The Forum published my editorial on Aug. 17 with 12 recommendations for public health and calling for a unified approach in our divided country in response to COVID-19. These recommendations have been largely ignored and active cases have soared from 987 to 3,562. Our state now is in crisis, hundreds of cases and large numbers of deaths are occurring daily, western hospitals and nursing homes are overwhelmed and three health officers have resigned in just four months, a total mess. Government leaders, however, prefer “happy talk” and tell us they like where we are at. Unbelievable!
Why did this happen? Many North Dakotans have not practiced social distancing nor have they been wearing masks in adequate numbers. Why should they have done so when the government had our state in the green, low-risk category throughout the summer even when we led the country in cases? The state’s risk categorization is bogus and not reflective of real risk. The burden of planning has been placed on local governments and they have been provided inaccurate risk information, life has largely gone on as before and the virus has had open season on North Dakotans.
Government has proudly proclaimed that our status as the worst in the country is due to having the best testing in the country. Testing is just one leg of a three-legged stool and when the state failed to tell the truth about risk and failed to vigorously advocate for mask use- the other absent two legs caused the whole stool to collapse.
RELATED
- North Dakota state health officer resigns after state rescinds quarantine order
- North Dakota rescinds quarantine order for close contacts after public backlash
Government needs to wake up and realize that the virus cannot be contained by primary emphasis on testing and contact tracing. If social distancing (real risk categorization) and mask wearing are not of greater priority, the epidemic intensifies.
The COVID-19 virus does not care how smart one thinks they are, how rich they are, how powerful they are or how vindictive they are. It could actually care less. What it does like is people gathering closely together and who aren’t wearing masks. North Dakota has been fertile ground for this deadly virus.
ADVERTISEMENT
Many North Dakotans prefer the government's “light touch” during this historic pandemic. The cost of this approach will be hundreds more grandmas and grandpas dying. You can’t have it both ways- “light touch” results in many deaths, good public health saves hundreds of lives. “Light touch” is devoid of courage and leadership. We are now in the midst of the worst public health failure in our state’s history.
It is not too late for our state to turn around the worst outbreak in the country toward a better path. A mask mandate and actual risk categorization are the quickest ways to save lives but that would require leaders to admit that the course they are on is untenable and that they need to shift direction. Just tell the people the truth. This virus is highly contagious, very serious and masks work. Ideally, a mask mandate would have occurred after several months of public education but there has been very little ideal about our state’s public policy and times are now desperate.
Some leaders, however, are people who can only learn from experience and just won’t take advice or admit they are wrong. The experience they will eventually learn is that this is the worst government in our state’s history and hundreds of deaths occurred needlessly due to failure to tell people the truth and to implement effective public health policy.
McDonough served with the North Dakota Department of Health from 1985 to 2000 and has been a practicing pediatrician since 1980. He is the author of "Golden Ounce: A history of public health in North Dakota"
This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.
