Sohn: Take COVID-19 seriously, before it takes you

Atlanta Journal-Constitution file photo by Alyssa Pointer / A nurse collects a specimen from a patient during a DeKalb County Department of Health drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in Atlanta shortly before Thanksgiving.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution file photo by Alyssa Pointer / A nurse collects a specimen from a patient during a DeKalb County Department of Health drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in Atlanta shortly before Thanksgiving.

There is a serial killer roaming among us, and its name is COVID-19.

As of Thursday afternoon, at least 275,000 people have died of this novel coronavirus in the United States since February. The CDC projects that by the end of December, the overall U.S. death toll from this scourge could reach 303,000 on the low end and 329,000 on the high end.

It hasn't been that long ago - about a month - since we told you the virus about every three days was killing roughly the same number of Americans, about 2,750 people, as were killed on Sept. 11, 2001, during terrorist attacks against our country.

That's changed now. On Wednesday - just Wednesday - 2,798 people took their last breaths as the virus claimed them. And on Thursday, U.S. virus deaths topped 3,100. Just Thursday. So right now we're seeing the equivalent of a 9/11 attack every day.

Chattanooga isn't being spared. Here, on Wednesday, Hamilton County broke five records among the statistics central to measuring the impact of COVID-19 in the community.

The Hamilton County Health Department reported 467 new infections, 2,419 active cases, 147 hospitalizations and 43 people in the intensive care unit, all of which are record highs. The county is averaging 267 new cases a day in the past week, another record.

New tests have averaged a 15% positivity rate in the past week. That's three times the rate - below 5% - that is the benchmark necessary for controlling the spread of the virus.

We also saw three new deaths Wednesday, bringing the county total to 161 - 44 of whom died in November, locally the deadliness month yet.

"We're at a point right now where we really just need to hunker down and keep doing the things that we know work," said Rae Bond, chair of the local Joint COVID-19 Task Force.

What we know works is staying home, wearing a mask and social distancing if we must go out. Washing our hands often.

Still, we know it will get worse before it gets better with the arrival of vaccines - most not until well into 2021.

CDC Director Bob Redfield - also on Wednesday - told reporters that this winter could be "the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation" and warned that the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. could reach 450,000 by February.

At about the same time all of these new national and local numbers were rolling out, President Donald Trump took to Facebook Live to deliver what he said "may be the most important speech I've ever made."

No. It wasn't about COVID-19 or the equivalent of a terrorist attack a day on our country.

It was a 46-minute ramble about losing an election he still refuses to believe he lost.

He mentioned the pandemic only in passing and said nothing about the deaths of so many Americans he is supposed to protect:

"Using the pandemic as a pretext, Democrat politicians and judges drastically changed election procedures just months, and in some cases, weeks before the election," Trump complained. "They used the pandemic, sometimes referred to as the China virus, as an excuse to mail out tens of millions of ballots. The pandemic simply gave the Democrats an excuse to do what they have been trying to do for many, many years."

He offered no evidence because there is no evidence. Judges along every step of the way ruled on the changes made to accommodate voters and polling places during a pandemic, almost each time saying the moves were necessary and good. Since the election, Trump lawyers have made numerous court challenges to votes and ballots and results. Each time, judges - some appointed by Trump himself - have said the election stands and there was no fraud great enough to change the result.

Trump - in 46 minutes - didn't say, "America, I'm sorry for your losses." He didn't say "Hold steady." What he talked about was how the pandemic hurt him. "They used the pandemic" to defeat him, he claimed.

No. Trump defeated himself by making the pandemic and everything else wholly about himself. He defeated himself by not taking this virus or us or our lives or our livelihoods seriously.

It's just that simple.

Now - because our highest leaders, from the governor on up, haven't been careful enough of our interests, we have to be even more vigilant.

For weeks COVID-19 task force reports have recommended that Tennessee implement a statewide mask mandate and reduce restaurant capacity. Gov. Bill Lee has ignored that advice.

This week that report offers more advice:

"It must be made clear that if you are over 65 or have significant health conditions, you should not enter any indoor public spaces where anyone is unmasked due to the immediate risk to your health; you should have groceries and medications delivered." The report adds that people under 40 years old who gathered beyond their immediate household during Thanksgiving should assume they are now infected. "Most likely, you will not have symptoms; however, you are dangerous to others and you must isolate away from anyone at increased risk for severe disease and get tested immediately."

Forego those Christmas parades. Shop online. Make curbside pickups. Have your groceries delivered. Eat at home. We're in this together and we can make a difference - even if our top leaders choose otherwise.

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