Letter to the editor: Higher COVID death rate in Republican counties
1-15-22
Letter to the Editor,
As a native resident of Manchester and a senior citizen, I have been watching and listening to the debates, both scientific and political, about the value of vaccinations and masks. I have reached a conclusion, with new evidence, that I would like to share with my fellow Manchesterites.
A couple of days ago I started a subscription to the digital edition of The New York Times. In it I found an interactive map that I could use to find all the local and State health departments statistics for the pandemic, going back to January of 2020 thru January 14, 2022. I found that there is really clear cut evidence that number one, Vaccines and mask mandates work to make a significant difference between who lives and who dies. Secondly, that the death rate between predominantly Democratic counties and predominantly Republican counties are significant. I would like to share with you what I found.
Data from The New York Times: Track Coronavirus Cases in Places Important to You Build your own dashboard to track the coronavirus in places across the United States. https://www.nytimes.com/
Here is my predominantly Democratic Washtenaw County with a mask mandate for all schools and all senior living apartment facilities and Nursing Homes.
Vaccination Rates of Fully Vaccinated
All Ages: 69%
12 & up: 77%
65 & up: 95%
Since Jan. 2020
1 in 6 residents have been infected
1 in 828 residents have died
The daily infection chart shows that the daily infection rate is just on Jan.14th starting to drop in Washtenaw County from the Omicron Variant that is so infectious.
Lenawee County
One of the predominantly Republican Counties bordering us.
Vaccination Rates of Fully Vaccinated
All Ages: 51%
12 & up: 58%
65 & up 86%
Jan. 2020 thru Jan. 2022
1 in 5 residents have been infected
1 in 362 have died
According to the daily infection rate charts The Omicron Variant just started surging in Lenawee County with the reported case numbers on Jan. 14, 2022. Up 313% from Jan. 12.
No mask mandates in schools or Senior Living Facilities since 2021.
Jackson County:
One of the predominantly Republican Counties bordering us.
Vaccination Rates for the Fully Vaccinated
All Ages: 51%
12 & up: 58%
65 & up 85%
From January 2020 thru January 14, 2022
1 resident in 4 has been infected
1 resident in 322 have died
There is no mask mandates for schools or Senior Living Facilities since 2021. Their surge from Omicron Variant is just starting with an over 300% increase in new cases reported since January 12, 2022.
Livingston County
This county I am a little less familiar with, but I am quite sure it is predominantly Republican and borders us to the North.
Vaccination Rates of the Fully Vaccinated
All Ages: 58%
12 & up: 66%
65 &up: 88%
Jan. 2020 thru Jan.14
1 in 5 residents have been infected
1 in 505 residents have died.
There has been no surge since the Delta surge in new cases reported as of January 14, 2022. I am assuming that the Omicron Variant surge hasn't hit just yet.
As you can see, all this data proves that vaccinations absolutely save lives and mask mandates have made a difference. If you look at the number of deaths per person compared to the vaccination rates in the most vulnerable age group, plus the overall difference of rates of vaccinations to the death rates between Republican Counties and our Democratic Washtenaw County, it is staggering! As all of us know, if one has been following the this debate between the vaccinated and the anti vaxxers online and in the news media, you know that most of the anti vaxxers and anti maskers label themselves as Republicans and Libertarians, while those who get vaccinated right away as soon as they are eligible and wear masks are mostly Democrats and more educated Independents.
We Democrats are not dying of Covid. These statistics show that it is Republicans that are mostly dying, and I ask you Republicans why you continue to support your politicians, who are asking you to die, just to try to thwart President Biden's and Governor Whitmer's efforts to end this pandemic here at home. How can you support politicians, who for their own political ambitions, push the lie that the government has no right or authority to try to protect its citizens health and lives.
Isn't the common welfare or protection of its citizens the basic duty of a government? Of course, if you subscribe to total anarchy, which the present day RNC fosters, then I suppose you would, as our current Congressman seems to, promote the idea that one's liberty to reject any restrictions on even doing self harm to yourselves and those around you, is much more important than your own self interest. The Republican Party couldn't even produce a party platform to promote any policies or ideas for this country in the last two National Elections.
The Republican Party is taking its voters for a ride. Right to the the mortuary. This data proves it.
Louise Purfield-Coak
Manchester
Views expressed in any Letter to the Editor are always exclusively those of the author. Do you have something you want Manchester to know? Send your Letter to the Editor to themanchestermirror@gmail.com.
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