Letters: What is the COVID risk?; GOP’s irresponsible attitude toward masks
What is the COVID risk?
Since the Penn State vs Auburn football game crowd has become the reference for proving minimal COVID-19 transmission risk by members of the Pennsylvania GOP party and conservative commentators, I’m of the opinion that Penn State University should clearly explain why 110,000 people standing shoulder to shoulder and cheering (loudly) isn’t a clear demonstration that COVID-19 is a hoax. Yes, I know that masks must be worn inside campus buildings and non-vaccinated students and employees must be tested weekly, but none of that is filmed and broadcast nationally.
However, 110,00 tightly packed and cheering fans are spraying a lot aerosols at high velocity within a confined space. Is that higher risk than 30 students sitting 3-4 feet apart? If the fans don’t need masks, why do the students? It’s a fair question.
As a public, land-grant institution, the university has a duty to lead by example and provide definitive direction from the medical school faculty to the residents of our community and state on this matter. Otherwise, school boards and local governments will be making public health policy decisions, just like members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, based on the perceived risk relative to 110,000 tightly packed, cheering football fans.
GOP’s irresponsible attitude toward masks
Our Republican legislators have apparently tired of trying to discredit the 2020 election and moved onto the great mask choice issue. Following a solid tradition of fact-free and science-free decision making, they now want a law allowing students can opt-out of public health measures. The Republican brain trust seems to either have not heard of or are simply in denial of simple facts: 1.) COVID is a respiratory disease 2.) its transmission is by airborne water droplets 3.) it has killed nearly 700,000 of us, sickening many more, 4.) children can be infected, become sick, and, infrequently, die, 5.) asymptomatic people, including children, can carry and spread the disease 6.) while the vaccine is proven to prevent or at least reduce the severity of COVID it does not stop transmission, and 7.) masks have been shown to stop transmission. Quite simply, a mask not only protects the wearer, but also the people near them.
The chance of transmission is very high in crowded schools. The model of behavior the Republican legislators are pushing is that it is right to purposefully choose to risk infecting your friends and neighbors. They feel it is more important to feel comfortable than to exhibit some level of responsibility for your fellow human.
While we have become a materialistic selfish culture, are we now to enshrine into law that a minor inconvenience is too much to suffer to protect a neighbor. I am glad the passengers on Flight 93 did not have that attitude.
An audit for everything?
I recently took part in a golf tournament where I was tasked with the role of score keeper. After a rousing round of golf, I announced the name of the winner who had the lowest score. Unfortunately, several of the losers claimed the result were fraudulent and individual scores were not correct. To appease them I had an independent person audit my record keeping and the score cards. He confirmed that the reported scores were correct. However, the losers were still not satisfied.
One of the losers suggested I contact Senator Corman and ask that he appoint a select committee to audit the scores. The loser informed me that Senator Corman had a history of commissioning frivolous investigations at taxpayer expense and felt this investigation would be right in his wheelhouse.
The winner asked that if Senator Corman did agree to form such a committee that he not appoint Senator Dush to head up the investigation. Based on Dush’s recent travels out West the winner was not sure he can be unbiased.