HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022_12_05 BWebb_COVID MitigationFrom:brian webb
To:Board of Health
Subject:Covid-19
Date:Monday, December 5, 2022 3:51:30 PM
________________________________
ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links
if you are not expecting them.
________________________________
Hello,
Has any consideration been made for our Immune Compromised and Disabled community members in regards to
essential services and masking?
We are now seeing an uptick in transmission and as much as I appreciate mask mandates & compliance for
healthcare settings, why not for essential services like school settings and transportation?
Is the guidance for our schools dependent on hospital capacity? Shouldn’t we be focused on preventing
transmission rather than depending on our already overworked healthcare workers?
Has any efforts been made to contact grocery stores for adopting masking hours so that our marginalized and
immune compromised community may access food safely?
Same question for transportation…
With the volume of studies and research we now have access to, is PACS (Post Acute Covid-19 syndrome) used
when considering Public Health safety measures? Surely by now, we should expect to hear from Public Health
about the Multi Organ damage that may occur post acute infection and that it appears repeated infections to
SARSCoV-2 increases those risks, but I’ve heard very little about this from our PH officials.
Death and Hospitalization is not the only outcomes that we should be considering, in my opinion.
Also, I’m disappointed in our Public Schools in failing to upgrade their HVAC systems. We know that Covid is
primarily spread by Aerosol transmission and yet we’re still being told to wash our hands and cover our coughs!
Hardly an effective strategy when discussing an airborne, aerosolized virus.
We have disabled students within our district, do the districts not have an obligation in protecting immune
compromised students?
Are our schools ADA compliant in regards to protecting disabled and immune compromised teachers, Para
educators, bus drivers and students?
What about multi generational homes with immune compromised elders living with our students?
Do we no longer care to protect them?
Mounting evidence points to immune dysfunction after Covid infection.
Long Covid affects Millions of Americans, many of which have left the workforce. Abandoning mitigation
strategies and not considering Long Covid when discussing mitigation during this ongoing Pandemic is a foolish
economic strategy as well as a public health nightmare for those of us that are caregivers for the disabled and
immune compromised and for the people that are simply not wanting to be infected by a virus we still do not fully
understand.
I’m am proud of our community, and Jefferson County has done much better than many areas of the Country that
have decided to abandon all Covid Precautions. I believe we have the highest vaccination status of the State! I still
see many people wearing respirators and masks and while we move to the “You Do You” phase of this Pandemic,
can we consider that this isn’t the best approach in all settings? “You do You” doesn’t work in healthcare settings
or in businesses where Immune compromised individuals must have access to. Nobody is asking for a lockdown or
for bars and restaurants to mandate masks, but there are areas in our community where masking should be
considered, just as we are currently doing within our hospitals and clinics.
While much of the population has moved on from taking precautions, it has put the entirety of the burden on the
backs of our marginalized community members.
Many people within the disabled community are asking for consideration when making public health decisions,
because so far, the consideration seems to be only for the abled and the loudest among us, the anti mitigation
activists.
Thank you for reading and taking the time to consider some strategies we may incorporate to make everyday living
more accessible for all.
Brian Webb
Port Townsend