Sign Of The Times
Sign Of The Times
The COVID-19 pandemic which started in Wuhan City, Hubei, China, on December 31, 2019, has turned into a pandemic of misinformation and confusion, resulting in vaccine hesitancy and public recklessness and arrogance towards the virus, totally neglecting science, favoring the exercise of civil liberties (the right to refuse the vaccines and the freedom “to do what I want”). This has been emboldened by the political correctness often declared by politicians for fear of losing votes, and by the misguided street protestors spewing medically baseless information. Social media aggravated the situation with fake news about masking and social distancing, and later, about the COVID-19 vaccines, casting public doubt and fear, putting the lives of unsuspecting ignorant people at risk. Surprisingly, even some physicians, including those in Congress, have misled the public with erroneous statements about the value of masking and the vaccines, totally disregarding epidemiology.
None of the politicians have uttered the painful truth that those who did not wear masks, did social distancing, and refused the vaccines, were (are) the people who mostly harbor the virus in their bodies, allowing them to rapidly replicate and mutate, churning out new strains from the original one, to Delta, to more rapidly transmissible Omicron, and now to super-rapid spreader Stealth Omicron, the latter two causing massive surges in cases the past couple of weeks, killing as high as 22,000 people in one day.
None in the government and in the news media would tell it like it is: that people not wearing masks, not doing social distancing, and refusing the vaccines are endangering the lives of others, people who are careful and compliant, who are vaccinated. This is a medical truth, a scientific fact: masks, distancing, and vaccines protect not only the individuals but the people around them.
If a person has active tuberculosis, spitting up blood, refusing to mask-up in public, rejecting medications to cure this infectious lung infection, and roaming around, mingling with people, breathing, talking, or coughing infective tubercle bacilli into the air, transmitting the infection to others, would this be within his civil rights and an acceptable situation, or would this be against the law (rules) of the Health Department?
While those who refuse the preventive measures and the vaccines have the right to do so and risk their lives, they do not have the right to infect, risk, and kill others, who also have the constitutional rights to protect their health and the right not to be killed. National, societal, safety, well-being, and welfare must take precedence and prevail over Individual freedom and civil liberties, especially when those against the mask and the vaccines are not isolating themselves at home.
The principle of isolation in epidemiology to prevent the spread of contagious killer diseases is not new. One example is the establishment of the Leper Colonies in the 15th century in Africa, India, Brazil, France (Paris), The Philippines, among others, to isolate those with Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease), with no cure then, to protect the general public, postulating Leprosy to be highly contagious, medically proven to be wrong, unfortunately, only 300 years later.
That same principle of isolation to protect the majority holds true today, proven to be effective if properly and strictly employed, being practiced in all hospitals worldwide, and accepted internationally by the scientific community. Obviously, having COVID-19 colonies today is unrealistic, unjust, cruel, and unacceptable. Instead, we have masking, social distancing, and most importantly, vaccination. And equally vital, knowledge, love of our fellowmen, understanding, compassion, and discipline are essential ingredients in our united war against COVID-19.
The original SARS-CoV2 virus detected as a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei province, China, on December 31, 2019, reached the United States within 3 weeks, on January 19, 2020, when the first case, a 35-year-old man who returned from Wuhan City, presented himself at an urgent care center in Snohomish, Washington. The following day, there were a total of 9976 cases, reported in at least 21 countries, obviously spread by travelers who returned home from China.
That strain had mutated and evolved into the severely deadly Delta variant (B.1.617.2) first detected in India in October 2020. After the devastation in India in April and May 2021, the Delta variant had spread to more than 90 countries, from the USA to Europe, to Africa, to Australia.
More than 20 percent of people in the United States (around 60 million) refused to get vaccinated. At the start of 2021, there were more than 450,000 COVID-19 deaths in the country, and by February 16, 2022, the number of cases catapulted to 79,808,643, killing 952,603. Worldwide, there were 419,147,645, and 5,873,066 deaths.
Omicron (B.1.1.529), first identified in specimens collected in Botswana on November 11, 2021 and in Pretoria, South Africa, 3 days later, is now in more than 40 countries. On December 1, 2021, the United States confirmed its first case of massively transmissible Omicron, followed by its subvariant, Stealth Omicron (BA.2), first detected on January 8, 2022, in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Its name suggests superfast transmission, more than Omicron, and much harder to detect. Today, more than 98 percent of the surges are due to Omicron and the Stealth Omicron.
Without getting about 80 percent of our population fully vaccinated as soon as possible (in our race against the rapidly mutating virus), we are doomed to have more serious waves of this pandemic. Less than 65 percent of people in the United States had the first two shots, and less than 30 percent are fully vaccinated, whose new definition includes a booster (the 3rd shot). Soon, we might need a second booster (4th does) because the immunity from the vaccines wanes after 6-8 months.
