WAFFLE HOUSE — The Weekly Opine

Centers for Disease Control satellite offices, like this one in Chicago, are left to decipher and disseminate sometimes vague, toothless messages from Atlanta headquarters. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

CDC serves milquetoast advice

Several weeks ago, as signs of a resurgent COVID-19 intensified in mostly Southern, Trump-worshipping red states, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky offered up cringeworthy advice.

On a national cable news show, Dr. Walensky, who I am a fan of, said areas in the U.S. experiencing an increase in coronavirus cases “might consider” reinstating mask-wearing and social distancing policies. It was the kind of vague gobbledygook we grew accustomed to hearing from Walensky’s predecessor, former director of the CDC, Dr. Robert Redfield.

One of the hallmarks of the Biden administration, upon accepting responsibility for the nation’s response to the coronavirus, has been forthright, tell-it-like-it-is transparency. Biden hit the ground in full stride on January 20, setting aggressive goals to vaccinate Americans so we could achieve herd immunity and turn the tide against the pandemic.

While we did not reach Biden’s goal of 70% of adults having at least one vaccination shot by the 4th of July, we all know how dire things would be if the Trump-Pence cabal were still in the White House. However, the more viable stat is how many eligible (age 12+) Americans are fully vaccinated. Currently, 58% of eligible Americans are fully vaccinated, far short of the 75% herd immunity threshold.

From the moment Walensky was installed at the CDC, and top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci was resurrected from Trump purgatory, most of us believed America was on the road to winning a pandemic war that inept Trump-Pence morons were losing in an astonishingly ignorant fashion (ingest bleach…seriously?).

But Biden administration momentum regarding the pandemic is somewhat stagnant, obstructed by a deranged combination of MAGA blissful ignorance and continued lying at Fox News. Add to the mix an undeserved trust granted to unvaccinated people (e.g., retail outlets politely suggesting unvaccinated folks wear a mask) along with a rush to fully reopen in red and blue states, and it’s no surprise the virus has us backpedaling like Michael Spinks in a boxing match versus Mike Tyson.

The first mask that I used back in March 2020, hand crafted from a Hefty trash bag and shoe laces. Was it hard to breathe? Yes, but not as bad as it would have been if I caught the coronavirus. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Tell it like it is

The damning part is the adults appear to be catering to the children. Sure, states are free to set their own course. But national leaders, based on scientific facts, must plainly articulate what must be done to eradicate the virus. There is no time for waffling pabulum such as what Walensky and Fauci sometimes dispense, which is confusing to well-intended local government officials along with the public.

The prescription to beat COVID-19, and the Delta variant, is the same as it ever was. Since the start of the pandemic, the things that are effective remain valid. Add in vaccines and this is a no-brainer. Here goes, so listen up:

1. Vaccinate everyone 12 years old and older.

2. Re-institute mask wearing for all regardless of vaccination status and regardless of where they live.

3. Social distancing indoors.

4. Remind people of the importance of frequent handwashing.

What about the economy? Well, proof of vaccination is key. For example, at this weekend’s Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, in addition to an entry pass fans must either show proof they’ve been vaccinated or show proof they’ve tested negative for the virus within the past 72 hours. This type of clarity should have been instituted throughout society on June 1, when vaccines were available to almost anyone who wanted to be vaccinated.

Want to go to a baseball game? Prove you are vaccinated. Same with eating at a restaurant. Same with working at a restaurant. Same with working in the federal government or in the healthcare industry or any other industry. The unvaccinated must be treated as if they have the plague. They must be shunned and pushed to the fringe.

Even Trump-loving Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, in a state with the lowest vax rate (34%) in America, blasted unvaccinated people. Ivey said, “It’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down.”

French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent edict was exactly the kind of tough, uncompromising stance leaders across the globe should implement. Essentially, Macron is making it very difficult for unvaccinated French citizens to live a normal life inclusive of social activities such as going to restaurants, concerts, sporting events and so on.

My favorite world leader, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, from the very early stages and throughout the pandemic, projects honesty and transparency, while instituting tough measures. Consequently, New Zealand has fared quite well and opened-up several months ago. Ardern recently removed Australia from a joint bubble with New Zealand because Australia lags regarding vaccinating its citizens.

It is utterly ridiculous that in the U.S. we play cat-and-mouse with the virus, unable to summon the oft crowed about American resilience and courage to do what’s necessary to return to normalcy.

Nearly all World War II veterans are gone but the WW II Memorial in Washington D.C., with the Lincoln Memorial in the background, serves as a permanent reminder of American bravery and tenacity. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

(I am reminded of the courage of our soldiers. In 1940, on the verge of World War II, America instituted a military draft. Once we were drawn into the war, if someone was drafted and called into service, their service did not end until the war ended. In other words, if you were sent to Europe in 1942 you stayed until the war ended in 1945. That’s three years. Today, many Americans are soft and incapable of, for a period of just three months, doing what is necessary to defeat the coronavirus.)

Going forward

Masks, which for some of us were never fully discarded, are in vogue again. In Los Angeles County, masks are again required indoors. Chicago is considering doing the same. Eventually, this could/should play out across the U.S. Will we get it right this time?

The CDC announced new guidance this week. All people, including those fully vaccinated, should wear masks indoors if they live in areas where community spread is quickly increasing. Nice, but not draconian enough. All of us should be required to wear masks again, while at the same time vaccination should be mandatory, otherwise you cannot participate in daily life.

Recently, a doctor in Alabama shared her experiences with anti-vaxxers who caught the virus and, just before intubation, begged for the vaccine. In a matter-of-fact tone she explained it was too late, that the vaccine is not a cure but a prevention. A doctor in Arkansas shared similar stories of having to break the news to his dying patients, and their families, that it was too late to save them. Most of this was avoidable.

Apparently, some of the Trump wing of the Republican Party, and Fox News, now recognize their lies about the virus (it’s a hoax!) and the vaccine (it’s fake!) are literally killing their own voters. Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Steve Scalise, and Sen. Mitch McConnell are among those now in favor of everyone getting vaccinated.

Which makes you wonder, are MAGAs at least mildly curious why the loudest voices against the vaccine – such as Trump and Tucker Carlson – have themselves been vaccinated?

Back to the CDC, please stop playing footsie with the American people. And stop catering to the forces of denial.