Like just about everywhere else in the country Illinois is seeing an increase in identified cases of COVID-19. The governor has issued a mandate for masks to be worn by students, faculty, and staff in all public schools. He’s receiving a certain amount of pushback for that.
Whatever the merits of this action I believe that the governor is exceeding his legal authority. Where is the Illinois legislature? They seem to be AWOL. Unlike some I believe that good government consists of doing the right thing in the right way at the right time for the right reasons. Good intentions are not enough.
It’s also unclear to me what the goal is. Here, for example, from the Illinois Department of Public Health is a graph of ventilator utilization across the state:
The picture is much the same for ICU bed utilization or hospital bed utilization. The diagnosed cases are increasing but whatever minimal increase in ventilator utilization that has impelled is certainly not straining the medical system here. In Chicago there are probably more people in ICU beds after gunshot wounds than from COVID-19.
I just heard Dr. Fauci on television arguing for “zero COVID” which I think is an illusory goal at this point.
I think that the FDA should approve the vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 with all due haste. I believe that people should get vaccinated. I believe that people should use good judgment in wearing masks and crowding together in large groups. Are we actually back to square one as the media are breathlessly claiming? Show me more than anecdotal evidence.
See my previous comment. This disease is being managed politically, not scientifically.
Oh, and quoting Fauci at this point is ill advised. He changes his positions like the weather. And his unrepentant decisions to fund gain of function work puts him in a league with Mengele. Think that’s hyperbole? Would you – under the reasonable man standard of the business judgment rule – fund China (China??!!). I wouldn’t want to be there. Tell me you understand the risks and potential rewards and you want, say, Duke University, to work on it. OK, let’s have the debate. China?? (Maybe you aren’t so sure about sunshine or having a whoops in N Carolina, eh, Fauch??)
And look at the consequences.
That raises an interesting question. How possible is it really to satisfy the obligations of bureaucrat, political appointee, physician, and scientist? They are not always in alignment.
Our local school board moved to everyone masks earlier this week, it wasn’t clear how many of the other schools would have followed. This was/is not my preferred policy, but its better than starting the year in remote.
The Governor repeatedly said the emergency will be over when everyone’s had the opportunity to get vaccinated. I don’t think that’s the legal standard, but he’s not following his standard.
Once the FDA approves these experimental, minimally tested injections it will give the checkered flag to the government for more inflexible mandates to vaccinate or else. With a survival rate of around 99% – much better for children under 18 – the COVID hysteria and the government’s authoritarian response to it is mind-blowing. When you add in unending masking and social distancing requirements for everyone – requirements outside the purview of normal public health protocols – I 100% agree with Drew that COVID guidance and policies are being engineered more by politics that real science.
Furthermore, if the vaccine is so successful in immunizing against this virus, why is it that 12 out of 13 of the most vaccinated countries in the world, on a John Hopkins list, are now listed by the CDC as a travel risk? Why are there so many breakthrough cases in countries like the U.K. Israel, Iceland, who are ahead of us in early vaccinations, now roiling with vaccinated people getting the delta mutation? I’ve read there is another variant, first seen in Peru, that is projected as having little protection from the current vaccines! So, why are these controversial injections, having so many adverse side effects, being obnoxiously pushed when they appear to be losing their efficacy with the emergence of each mutation?!! Lastly, why are people who chose not to cave to vaccination, because of not trusting their safety, being totally treated like outcasts?
I think he’s operating completely seat-of-the-pants. It doesn’t have to be that way. The Illinois legislature could enact some empowering legislation that includes standards, etc. But that would require they get off their duffs. Mustn’t have that.
At this point the vaccines have been tested more than almost any other vaccine in history. Under the EUA hundreds of millions have received them. Long term side effects are almost unknown with vaccines. They have been incredibly safe. We have a long time history of using quarantines and masks in public health. We certainly do see politics. In Florida the governor who in the past has supported local governance (education) is now not letting local governments and schools make decisions about how they want to handle pandemic issues. Too busy running for POTUS to govern.
Steve
Although I’m broadly in agreement with your comment above, steve, the one caveat I would add is that we have no experience with mRNA vaccines in comparison with conventional vaccines with which we have substantial experience.
In my own case I’m little concerned about long term effects because the long term won’t be that long but I think it prudent to be cautious about inoculating children or adolescents.