By Manny Otiko, IVN
After a few months of progress, it looks like we’re on the wave of a new coronavirus surge. All the medical data seems to point to things about to turn around — in the wrong direction. Coronavirus infections tripled over the last month in all 50 states, according to Democracy Now! According to California’s Covid-19 dashboard, there were about 4,700 new infections on Tuesday. The total number of infections is 3.7 million. The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 63,000 people.
Pres. Joe Biden is practically begging Americans to use the best weapon against the coronavirus, which is vaccinations.
“If you’re unvaccinated, you are not protected. So, please, please get vaccinated. Get vaccinated now. It works. It’s safe. It’s free. It’s convenient,” said Biden.
According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading virologist, 99 percent of recent Covid-19 fatalities are from unvaccinated people.
There has also been talk about medical professionals going door-to-door to persuade people to take the vaccine. However, that’s already getting pushback from Republicans who see it as part of an overbearing government.
Covid-19 numbers are spiking in red states that voted for former President Donald Trump.
Arkansas is particularly bad. There have been several news stories about local parents reporting children falling sick and dying.
Arkansas mother Angela Morris refused to get her family vaccinated. Now, her 13-year-old daughter is on a ventilator.
“I just had a false sense of security that it was just like the flu and it wasn’t that serious,” said Morris in a KTHV-TV interview. “Obviously, it is that serious and it was that serious — now I can see.”
“It’s very hard to see her in this situation,” she said. “It’s very hard not knowing if she’s really going to come home anymore or not. It’s heartbreaking. I wish I would’ve made better choices for her.”
The new strain of Covid-19 is called the Delta variant. According to medical researchers, it is more lethal and infectious than previous strains. Every time the coronavirus interacts with an unprotected host body, it mutates and gets stronger. So ironically, all those people refusing to get vaccinated and wear masks are actually prolonging the epidemic.
However, one of the driving factors leading to increased infections in red states is that many residents listened to Trump when he downplayed the virus and spread coronavirus pandemic conspiracy theories. Unfortunately, they also listen to the right-wing media which has followed Trump’s lead and helped spread Covid-19 disinformation.
Medical doctors are bracing for a new round of patients and hoping that things don’t return to the bad days when hospitals were full of sick and dying patients and ambulances struggled to find places to take sick people. But it’s not looking good.
Some medical professionals are frustrated that Covid-19 patients are filling their hospitals — again. They’re annoyed that people are getting sick and potentially dying from a disease that can be prevented.
Dr. Rob Davidson, a Michigan emergency physician, said he’s frustrated that people turn to cable TV for medical information.
“What breaks my heart, as someone who took an oath to prevent harm, is that my patients choose to abandon the science and evidence that can save their lives. I do blame Fox News and other right-wing media outlets for poisoning the minds of millions of Americans with the deceptive propaganda they spray into living rooms 24/7,” said Davidson in an NBC News article.
But medical professionals are not just relying on vaccines to protect against the disease. Others are looking for alternative ways to prevent spread and infection. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that all children over 2 use masks in the fall.
