The harsh reality

A growing number of high-ranking public health officials are leaving their positions, pushed out or exhausted, as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. These officials face wrath for communicating to the public and political leaders about the status of the public health emergency and for advising how to apply the data to respond. The news about the pandemic is not good and the needed control measures are hard to tolerate. The conflict is exacerbated by the lack of federal leadership. The tendency is to blame the messenger.

Scientists are learning about the epidemiology of this new human infection as the pandemic advances. One now well-understood feature is that large assemblies in communities with lots of viral spread bring a high likelihood of outbreaks. In Spokane and many other Washington communities, the rate of transmission of the COVID-19 virus is much, much higher than a safe level to open schools without risk of outbreaks.

That’s devastating news but it is a fact. Dr. Lutz is just the messenger.

Kim Marie Thorburn, MD, MPH

Spokane