There is a perfect storm brewing in Missouri. Numbers of coronavirus cases are rising, hospitalizations due to the virus are rising, and intensive care unit admissions are rising. Hospital staffing is short, pandemic fatigue has set in, the weather is getting colder, and people are gathering for the holidays. To top it all off, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is putting his own political gain above the common good.
Schmitt, who is also running for the U.S. Senate, last week instructed school districts and local public health departments to immediately stop enforcing public health orders after a judge ruled them unconstitutional. Schmitt warned school districts and local health agencies that they may face legal action if they fail to withdraw their mandates.
In separate letters sent to school districts and health departments across the state, Schmitt pointed to Cole County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Green’s ruling that struck down state health regulations and declared health orders issued by local health authorities to be “null and void.” Schmitt went on to urge parents to turn in their children’s school districts if they break the court order and continue requiring that masks be worn in school. Schmitt has instructed parents to email photos, videos or documents that may support the violations. He has sent cease-and-desist letters to school districts across the state.
Schmitt’s directives are endangering the physical health of all Missourians as well as the health of our body politic.
I recently spoke with Dr. Clay Dunagan, BJC HealthCare’s chief clinical officer and a Washington University infectious disease specialist, who also serves on the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force. The data Dunagan shared with me was both very concerning and discouraging. He says the St. Louis region is experiencing yet another “substantial” coronavirus surge.
“Right now, we are losing ground against the virus and seeing a pretty clear escalation in the region,” Dunagan said.
Despite being almost two years into this pandemic, the reproductive factor of the virus is among the highest it has ever been. The reproductive factor is the rate at which infection spreads. When the factor is more than 1, the number of new cases is expanding; when it is below 1, the number of new cases is contracting. It is currently at 1.43.
The health and well-being of all Missourians is affected by this newest surge of the virus. Area hospitals have begun postponing some elective surgeries again because the priority must go to patients sick with the coronavirus. Dunagan also shared with me that emergency rooms are overwhelmed again. That means if you or someone you love needs emergency care, for whatever the reason, you may receive subpar care or may need to wait longer times.
Even before Schmitt issued his directive, the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force reported an average staffed-bed hospital capacity of 89%, with intensive-care units at 77%. “The amount of reserve capacity is a concern.” Dunagan said. The current situation will only get worse for all Missourians if we stop wearing masks for indoor activities.
The costs of Schmitt’s actions to the health of our body politic are just as worrying. Asking parents to tattle on their children’s school is a type of vigilantism that damages our communities. Vigilantism thrives in times of political and cultural change and when people are frustrated. It often leads to violence. In this case, such behavior is being encouraged by Missouri’s chief law enforcer. Propagating fear and divisiveness are Schmitt’s entire point. That may be the kind of politics he thinks he needs to win the GOP Senate nomination, but to bring schoolchildren into this tinderbox is unconscionable.
It has been scientifically proven that masks work to stop the spread of respiratory viruses like the coronavirus. Study after study has confirmed this, including one by Missouri’s own state health department. There are also no reputable studies showing that children sustain harm while wearing masks. It may be inconvenient, but there is no harm. I certainly am happy that my child can attend in-person learning rather than remote learning from home. If that means she wears a mask while at school, then so be it. My child clearly understands that she is not only protecting herself; she is protecting her fellow classmates and protecting her immunocompromised sister.
Enough is enough. Enough with the politics. Enough with the selfishness. Enough with the vengeance. The health of our communities requires us to protect each other for a while longer. How much longer will depend on the actions we take from here forward.
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