Upon reading the Over the Hill column in the June 20th issue of the News Herald, I felt compelled to write.
The coronavirus is not “a flu” as Mrs. Crosby writes. In fact, it has a higher death rate, higher hospitalization rate, higher transmission rate and there is NO vaccine available at this time – making it an incredibly dangerous disease to casually disregard as a “flu.” It absolutely is an inconvenience to each and every one of us, most notably the first responders and front line medical providers and essential workers who risk their lives each day to protect and care for community members.
Science shows that the quarantine (the “Great American Lockdown” per Mrs. Crosby) and masking measures are making a difference. There is a reason Cook County was one of the last regions to report a case of COVID-19 and that there is only one at this time. Its citizens are taking the advice of scientists and are looking out for one another. They are putting one another before themselves. And yes, this means you were prevented from doing your own grocery shopping – but the results warrant these measures, contrary to her assertion that “the lockdown made little or no difference”!
Cook County does not have a single intensive care unit required to treat COVID-19; in fact, many live more than two hours from such medical facilities. The metro areas have nearly reached capacity at times, and certainly may before this pandemic ends. Mrs. Crosby may believe it is all for naught, but science and unbiased reporting clearly reveals otherwise. If you are unsure, please spend time with the reliable sources of the CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html, the Minnesota Department of Health: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html or sign up for the daily updates from MinnPost: www.minnpost.com/health/2020/03/tracking-the-minnesota-covid-19-numbers/
I commend the local grocery stores, especially Johnson’s Foods, as they choose to continue operating in a safe and cautious manner to protect the Cook County population and to offer a safe and vital service to its customers. The economy of Cook County is critically impacted by dips in tourism and visitors’ dollars. I cannot begin to imagine the significant financial strain and “inconvenience” these business owners and employees have endured the last four months.
Choosing to move your grocery dollars outside of the county because it is more convenient is disappointing to say the least. The News-Herald’s decision to publish the column, giving a platform for such unscientific drivel, misinformation and anti-local rhetoric is astonishing.
-Dehlia Seim
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