To the editor:

Genuine human contact is important for both personal mental health and community well-being, but this should be balanced with other realities. COVID remains a very serious disease that has killed over 1.2 million Americans and over 20 million worldwide. It will be with us for a very long time. Infection transmission and risk is especially high during the winter and summer when people gather indoors to escape the cold and heat. Officially about 1,000 people a week still die from COVID.

Flu infections are also currently soaring in a second surge. Levels in Rhode Island and New England are high, as they are across most of the country.

This winter has been a particularly risky time. We have been experiencing a ‘quad-demic’ of COVID, flu, RSV, and norovirus, with H5N1 bird flu another emerging health threat. Hospitals are strained because of these infections.

Furthermore, Rhode Island doesn’t have a good record for managing the COVID pandemic. Levels here have often been above the national averages. At times we have had among the highest infection rates not only in the country but the world.

The risks are not the same for everyone. The dangers of COVID or flu are much higher for older people and those with other health issues. In fact, 98% of deaths from COVID have been in those over 50, while 70 to 85% of flu deaths are in those over 65.

Misinformation on social media has spread harmful and baseless myths. COVID has not become ‘mild.’ Some studies show it has become worse. It most definitely is more serious than a cold or the flu. Studies have shown repeat infections have 2 to 3 times the risk of a worse outcome, organ, tissue, and system damage, than the previous infection.

Long COVID remains a serious problem, and may include cognitive impairment, suppressed immune system function, inflammation, gastrointestinal problems, increased risk or worsening of diabetes, and multiple cardiac issues. The best way to avoid Long COVID is to not get infected.

Masks work very well to protect you against any respiratory virus. Consider wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces at times and places of high infection risk, during the winter and summer months, and while traveling on planes and public transit.

There are resources available. RINewsToday.com and the Patch.com periodically have articles of local health relevance. The PeoplesCDC.org is a non-partisan watchdog group providing regular updates and a wealth of information on staying healthy.

With the likelihood of further cuts coming in federal public health funding, and Rhode Island’s limited attention to COVID, it will be increasingly on us to stay informed so we can take appropriate measures to protect ourselves and our families.

We all wish we could be ‘done with COVID,’ but the virus just isn’t done with us yet. As Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson said, "The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.”

Nick Landekic
Sunset Rd.