Do you agree we should wear masks from here on out because the flu kills as well. Do those lives not matter?
Equating Covid = Flu is one of the most common misconceptions I have to educate my patients who arrive. They are different types of viruses. Influenza vs. Corona.
As far as we know, covid is more deadly with several strange symptoms that aren't usually seen in other respiratory viruses. Losing sense of smell or taste, sometimes for weeks after the virus passing is one of them. Blood clots being another. Or kids holding a much higher viral load than adults before getting sick.
Some reasons why covid is more dangerous, it's a new virus, we don't fully understand it, we don't have any vaccines to prevent it, and there are currently no readily available safe anti-viral medications that can stunt the symptoms of those affected.
Personally, I would recommend we wash our hands, stay socially distant responsibly, and wear masks correctly, however with all this anti-mask rhetoric, we might be in trouble until a successful vaccine is created. It doesn't matter if 90% of us are doing the right thing, if 10% is there messing things up.
Other countries have shown us how being responsible can control this pandemic. Countries with far higher population densities have seen much higher success in dealing with covid just from basic hygiene.
Flu vaccines aren't 100% fool proof. Health professionals gather annually to determine which types of flu virus would be covered in each shot since there's so many versions out there. On a bad year, the vaccine is only 25% effective in preventing flu, on a good year about 65%.
Now for Covid, it's a totally different animal. Different virus, and not all vaccines work the same way or developed by the same methodology. Including clinical trials to deem it safe, and long term effects, I am weary of fast tracked vaccines.
Countries that didn't have to shut down, see massive rise in unemployment, or witness a huge number of positive cases also do not have a chunk of the population following hoax theories or screaming anti-mask beliefs. Like Childish Gambino says, This is America.
I love this country and I would live no where else, and it saddens me to see my fellow citizens hurt/kill themselves, or worse, others.