1,000 days

A reflection on covid in Arkansas

Outcomes matter, especially when they come to life or death. Tuesday marks the 1,000th day of covid in Arkansas. It was first identified in the state on March 11, 2020. Over these 1,000 days, the state’s overall covid public-health performance has been lacking.

A 2021 WalletHub covid health study rated Arkansas the second least-safe state during the pandemic. More than 12,550 Arkansans have died, and the state has consistently ranked among the highest in covid deaths per 100,000 people.

As the holidays approach, thousands of family members grieve. The over 12,550 deaths are more than all Arkansans killed during the Civil War. That 12,550 is more than all Arkansans killed during the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan combined. If 12,550 were a city, it would now be the state’s 33rd largest — ahead of Batesville and not far behind Mountain Home

While sad, Arkansas’ outcomes and rankings are not surprising. From the beginning, Arkansas placed “ready for business” over “ready for public health” instead of prioritizing both.

The subtitle of a June 2020 article in New Yorker Magazine read: “In a penitentiary with one of the U.S.’ largest coronavirus outbreaks, prison terms become death sentences.” The penitentiary was Arkansas’ Cummins. When the article was written, Cummins had experienced the 10th largest covid outbreak in the nation. Other Arkansas group outbreaks included nursing homes, processing plants and houses of worship.

But as tragic as it has been, the death total would have been even higher without dedicated healthcare professionals, courageous first responders, testing and vaccines. Distance learning, drive-throughs, mandates, masks, online shopping, outdoor venues, Paxlovid, relief aid, remote work and shutdowns all helped too.

And, to his credit, Gov. Asa Hutchinson held 224 covid-related news conferences providing information and giving media representatives opportunities to ask questions.

In a September 2022 AxiosIpsos national survey, 73% said President Donald Trump’s pandemic shutdowns in early 2020 were necessary to save lives. This is far higher than the 51% who said the shutdowns caused unnecessary damage to the economy.

Still, covid public-health-related issues continue.

Several Arkansas hospitals — especially rural ones — are confronting critical challenges. In addition, over the next 1,000 days, Arkansas, the country and the world will also be facing numbers of people with long covid. Millions of Americans, including over 100,000 Arkansans, are estimated to have experienced covid symptoms three months or longer, and these include some with serious heart- and lung-related problems. Nationally, as a result of long covid, over 4 million Americans can no longer work. Twenty percent of college students also believe they may have it.

While the virus’ long-term repercussions are still unfolding, Arkansas’ deadly public-health outcomes for the past 1,000 days can’t be erased. The state, however, can chart a different course, including planning for future crises by elevating public health and examining lessons learned from this pandemic.

Public health is public service. Hopefully, Governor-elect Sarah Sanders will give it a seat at her priority table. By doing so, Arkansas’ outcomes for the next 1,000 days should be significantly better.