Hopefully, George Harrison was right, “all things must pass.” Many of us thought the pandemic was in the rearview mirror, but it has come back with a vengeance. We had our first high school football game postponed last week, and head coach Matt Turner has suspended all football practices and games until Sept. 6.
Sports are supposed to offer a respite from some of life’s problems. As much as I want to forget about COVID, it is messing with sports in Warren County. More importantly, it is impacting our public health. A friend told me that his son has COVID and is stuck in Jordan. A high school football player died from COVID in Memphis this past Saturday.
Fairview Middle in Williamson County closed last Friday because nearly one-third of students and staff were out because of illness. Washington County in Tennessee sent a letter home to parents stating that students did not have to quarantine if exposed to COVID. Hamilton County had over 600 students exposed to COVID during the first two days of school.
What is happening in McMinnville appears to be happening across the state. I asked several people I know inside and outside of McMinnville why they thought people are resisting the vaccine.
The most prevalent answers were fear, politics, and religion. I asked a doctor why he thought people were not getting vaccinated. He responded, “I think it’s multifactorial. Initially, I think there was some fear and uncertainty. Then there’s a large political issue because it’s largely a Republican-leaning issue now. It’s somehow become an existential issue for many of my current patients. Almost like a ‘if I do it now, I admit that I was wrong this long’ thing.”
Medical experts are researching why the Delta variant appears to be attacking children more than the original strain of the virus. My doctor friend stated, “The viral load in the throat is way higher than previous, and the infectivity is way worse. Previously for every positive case there were about 2.5 additional people who were infected. Now we think it is 10+.”
Ultimately, Gov. Bill Lee has removed the mask as a tool to stem the spread of the virus in Tennessee schools. Apparently 60% to 70% of people in Warren County agree with the governor. My question is, “How do you recommend we stop the spread of COVID and protect our most vulnerable citizens from getting sick?”
If someone is not concerned about the spread of COVID, there is another problem. Hospitals are full and medical staff are fatigued, overwhelmed. Anyone who gets sick with anything can now be in jeopardy.
