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

This week, world new cases of #COVID19 leveled or decreased in most locations although the global death toll now approaches a staggering 4.9 million, and worrisome slight increases were seen in Russia and Turkey, in particular. 

Global vaccinations now stand at an estimated 35.3%, up from last weeks’ 34.3% of the world population, and that compares with the U.S.’ total percentage vaccinated estimated now at 56.7%, which is up by only 0.6% from last week’s 56.1% total, with the red states still only in the lower 40’s percentage point range for their populations vaccinated.

Still running last among U.S. states is West Virginia, with only 40.9% of its population vaccinated to date, that’s up only 0.4% higher than last week’s 40.5%, despite their U.S Senator, now turned infamous “Pharma Bro”, Joe Manchin, as a potential advocate to save money and save lives for West Virginians as well as all Americans.

This week overall, the U.S. is now showing waning of the late summer peak caused by the Delta variant, although pockets of severe outbreaks persist or newly exist in such notable places as Alabama and Alaska.  Both locations should not be on anyone’s elective travel destination list for the immediate future, as both are dealing with strained on-the-ground capabilities to deal with any type of more involved medical condition that might arise for those who happen to be there or even live there.

The U.S. total COVID19 death toll, is now being reported at 713,325, and therefore a total of 285,330 lives lost that would have been spared if this country and our so-called political leaders showed the political will to have a #SinglePayer expanded and improved #MedicareForAll system in place to deal with this public health crisis. 

Regulars here will note that’s approximately 5,000 more preventable deaths since last weeks reported tragic and avoidable losses.  Five thousand of our fellow Americans killed just this week alone by the unmitigated greed of big insurance and big pharma, big hospitals and those in the status quo, that perpetuate corruption in political high places, and for the sake of their personal fortunes allow COVID19 to wreak havoc causing this wonton display of suffering and human loss for the sake of their personal fortunes instead of taking action on behalf of the lives and interests of the public they were elected to serve.  How long will this be tolerated?

Surveys now reveal some 140,000 children nationwide have lost a caregiver due to COVID19.  That’s about one in every 500 kids in the US.  And of course, that has adversely and unjustly impacted our BIPOC communities, with an estimated 65% of those children coming from racial and ethnic minorities, despite making up only 39% of the population overall.

Vaccine refusal and the insurrection against public health and other public authorities continues seemingly unabated.  With schools now re-opened, and most with dedicated safety-first protocols in place, serving this population of the nation’s most vulnerable, those under age 12 who are as yet not qualified for the protection of vaccines, school officials are now being attacked specifically for those safety measures.  This, as they are ironically as well, being attacked for their advocacy on curriculum and dedication to the teaching of critical thinking.

But even Healthcare workers are being attacked, thanks to the unfair and unbalanced influence of the internet and cable TV.  Purveyors of medical misinformation, which serves so obviously to rile up a base that will donate and turnout to relieve their inner demons in face-to-face confrontations, are accusing doctors and nurses at the bedside of incorrectly designating their patients as having COVID19, or of withholding unproven or harmful treatments such as ivermectin.

And this misinformation-propagated denial might significantly impact what might well be our last best hope for curtailing at least this pandemic, with lessons we must now painfully extract for those yet to come, the long-anticipated introduction of those vaccinations for children under age 12.  

With this large remaining cohort of the population to begin their anti-COVID vaccination series by early November and hopefully completed before the winter holidays, might we likely see the global prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 finally suppressed to a level that no further variant “peaks” will again alter life as we know it in our daily discourse here, at least until the next pandemic due to rising global temperatures comes our way?

Will vaccine refusing parents of these children soon eligible, significantly impact our progress in the U.S., and further yet displace us from goals that leave us far short of what the other advanced countries of the world are achieving thanks to their Universal Healthcare systems that provide trusted medical information to counterbalance the misinformation, with unimpeded access to doctors and other clinicians to which their populations can have meaningful and personal discussions, to allay their fears and untoward expectations regarding all manner of treatments, proven or otherwise?

And of course, when will we as a social democracy, if we still are one in the U.S., wake up enough to realize that we have more in common with our equally frustrated working-class political opponents, who are turning to horse paste and screaming matches for solutions, than we do differences, and devise ways toward communication rather than confrontation with each other?

Clearly and painfully, the struggle continues…

RSVP HERE for the next PDA Healthcare Emergency Town Hall, Sundays, 4pm ET.

Watch the previous PDA Healthcare Emergency Town Halls here.