By Dr. Bill Honigman, Healthcare Human Rights, Coordinator – Progressive Democrats of America

COVID & MFA REALITY CHECK

1,000,562 Total COVID19 deaths in US to date*

400,224 US COVID19 deaths prevented with MFA**

*Harvard University Daily Tracker

**Lancet Commission, Feb 2021

This is now our 119th consecutive weekly PDA Online Town Hall since #COVID19 first hit the U.S. in the spring of 2020, and today once again, we must report that the United States continues as the world’s leader in total deaths due to this public health national disgrace. 

In fact, we have now surpassed the one million mark of Americans that are known to have died from COVID19.  To visualize this figure, the Associated Press likens it to as many as one 9/11 attack every day for 336 days, or roughly equal to as many Americans who died in the Civil War and WWII combined.

The Harvard University tracking center is conservatively placing today’s figure at an estimated 1,000,562 COVID19 U.S. cumulative deaths.  Which means of course, that according to the distinguished panel of public health experts and scientists of the Lancet Commission, who published their scathing critique on the inadequacies of our response to this pandemic back in February of last year, some 400,224 of these COVID19 victims would still be alive today if we had a #SinglePayer expanded and improved #MedicareForAll (MFA) system in place to deal with this crisis.  

That’s 400,000+ preventable COVID deaths over these 2+ years simply by having MFA.

The U.S. currently is thought to be only 67% fully vaccinated.  That puts us still ranked in the world this week at No. 63 – still just behind Sri Lanka and just ahead of Mongolia.  “U-S-A, U-S-A…”

And Wyoming, where apparently obstinance is virtue, is still the worst U.S. state in total population to be fully vaccinated, this week at only 50.86%, again about 10 percentage points below the world’s average of population fully vaxxed.

And given all of that obstinance of theirs, how comfortable can Wyomingites be with the latest surge of Omicron subvariants now being felt across the more protected parts of the country?  Are Wyoming’s hospitals and morgues ready to accommodate their unvaccinated?

As we know, Republicans in Congress are, as we speak, blocking Biden administration requests for more funding to replenish stockpiles of tests, therapeutics, and vaccines.  This, even as a newly resurgent old nemesis, Monkeypox, is starting to show up with cases now again being seen around the globe, undoubtedly due to changing global environs as predicted by climate scientists.

And yet, as the time to take all of this more seriously seems desperately to be more at hand, polls show Americans somehow more concerned with other issues, other shinier objects.  

Even with advisements to increase precautions for return to mask-wearing and social distancing in public spaces, and completing full vaccinations including the long-anticipated vaccination of children age 5 and under as soon as they become available, we must remain vigilant in our pursuit of the systems reforms that will bring the U.S. out of the shameful poor performer category, and into the advanced world, or civilized world, category of state responses.  

Clearly, we need MFA now, and the Green New Deal now, both now more than ever.

Which of course brings us back to those running to be the change we seek in Congress, in the statehouses, city councils, and school and local governing boards across the country, now in these midterms.  Who gets it, and who doesn’t?  Who’s with us, and who’s not?

Once again, it’s time to vote, and to help get out the vote.  It’s time once again for all of us to be the change that we need.

Thanks again, and onward!

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Watch the previous PDA Healthcare Emergency Town Halls here.

Watch the previous PDA Sunday Progressive Town Halls here.