Being Republican and Dead
From COVID-19
Being that this is the holiday season, I would be remiss if I did not mention the many gifts we have gotten from the gift that just keeps giving and that would be the one, the only, the disreputable, Grinchian ex-president, Gen. Bone Spurs.
Let’s see, the ex-liar in chief led us to the precipice to deny a woman’s right to make personal decisions about her own health; he normalized violence against the very seat of government; he convinced millions that our form of government and not the royal and exalted raccoon is corrupt; he led the way to dismantling protections that made it possible for the poor and people of color to vote; he was able to win over millions to his whopper of a prevarication that he actually won the 2020 election; he normalized attacks on LGBTQ people; he normalized demeaning, bigoted, violent words from members of Congress against colleagues; he gave approval for many to follow the white supremacy model; he normalized misogyny and multiple divorces; he drove a wedge and plunged a dagger between Americans that may never be mended; he fomented and cemented widespread mistrust of the media; he conned millions of Americans and stole millions of dollars; he dismantled key environmental protections and led the country away from the battle against climate change.
And I save the best (worst) for last as his lies about COVID-19 have led the way toward untold thousands of deaths from COVID-19, as evidenced by new NPR report that shows pro-trump counties have a far higher rate of COVID-19 deaths. Many of the deaths are a result of political polarization and misinformation and many could have been prevented with the use of accepted measures like masks and vaccinations, both targeted by trump and his zombie-like sycophants and political opportunists.
The NPR analysis showed that since May 2021, people living in counties that voted heavily for trump during the last presidential election have been nearly three times as likely to die from COVID-19 as those who live in areas that went for now-President Biden.
NPR reviewed deaths per 100,000 people in around 3,000 counties from May 2021, the time when vaccinations widely became available. People living in counties that went 60 percent or higher for Trump in November 2020 had 2.7 times the death rates of those that went for Biden. Counties with an even higher share of the vote for Trump saw higher COVID-19 mortality rates.
NPR noted recent polling data that shows that Republicans are the largest group of unvaccinated individuals in the United States. At the same time, polls show that mistrust in official sources of information and exposure to misinformation, about both COVID-19 and the vaccines, run high among Republicans.
But still many, many people have bought the trump line, hook, line and sinker and hold on to misinformation that continues to have lethal ramifications.
Many still refuse to believe that COVID-19 is any more of a threat than the common cold, citing reports of people who recovered completely without getting a vaccination .
Misunderstanding and widespread reporting about relatively rare side-effects.
Little trust in vaccines and the government and fears that the vaccine was rushed through without sufficient study.
Conspiracy theories including government collusion with big Pharma and the rich and powerful.
Individual liberties are sacrosanct to people who wrongheadedly say that people have a right to reject vaccinations and other forms of protection.
People believe that if they are relatively healthy that they will fight off COVID-19 and that a vaccination is unnecessary.
All wrong: These are the facts, according to the Johns Hopkins Medicine and the CDC:
Johns Hopkins Medicine views all authorized COVID-19 vaccines as highly effective at preventing serious disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.
The development of the COVID-19 vaccines did not cut corners on testing for safety and efficacy. COVID-19 affects everyone, so scientists made sure clinical trial participants for the vaccines were diverse.
The vaccines do not contain live coronavirus, and you cannot and will not get COVID-19 from getting vaccinated. After the shots, you might experience a sore arm, a mild fever or body aches, but this doesn’t mean you have COVID-19.
The COVID-19 vaccines and the boosters work with the immune system so your body will be ready to fight the coronavirus if you are exposed to it — including coronavirus variants such as delta and omicron.
People with allergies to certain foods, insects, latex and other common allergens can get a COVID-19 vaccine.
People of color are vulnerable to COVID-19 risk factors, and are more likely to be working front-line, essential jobs that cannot be performed from home, increasing their chances of being infected.
Getting vaccinated provides greater protection to others since the vaccine helps reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 helps protect others in your community, like those living with chronic medical conditions. The more people who receive the coronavirus vaccines, the sooner vulnerable people can feel safe among others. Since every COVID-19 infection gives the coronavirus a chance to mutate, being vaccinated helps prevent variants.
More vaccinations for COVID-19 mean a chance to get back to normal.
Johns Hopkins Medicine agrees with and strongly supports the recommendations of the CDC and other organizations who recommend that all pregnant or lactating individuals, along with those trying to get pregnant, be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Waiting too long to be vaccinated allows the coronavirus to continue spreading in the community, with new variants emerging.
A study published in August 2021 indicates that if you had COVID-19 before and are not vaccinated, your risk of getting reinfected is more than two times higher than for those who were infected and got vaccinated. Evidence suggests there is some level of immunity for those who previously had COVID, but it is not known how long you are protected from getting COVID-19 again.