Too many dead

Re “Don’t miss the rays of light in coronavirus fight” (Other Views, Sept. 16): Most of us long for hope as we trudge along in the midst of a pandemic. Cynthia Allen’s column asked us to consider that 190,000 deaths, new treatments, reviving economies, colleges opening, and fewer hospitalizations, were rays of light for our pandemic journey.

I wish these factors would bring hope. However, having worked many years to support bereaved families following deaths of loved ones, I look at the 190,000 number (200,000-plus now) with a grimace. These numbers are people who were loved and gave love. A July study indicated that “on average each COVID-19 death corresponds with approximately nine individuals who have lost a grandparent, parent, sibling, spouse or child,” according to the University of Southern California’s website. This does not account for friends and colleagues who suffer the pain of loss.

The inability to be with loved ones at the time of death for any reason causes regrets. Delaying or deferring traditions surrounding deaths, such as funerals, slows the mourning process.

The medical and research communities are to be celebrated for their incredible efforts serving patients and studying this virus. Hope for those who grieve, however, does not come from the citation that the number of deaths has not reached “dire” reports. Hope might arrive from a phone call, a note with a special memory, or maybe a prayer — anything other than accepting these deaths as just a number.

Robin L. Cowherd, Norfolk