It is the nature of viruses and bacteria to mutate to super-killer strains that could be totally resistant to any vaccines or drugs and potentially kill billions, not only millions. Fear mongering? No, as a cardiac surgeon and as an individual, I speak with science and common sense behind me to help provide factual scientific data to the public to save lives.
And I am not apologizing for stating painful realities and truths, and not being politically correct.
To those who set aside politics and political correctness and follow the science, the decision is crystal clear: Of the more than 10.4 billion (with a B) vaccinations around the world (around 549 million in the USA, 132 M in the RP), there were only a tiny fraction who developed complications, and less than a fraction of this died. Whether the deaths were related to the vaccine or to their health issues to begin with was not clear. Now, how many died from COVID-19 and its fatal complications: nearly 5.9 million. One does not have to be a statistician to conclude that the deaths from COVID-19 is at least a hundred times greater than the deaths from the vaccines. We ought to be more scared of COVID-19 than the vaccines!
As of February 16, 2022, there was only around 65 percent of the world population fully vaccinated. In the United States, about 28 percent, or 92,680,000 of the 333.1 million population, are fully vaccinated (boosted). The Philippines has more than double that figure; 57 percent or 63,270,000 of the 111 + million people were fully vaccinated). To achieve herd immunity, about 80 percent of the people have to be fully vaccinated. In the USA, about 60 million have refused the vaccines. A reasonable concern is understandable, but extreme fear of the vaccines to the point of abandoning a life-saving option is simply against our natural instinct of survival. The vaccines have already been proven to be safe and effective in more than 11 billion shots administered around the world, around 548 million doses in the United States, and about 133 million shots in The Philippines.
Risk/benefit ratio
The chances of getting killed running across a busy highway is much greater than dying from the vaccines. Getting killed by the vaccines is at least 20 times less than the death rate of dying from a vehicular accident (1 in 107) and yet we continue to drive. Deaths from choking on food (1 in 2,535), deaths from drowning (1 in 1,228), crossing the streets (1 in 543), bicycling (1 in 3,825) — all greater than the chance of dying from the vaccines (around 8 per million, or 1 in 125,000), an actual death rate of 0.0019 percent). Considering there are now almost 165 million Americans vaccinated, these are low complication rates, medically speaking, compared to the fatality rate of COVID-19. These are actual statistics, uncontestable data. All one has to do is to analyze the data and the risk/benefit ratio. Obviously, the risk from the vaccines is significantly much lower than the risk from COVID-19 infection and the benefit from the vaccines (no benefit for getting COVID-19) is overwhelming.
Preventable deaths
The unvaccinated people (the 60 million who currently refuse the vaccines) are at the gravest risk. More than 90 percent of those who have been infected lately and those who died were unvaccinated individuals. This was not unexpected. And thousands more unprotected people will die.
When at least 80% of the population of the United States are vaccinated, we could end this pandemic. So far, almost 5.9 million people around the globe (around 954,040 in the USA) have been killed by this virus. One death, as I stated before, is one too many, because every life is precious.
Social media are regrettably full of dangerous inaccuracies about the masks and the vaccines that scare people. When one spews out lies and falsehood that endanger lives, it is an abuse, a twisted, insane exercise of free speech. It is uncharitable and a disservice to society (technically criminal) as it confuses and kills people. This pandemic of absurdity and irresponsibility must stop now to prevent more deaths.
To resume masking?
Yes, to protect ourselves and others, we should wear a mask in public, covering our nose and mouth, even if we are vaccinated, since there are a lot of breakthrough infections that infected vaccinated individuals, especially with Omicron and Stealth Omicron. The number of deaths is still very high. We must also do social distancing and follow the original CDC preventive guidelines, until we have herd immunity. Masks work. If I sprayed flour or paint to 100 persons, half of them with a mask on and 6 feet or farther away, who would get the most flour or paint on their face? Masks and the vaccines do protect, albeit not 100 percent, just like the bullet-proof vests worn by SWAT teams and law enforcement agents around the world. They are both life savers. Plain common sense.
Vaxed/unvaxed mingling
It is a caveat in infectious disease control and prevention that these two groups of individuals (unvaccinated and vaccinated) be segregated for obvious medical reasons. This is a standard isolation policy in hospitals around the world. This could easily be implemented in a nation under a dictatorship, but not in a free country, where civil liberties are abusively invoked in a wrong fashion by some who do not give a damn about their fellowmen. Since no one knows who are vaccinated and who are not, it is wise and prudent to mask up and practice social distancing in public places, even for those who are fully vaccinated, especially seniors. Wearing masks, even among children, does not cause any adverse effects even in their oxygen saturation level. And don’t forget the countless unvaccinated people below age 40 who have been killed by this virus.
To end COVID-19 soonest
Politically, it is a dilemma, as the current bleak data show. The non-compliance of the 60 million anti-vaxers together with their civil rights agitators prevented the USA from achieving herd immunity and defeating these viruses in 2021. Medically speaking, without politics, it is doable. Just follow science and the standard evidence-based proven effective epidemiologic strategy for managing any infectious disease: Vaccinate at least 80 percent of the population, with a national vaccination mandate. In the meantime, everybody should resume masking, social distancing, handwashing, minimizing gatherings, practicing behavioral modification and self-discipline. If the government had followed this strategy in managing COVID-19 at the onset of the pandemic and when the vaccines became available, we would have had herd immunity (a normal life) by Christmas of 2021.
