~ Submitted by Ann Kiessling, Ph.D.
[Kiessling holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry/Biophysics]
Yes.
No deaths and no known COVID19 hospitalizations for at least seven months, plus vaccination of more than 71% of eligible Bedford residents mark the end of the pandemic in our community. As of October 28, the CDC reports COVID 19 deaths are 1.6% of positive tests nationwide, down from 2.7% on October 21, last year. It’s important to emphasize that these data reveal the death rate from COVID-19 has always been lower than initial estimates. Importantly, we now know that over 90% of us, nationwide, are not going to be affected by this virus, even if we become infected, vaccinated or not. Data being collected by the Bedford Health Department support this. Vaccination status is known for 91 of the 134 positive tests of Bedford residents 12 and over from August 2 through October 16. Of those, 78 (86%) were vaccinated. Therefore, somewhere between 58% and 86% of Bedford residents testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 since early August are vaccinated, and apparently not very sick. Therefore, the current Bedford mask mandate is masking vaccinated folks to protect other vaccinated folks from a virus that is most likely not going to make them sick.
Public Health messaging around COVID19 in the U.S. has been confusing, contradictory, and politicized. The CDC is the only public health agency in the world that recommends masking everyone over the age of two, and they provide no data to justify this. Their own data support the lack of serious COVID19 disease among children, listing only 424 deaths (0.0075%) of 5,800,000 infected kids aged 0 to 11. Given what we’ve learned about SARS-CoV-2, Bedford children should be allowed to sing holiday songs of their choice at the top of their lungs without masks, an extremely important mental health measure for everyone this holiday season.
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https://www.mass.gov/doc/county-level-positivity-rates-november-10-2021/download Shows that cases and positivity rates have gone up. This is to be expected as the weather turns colder and we spend more time indoors together in common areas. The pandemic is not over by any stretch of the imagination.
Look at the data:
https://www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/
Mortality (45 states, NYC, PR and GU reported)*
Among states reporting, children were 0.00%-0.26% of all COVID-19 deaths, and 7 states reported zero child deaths
In states reporting, 0.00%-0.03% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in death
2. Let us do not cancel people’s voice just because they have different opinion. I am astonished to see some comments like that. Who has the right to judge and fact finding, who check fact checkers? Let us stay away from censor and cancel voice, she does not say anything disrespectful.
Today’s New York Times says the 7-day average for Covid deaths in the US per day is 1,251. If deaths continue at this rate, that will be another 450,000 American deaths in the next year. I can’t grasp the idea that this is somehow acceptable. I also don’t see why we should assume Bedford is an island walled off from the national trends.
I’m on team Nick Zorn.
Hey don’t publish stuff like this. It’s irresponsible and dangerous. Bedford’s COVID numbers may be good but the numbers nationwide are not and the best way to avoid things getting worse here is to continue doing what we’ve been doing. You are no obligated to publish letters to the editor that call for this kind of thing. It’s reckless and pointless.
Those of us who travel to neighboring towns to enjoy mask free shopping and dining have not returned to Bedford and infected large numbers of people. If people want to continue to wear a mask that is fine, just don’t require me otherwise I will continue to take my business outside of Bedford.
Bedford is not an island; its businesses are buoyed by people (employees and customers) from many surrounding towns. The numbers Dr Kiessling cites for the population of Bedford are encouraging. However, the (~thousands of) children under 12 years old are only now (as of this weekend, Nov 6 2021 or so) starting to acquire immunity to SARS-CoV-2 via a vaccine, rather than by infection. It has been almost 20 months… can we please just wait a little longer before declaring that a (global) pandemic might be over in our little, porous town?
Exactly this
This Contains Misinformation. To Hyperbolize That 90 Percent Of Us Will Not Be Affected By Coronavirus Erases The Global Experience Of The Last 18+ Months. Facts Are Not Feelings And The Misinformation In This Letter Is Dangerous And Callous.
The Bedford Citizen Should Not Be Amplifying Misinformation.
Come on bro
Come On What Bro? This Letter Is Lazy. We’ve All Heard The Term “Data Driven” Too Many Times To Be Fooled Or Assured By Numbers Without Cited Sources. A Much More Powerful Argument Would Be To Encourage The Powers That Be In Bedford To Follow The Lead Set By The Experts Setting The Policy In The Whole Commonwealth Rather Than Whine And Amplify Fabrications In An Attempt To Get Some Nearly Anonymous Support. Ineffective, Dangerous, Cruel, And Lazy.
The Bedford Citizen Should Employ A Fact Checker And Avoid Publishing Letters That Endanger Their Community And Reputation. They Do Not Publish Every Letter To The Editor So I Would Encourage Them To Be As Selective As They Have Been In The Past
For the first time in a long time someone presented a case supported by facts, science, and actual data points. Not just hyperbole and personal feelings. If you click the link in the article you will see the full text and all of the supporting documentation
Dr. Kiessling, thank you for being the voice of reason on this.
This reads as logical and makes sense to me.
I, 100% agree with David A. It is time to shed the masks and move on.
I agree completely this hysteria has got to end and we should get back to normalcy …..