Keep to COVID facts and respect others

Whenever it comes to reporting any news about COVID-19, one thing is certain: Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

It never fails that when we report anything about it, critics will have their say. If we fail to report something, critics will also have their say. That’s OK. It’s your First Amendment right to voice an opinion.

We fell short in the “respect” department last week when we picked a snarky cartoon about the situation. We regret that, though we still strongly urge everyone to reconsider their opposition to the vaccine.

When it comes to the pandemic, we look to local, state and national health experts for information. We don’t make it up and we don’t make it political. We do our best to keep to the facts. COVID-19 is a health issue, not a political one even though many people want to make it that way.

These are the facts as we best understand them:

• COVID-19 is real;

• COVID-19 variants, such as the Delta variant, are real;

• You have the right to either get or not get the vaccine (but we urge everyone to do so);

• The virus continues to spread, especially among those who are not vaccinated;

• The vaccines work but they are not 100% foolproof;

• Masks, social distancing, and handwashing/sanitizing work at reducing the spread, but are not 100% foolproof;

• Some people can have adverse reactions to the vaccines;

• Some people who get the virus will have few, if any, reactions;

• Some people who get the virus will die;

• The number of cases and hospitalizations have predictably risen since the governor ended the mask mandate and opened the state up 100%;

•  In Gillespie County, two people have died from COVID-19 since the mandates were lifted, bringing the total number dead to 53;

•  In Texas, only 43% of the residents are fully vaccinated;

• In the last report we received, five people were hospitalized at Hill Country Memorial with COVID-19. Of those, four were unvaccinated and the fifth had only one of the two shots.

It’s not a stretch to say that we are not out of the woods yet. We also realize that getting people to mask up again will be difficult at best. As the saying goes, it’s easier to let the cat out of the bag than it is to put it back in.

Health officials have advised that even people who are fully vaccinated should be masking up and adhering to safety guidelines. Human nature and current experience say that most people will not go down that road again.

The way things are going, it stands to reason that eventually most everyone will either be vaccinated and/or come down with some variant of COVID-19. Sadly, it appears the majority are willing to let Darwinism work things out. That is unfortunate because there are undeserved consequences to those who are trying to protect themselves.

People in high-risk health categories face more frequent exposure. Hospital workers and other medical personnel must put themselves at risk to care for the sick. Employers who are already having a difficult time with staffing must do without the services of those who get sick. Families must make sacrifices to care for sick family members and some must deal with the loss should COVID-19 lead to death.

Clearly, Texans are not going to let the government dictate what they can and cannot do in terms of the pandemic. Any government action will have to rise from an outcry among the citizenry and not be dictated from above.

All we can ask is that you please be as careful as you can and take steps to be safe and reduce the spread. If you’re willing to be masked again, please do.

We also ask those opposed to masks and vaccines to be mindful and respectful of those who do take safety precautions, and vice versa. Bullying or belittling anyone who chooses to do things differently than you is wrong, no matter what side of the debate you fall on. (Again, we are human, too, and fell short last week.)

We will not all agree on the best course of action, but we can all agree to be civil about it. Removing the vitriol from the situation will make things better for everyone until this has passed. – J.S.

(This editorial appeared in the Aug. 4, 2021, edition of the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post.)