Now’s not the time to let up on COVID-19
The warning lit up cellphones across San Antonio on Friday night: 936 newly reported COVID-19 cases. The virus is spreading again, and vigilance is paramount.
The number is jarring in its magnitude: 936. More than a number, these are our family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Many will be OK. They will experience mild symptoms or quickly recover. But some will end up in area hospitals on ventilators, clinging to each breath. And some may die. Here are other jarring numbers to consider: On Sunday, local officials reported another 1,077 cases, although that number included 510 backlogged cases. On Tuesday night, local officials reported 1,127 cases. More than 20,500 Texans have died from COVID-19 this year, including more than 1,300 San Antonians. More than 1.1 million cases have been reported across the state, including more than 61,000 cases here. Again, these are not just numbers. Each number is a person, and each person is connected to so many others. Those we have lost will be missed this Thanksgiving.
And, bear in mind, the virus has spread and killed even with social distancing and a statewide mask mandate.
Once again, our numbers are moving in the wrong direction. Hospitalizations, positivity rates, newly reported cases are all spiking. Heartbreak and anguish have overwhelmed El Paso, where inmates from the county’s detention facility are helping with the bodies and the Texas National Guard has deployed 36 soldiers to assist with this grim job. And as the virus roars, Gov. Greg Abbott whispers in his response. He has pushed back on any potential new restrictions — even though he intervened this summer, closing bars and limiting restaurant capacity. We are loath to return to any type of shutdown, too. It’s deleterious on mental health and the economy, but all options to slow the spread of COVID-19 have to be on the table. What is different with this latest COVID crisis? Why so laissez-faire? And why so political? It’s paramount Abbott work with local officials. Too often, he has been at odds with local officials in El Paso, Laredo and Harris County, who have been begging for more latitude in their response to the novel coronavirus. Why not work with them? People are dying, governor. Hospitals are overwhelmed, or on the cusp of being overwhelmed.
Equally disturbing is how Abbott has framed promising developments on the treatment and vaccine front. He has spoken as though these medical breakthroughs are imminent for most Texans, but experts say this just isn’t so.
It could be months until vaccines are widely available, for example, and even then, distribution might prove challenging. And while Abbott has hyped bamlanivimab, a new antibody therapy drug from Eli Lilly, the reality is this, too, is not widely available. As has been reported, Texas initially received 5,800 doses of bamlanivimab. For context, more than 12,000 new cases were reported Saturday. The goal here, as always, is to prevent a surge, overwhelming medical staff and hospital systems. The concern is that partly due to pandemic fatigue, partly due to a misunderstanding about the availability of vaccines and treatment, and partly due to a lack of political will from Abbott to intervene when the virus surges, people are getting lax and lives will be lost.
“If somebody dies between now and February when the vaccines become available, it’s especially tragic because every single death from now on is preventable,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told the Texas Tribune.
Don’t be that somebody. Don’t place your loved ones, friends, co-workers or truly essential workers at unnecessary risk when there is real hope on the horizon. Mask up. Avoid large gatherings. Maintain social distancing.
We’re not out of this yet. Not even close, which is exactly why the state should be doing more to support local officials in their response.