America has now accumulated the most covid deaths per person of any advanced country. This failure is hurting our economy. But we can do better. We must work as a team to defeat covid.
You might say “omicron is mild,” “the pandemic is behind us” or “vaccines don’t work.” If you do, you would be wrong. Omicron is killing 2,000 Americans a day, overwhelming hospitals and leaving many with long covid, and there will doubtless be future variants.
Fortunately, vaccines work! Currently, the unvaccinated are 20 times more likely to die of covid-19 than the vaccinated. It’s true that vaccines are imperfect, but, like seatbelts, they save many lives.
Battling covid-19 is like a war, except the enemy is microscopic, airborne and indiscriminate. It’s not a war between pro-vax and anti-vax, but between humans and a virus. Failing to get vaccinated or wear a mask is like going AWOL when called to military service.
We all need to do our duty to protect others: Get vaccinated and boosted, wear a mask around others, and avoid poorly ventilated indoor spaces. We must conquer this virus. Do it for your family, for your country and for humanity. Be a patriot.
Paul Heckbert
Edgewood