As the COVID-19 Delta variant makes its way across the seas and deep into the United States, we join health officials and scientists to ask those who are unvaccinated to reconsider their decision.
The positivity rate for tests in Milam County has jumped back to nearly 5 percent after being low or negligible for some time. On June 4 we had six cases and as of today there are 38. We had another COVID-related death last week and our first case of the Delta variant as well. And three confirmed cases of Alpha variant.
Every person reading this knows someone who is compromised, either by underlying health conditions or advanced age when immune systems get weaker. If we won’t get vaccinated for ourselves or out of fear or suspicion, please consider getting vaccinated for those who have weaknesses this virus could exploit.
To date, 52 persons in Milam County have lost their lives to the coronavirus. We believe many were elderly, but there were a few social media posts indicating otherwise healthy individuals had succumbed to it. That’s the thing, we still don’t know the how or why it affects people so differently. Most healthy people may suffer no more than flu-like symptoms and rebound after a few days. Others will have lingering lung effects to live with throughout their life. Some will rack up enormous medical bills in order to be treated by healthcare professionals.
We want this global viral outbreak and its variants to be done as much as anyone. We want to be able to travel freely as we have been doing for months as cases lessened.
But we don’t understand some media outlets who question its efficacy. Simply put, the vast majority of those seeing new infections and illnesses from the variant are the unvaccinated. And as mutations continue, not being vaccinated means inviting the virus back into our communities.
Due to privacy concerns, hospitals don’t release names of those who died or the reasons. If they did, it might almost help as putting faces on the victims might inspire some additional sympathy.
Many people don’t want the government mandating a vaccine (or much else). Here in independent Milam County, that sentiment is strong.
Let’s remember that the coronavirus is similar to a virus which spread years ago, so the vaccines have not been rushed in the past year, but developed for about 18 years after a 2003 outbreak.
In the meantime, for now, we watch the Delta variant’s spread and continue to pray for our healthcare workers on the front lines of this global fight, and for those who are susceptible to its harm. We also pray that everyone who has thus far resisted getting the vaccine reconsider and help us build the immunity our society so desperately needs. —K.E.C.
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