgusting virus-dripping rebels who fall afould of the new enforcement measures? At what point do you get your fill?
Alabama has had a statewide mandate since July, and oddly, they've continued to see rising cases. Note the trajectory of the graph? It's almost as if masks have no effect. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/alabama/
"She announced the mask requirement in mid-July, while cases were rocketing, and held onto the mandate through the fall even as the case counts began to level off." https://www.al.com/news/2020/12/masks-work-alabama-governor-pushes-mask-requirement-ahead-of-health-order-expiration.html
Regardless of how harsh the lockdowns are, the virus will continue to run its course through the population until natural immunity takes over or the vaccine is distributed. I'll not be first in line.
There are many, many, verses in the Christian Bible that apply to life, but are sadly neglected by modernist. Job 14:1 is always with us regardless of our station in life. Man, or mankind, that is born of woman is of a few days and they are filled with trouble. Utopia doesn't exist, never has never will. The sooner the liberals realize this the better. Mask or no mask it will always be something to cause trouble.
@11:05
Not my actions, Hoss. But plenty of other peoples'.
Kansas allowed counties to exempt themselves from mask mandates. They found that in the counties that enforced or encouraged mask-wearing, new cases stayed roughly steady. But in the counties without mandates, even after controlling for how often people left their homes, they doubled. “We were stunned by the strength of the effect."
Tennessee, same thing. Counties without mask mandates are at 200%. Counties with them are steady or lowered.
Cherry pick AL, or use conspiracy theories. But don't go to the data and see where the states without mandates are- you Covid Deniers won't like it.
Masks work. The data's there. Don't know if Tater's techniques is good or bad, but, at least he's doing something positive.
We are at TRIPLE the cases from the first wave, just as predicted. We are losing 10 times as many folks a day to Covid as we lost in World War II.
If you wear a mask, you likely prevent giving it to others, especially if you are asymptomatic, or pre symptomatic. And, you likely prevent getting it yourself, or, if you do, you'd be less sick.
Smart people wear masks. Sheep don't.
Don't be the cause of someone's else's death, in your arrogance and ignorance. Don't be a burden on our health system, due to arrogance and stupidity. And don't become a long time Covid disabled person due to it either, if you half way are a "conservative."
Could we please quit arguing about masks? There's a bad virus going around. If your are fat or old, take care. If not, be respectful. What else needs to be said?
@1:36 PM
Funny that u use Kansas, who was busted for misrepresenting the data to try to make the case for masks.
Sorry fellas, having our large family celebration, masks optional. Don't give a shit about you and your opinions.
Mask mandates and gathering limits do not work without enforcement. As many Mississippians have proven, unless there are penalties attached to health orders they simply won't comply. Whether it is out of ignorance, selfishness, or just plain old spite, the usage rate in Mississippi has stayed below 50%.
Masks work, but a population that blindly parrots misinformation about COVID being no more dangerous than the flu and mask orders being akin to tyrannical government action on the order of Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia is hindering the response. We are a reflection of our population in every way, and this just shows why we are also last in education, wealth, income, and health in the nation.
with all the covid money pouring into the hospitals, why haven't they set up more ICUs? how long does it take to set one up? how long does it take to train people to run it. you would think, that with a virus this bad, (the end of civilization according to some) that someone with more education than this rankin county redneck would have thought of this. sounds like some shit leadership to me; from the governor, to the hospital association, to the hospitals, to everybody involved in the medical field. why is this not being done?we've had about 9 months to get ready for the dreaded second wave. what have they been doing all year?
both of my in-laws, 68 and 66, tested positive for the 'rona about a month ago, and they are both doing just fine now. doctors told them to take some vitamins, zertec, fluids and get some rest, and sent them home. vitamins, zertec, fluids and rest. that's the solution to the worst virus to hit mankind in 100 years. what did they have going for them to beat the 'rona? they are both healthy, take no regular medication, are physically active, and have no co-morbidities.
the more people that test positive, the better. that means more people with naturally acquired antibodies, as opposed to the antibodies from a vaccine. a vaccine that was created this year, for a virus that hit us this year. you folks that want to rush to get that vaccine, please be my guest.
this virus is here forever, it's how viruses work. the first couple of years are going to be the worst because it's new, and nobody has antibodies yet. that takes time. in a few years, it will literally be no worse than the flu. you take the same measures to avoid the flu as you do the 'rona, except the mask; be healthy, take vitamins, get rest, avoid sick people, wash your hands, and keep your fingers out of your mouth and eyes.
@5:04 PM
"Mask mandates and gathering limits do not work without enforcement. As many Mississippians have proven, unless there are penalties attached..."
And there we have it. And once we get the desired enforcement and penalties, what then? The sheeple will call for increased enforcement and increased penalties.
With the feelings some express on this board I don't understand why they remain in Mississippi. Unless it is because their ass is too poor to leave. If you don't like it here get the hell out. Some of us are thrilled to live here. I'm sure they can make room in one of those extremely liberal shitholes for your complaining ass.
As much as I am for mask mandates, I am not for any kind of overreaching penalties attached. I think simply being responsible in public and private spaces is all that is generally required. And if you're like me and have a comorbidity, stay your a** out of potential hotspot situations. I only attend open air sporting events where I can socially distance. I am not holding any unnecessary conversations with anyone at the event. I get in my car and I go home afterwards, because I know my risks. My daughter on the other hand, who is healthier with no known underlying conditions, survived covid, and stated it was like a more severe flu that made her feel like she had been run over. She lost her taste and smell and has not fully recovered them 5 weeks later. Her only positive in her mind was the 12 pounds she lost.
TL;DR - Mask mandates are good, but attaching penalties is going overboard. There is such a thing as too much government. Let's practice some common sense to lower our risks.
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