Letters to the editor (May 19, 2020)

Wear a mask

Let me be clear: I do not like wearing a mask when I go into buildings and public spaces, but I do.

Some see wearing a mask as a sign of weakness — fear that I’ll get the virus. That can be a valid reason to wear it. Or perhaps I’ll be shamed by other mask-wearers.

There’s another reason. If I were carrying the virus — which I don’t believe I am — it would be cruel of me to risk spreading the virus to you.

So on the off-off-chance that I may carry the virus, I will wear the mask. Wearing it is my gift to you.

Who decides credibility?

Regarding a recent editorial in The Wichita Eagle (“The new enemy in Wichita’s battle against COVID-19? Disinformation,” May 8): What are the truths regarding the pandemic? The story here is not the “bogus nonsense” and “nut jobs” that can’t seem to differentiate for themselves what is credible, but that social media conglomerates, Facebook and YouTube, two very discretionary media outlets that are always seeking the truth, must protect the public from deciding for themselves what is credible and ban what they deem lacks credibility. No doubt there are a lot of conspiracy theories out there. But who is to decide if the general public sees them?

Regarding stay-at-home orders, there are opposing opinions from medical experts. It is not unusual that scientists and the medical industry are not in agreement. A Wall Street Journal article published April 24 stated that Stanford professor and Scientist John Ioannidis, along with his wife, Despina Contopoulos-Ionnidis, an infectious disease specialist at Stanford, have worked jointly on a published paper that states there are far more young people that will be affected by mental health and cancer than the coronavirus. He has studied this pandemic, and based on his studies, “the U.S. fatality rate could be as low as 0.025% to 0.625% and put the upper bound at 0.05% to 1% — comparable to that of the seasonal flu.” Then goes on to state, “If that is the true rate, locking down the world with potentially tremendous social and financial consequences may be totally irrational.”

If we take a look at the statistics to date, Kansas has had 181 deaths from the pandemic, that is a percentage of 0.006 of the population. South Dakota, which did not close down, has a percentage of 0.004 deaths. If we take a look at France, the death rate percentage is 0.04; compared to the death rate in Sweden — which did not shut down — of 0.03. The difference of staying open or shutting down are so slight, one has to argue if it is better to stay open.

There are different ways of handling this pandemic. For those that are scared of it, they should stay at home. It should have been a choice, but it was not. Now it is time to get back to living and working again.

Measured approach

I am so proud and thankful we have a governor in this state who has the welfare of her citizens as her priority. Unlike many of the Republican legislators, who are trying to make this a political battle, Gov. Laura Kelly is moving to reopen with caution and wisdom. She knows this is a health and safety issue, not an opportunity for political gain.

Gov. Kelly is fully aware her pace for reopening will not be popular with many. But in spite of the rumbling and grumbling, she is doing the right thing.

Come on, lawmakers and disgruntled citizens: Be patient. We will all benefit in the end from this measured approach.