Letter to the Editor: A Thanksgiving COVID Retrospective — Running to Daylight

To the Editor:

Paraphrasing Thomas Paine, “These were the times that tried our souls.”

Looking back, the first COVID-19 case in the United States was diagnosed in Washington State, just seven weeks after last Thanksgiving [2019]; the patient had recently returned home from Wuhan, China. Yesterday [Nov. 25], that state’s total cases exceeded 158,000, confirmed; with over 2,800 deaths.

On March 8th of this year, Governor Lamont announced that CT DPH had confirmed CT’s first case in a Wilton resident who had just returned from CA; and was under treatment at Danbury Hospital.

The Bad News:

We are currently in a public health crisis, and it’s worsening daily. This week, we reached 265,740 dead Americans; and 142,732 new confirmed cases, nationwide. CT’s case total now exceeds 109,000, with 4,926 deaths.

The seven-day rolling average of 170,856 new cases per day grew nearly 50 percent in the last two weeks. We now have more than 88,000 people hospitalized with Covid-19, the highest number the nation has ever experienced. Scientists have predicted this fall surge for months, and now, have also warned us that it’s extending into a dark winter. “dark winter”.

Public health officials have stressed, for months, some simple behaviors that should help to curb the further spread of the disease: Wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, avoid crowds, especially indoors, keep a safe space between yourself and other people who are not from your household — a piece of cake? Some elected officials have absolutely refused to promulgate, or model these accepted behaviors; and some new jargon, “super-spreader events” has become part of the epidemiologic lexicon.

Unbelievably (to me), seven Republican lawmakers in New Hampshire have called for the NH House Judiciary Committee to begin an investigation to determine whether Governor Sununu, also a Republican, can be impeached for requiring people to wear a mask in public places.

I always review the data from South Dakota, whose “cowboy culture” (their term), makes anything, but free choice, unacceptable. This week, SD reported more COVID-19 deaths per capita than anywhere else in the United States, and it also had the highest per capita rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations. Two weeks ago, SD’s test positivity rate reached a frightening 60 percent, second only in the U.S. to neighboring Wyoming. SD hospitals are approaching their breaking point.

The Daylight:

There is some very good news. Scientists and boffins on both sides of the Atlantic have made vaccine development their highest priority, and have moved forward “All Ahead, Flank, Cavitate”! (This is Southeast Connecticut, just ask a submarine driver.)

Distribution and vaccination are on the horizon.

Sincerely,

Thomas D. Gotowka,
Old Lyme.