Letters to the Editor: COVID is still killing us, even if we’re too lazy to fight it
The scene at a women’s softball game at Easton Stadium on the UCLA campus on April 29.
To the editor: COVID-19 continues to be the third leading cause of death in our country, killing more than 300 Americans each day, a pace of 100,000 per year. Cherry picking quotes from experts who downplay the risk is irresponsible. COVID is not like “a bad cold” or the seasonal flu. (“A guide to help you keep track of all the Omicron subvariants,” May 6)
It’s also irresponsible to say that the vaccines “will generally protect people from severe disease” without noting the flip side. Among vaccinated and boosted Americans over the age of 65, the COVID death rate is 59 per year per 100,000 people, making it more deadly than all forms of accidents combined for the group.
“Keeping my fingers crossed the development of new variants will slow” is a strategy for feeling helpless, not for disease prevention. The virus only mutates in a host, so when a hundred times as many people are infected, a hundred times as many mutations occur. The strategy to reduce the number of subvariants is to reduce the number of infections.
The virus will not get exhausted and just go away on its own. People should stop whining about being tired and get back to work on ending the pandemic.
Scott Peer, Glendale
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To the editor: As a Latina communicable disease investigator, I was pleased to see the article “Racial split on COVID-19 precautions endures as restrictions ease in U.S.” Far too often, white people don’t recognize their privilege.
My Mexican parents continue to take COVID-19 precautions, such as wearing masks. They live in Kings County, Calif., where 54% of Latinos are fully vaccinated, but just 29% of whites are.
I am proud of our Black and Latino communities for protecting themselves from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the wake of the pandemic, we’ve seen racial inequalities becoming more obvious. Latinos are 8.1 times more likely than whites to reside in high-exposure-risk households.
Our white neighbors must do their part to counter a virus that does not discriminate.
Daisy Ramirez, Lemoore, Calif.