Obviously, this is easier said than done in a free society. Normally, in a democracy, the majority (272 million pro-vaccine Americans) should prevail over the minority (60 million anti-vaxers), who are now getting infected themselves and transmitting the virus to others, including to vaccinated individuals. Thanks to the spineless majority of our political leaders in control, the reverse situation (the minority prevailing) is enabled, a grave injustice to the majority of American people and to the existential detriment of society as a whole.
Negligent “Genocide”?
The COVID-19 pandemic is, from a national perspective, like a war, and should have been treated as such, with all hands-on-deck, from the President, the Congress, down to every citizen, with a solid unified science-based strategy and resolve. Leaving the tactical measures to the various States, which are politically polarized, would lead to chaos and disaster, as shown by how confused people are, by the sad statistics since COVID-19 hit the United States, the current severe surges of COVID-19 infections, and the senseless deaths of almost a million in the United States which were preventable.
For a medical crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, we need science, not politics. Political correctness perpetrated by our leaders, in order not to alienate voters, kill people far worse than the virus. Societal welfare is first and paramount. The freedom to refuse the vaccine is actually resulting in more surges of infections, increased hospitalization, thousands more deaths, and greater devastation of our economy and national psyche.
The US-CDC has, at the government’s disposal, established, proven, and tested, evidence-based standard epidemiologic protocol for the effective and rapid control of killer infectious diseases like SARS-CoV2 virus, and the now available COVID-19 vaccines, and yet it has refused to do what is right to save the nation from further ruin and nearly a million of its citizens from dying.
A hospital infectious disease ward is a miniature image of the entire United States as a giant ICU with practically 80 million cases and almost one million deaths so far…and counting. The standard of care protocol in every medical center calls for strict quarantine, isolation, handwashing, masking, social distancing, crowd avoidance, and prompt vaccination of at least 80 percent of the population. That is 100 percent application of science, sans politics and political correctness.
If this gross negligence and dereliction of duty were committed by a physician (for not following the standard care and protocol causing even a single death, never mind 954,913 actual deaths from COVID-19, he/she would have been severely punished with a stiff penalty and meted a long jail term for negligent homicide.
Actually, the Administration and The Congress should even be subject to a higher standard, and yet, they are not being held accountable, culpable, liable, for defaulting on their sworn duty, obligation, and responsibility to protect the American people when they failed to urgently employ the standard protocol, resulting in almost 80 million COVID-19 cases with nearly a million deaths.
Had the government mandated the standard epidemiologic protocol in earnest and faithfully from January 15, 2020, when the first case of COVID-19 was discovered in the United States, especially compulsory vaccination when it first became available, the nation could have saved the majority of the 945,913 people, and herd immunity would have been established by now, ushering the end of the pandemic in this country.
The nearly 60 million who still refused the vaccine will continue to serve as a giant reservoir (hosts) of the COVID-19 viruses that would enable the rapid replication and mutation of the virus, and act as carriers and transmitters that would infect and kill more people, causing the pandemic to linger.
The unvaccinated are the most vulnerable targets of COVID-19 and 99.9 percent of the infections caused by the Delta variant then and our due to Omicron and Stealth Omicron. Without a host (when everyone is vaccinated), the virus will self-destruct. With that large number of carrier hosts, it is most probable that this pandemic will persist for years as endemic requiring annual (if not bi-annual) COVID-19 vaccination, much like the yearly flu shots.
There is only about 28 percent of our population is fully vaccinated, 57 percent had the first two shots. The United States is lagging far behind 50 other nations, whose vaccinated rate is on average 80 percent. This is a shame for a world leader and a most educated country with almost unlimited resources.
Why is the US government not following the available established standard protocol? How many more deaths does it need before finally doing the right thing?
What is happening to our nation and its people due to science-incompetent spineless politicians and inept leadership in both the executive and legislative branches of our government is simply gross negligence, dereliction of duty, a travesty of justice, plain and simple, a national disgrace. With a bit of stretch, arguably, their inaction borders on negligent genocide. It is a bitter pill to swallow for those who have lost a loved one and those who believe in science and social justice.
May God have mercy on us all.
The author, Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Munster, Indiana, and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer, an author, a Health Advocate, Chairman of the Filipino United Network (USA), a 501(c)3 United States humanitarian foundation, and the founding president of the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society (Wikipedia). Websites: philipSchua.com, TODAY.SPSAtoday.com, and FUN8888.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
Reprinted from MALAYA Philippine national daily (Manila), Asian Journal (USA), Philippine News (USA), Fil-Am STAR, (Los Angeles), and Fil-Am MegaScene (Chicago).