Public health officials fighting Covid-19 virus face growing threats, get security details

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Found at Delco Times June 12, 2020

AP and Kaiser News Report

By MICHELLE R. SMITH, LAUREN WEBER and ANNA MARIA BARRY-JESTER

Public health workers fighting virus face growing threats

https://www.delcotimes.com/news/national/public-health-workers-fighting-virus-face-growing-threats/article_f0b18d77-ec00-5459-94c7-885588f3803c.html

Quote

...Officials who usually work behind the scenes managing tasks like immunizations and water quality inspections have found themselves center stage. Elected officials and members of the public who are frustrated with the lockdowns and safety restrictions have at times turned public health workers into politicized punching bags, battering them with countless angry calls and even physical threats....

...As the pressure and scrutiny rise, many more health officials have chosen to leave or have been pushed out of their jobs. A review by Kaiser Health News and The Associated Press finds at least 27 state and local health leaders have resigned, retired or been fired since April across 13 states....

...From the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, federal public health officials have complained of being sidelined or politicized. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been marginalized; a government whistleblower said he faced retaliation because he opposed a White House directive to allow widespread access to the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment....

...With the increased public scrutiny, security details — like those seen on a federal level for Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious-disease expert — have been assigned to top state health officials, including Georgia’s Dr. Kathleen Toomey after she was threatened. Ohio’s Dr. Amy Acton, who also had a security detail assigned after armed protesters showed up at her home, resigned Thursday...

[A Hit With The Ladies, BSN, RN]

These so-called public health "experts" have abused their role and authority and have gone way too far. The world shouldn't revolve around their single-minded obsession with this Coronavirus. They just should admit it can't reasonably be beaten at this point. The people have sacrificed enough. They should go quarantine themselves for years on end, with no income and no access to businesses, and leave normal people alone!

[Emergent, RN]

There is a legitimate debate going on over the necessity of lockdown vs the deleterious effects on the economy. People like me, who are more on the side of allowing herd immunity to occur naturally, feel that these Health officials AR living in a vacuum that is not realistic. We believe that the fall-out from the depression and shortages that have been created by this are worse then the virus. I also think that the psychological pressure cooker that has been created contributed to the trouble in the inner cities, triggered by the killing of Mr. Floyd. It's not a coincidence that this escalation of problems occurred in the midst of this situation.

Having said that, I finally dropped out of a facebook group to reopen the economy of our state. There is a sizable percentage of people who are outrageous in their attitudes. I was disgusted with some of the reactionary comments there. It doesn't help when the president adds fuel to the fire with his uncensored remarks. Then, the reaction by the other side appears hard-hearted towards people in real economic distress because of the lockdown.

This pandemic has exposed the soft underbelly of the United States of America. It has hit us harder because the general health of the public is very poor. We only maintain a decent life expectancy because of very expensive medical interventions. Many many Americans have multiple comorbidities because of our fast food culture.

It has also brought to a head our social problems. We have masked these for years with social welfare programs, police tactics, Etc. We have a huge drug problem, a lot of homelessness, families have broken down...

We are in trouble.

[A Hit With The Ladies, BSN, RN]

I would like to add that I'm against harassment, threats, or violence against anyone, even adherents of Faucism. Just as America can respond to White Supremacists and neo-Nazis by ignoring them and undermining them with our racial and cultural diversity, we can defeat these public health totalitarians by ignoring their diktats and living as free people that don't let some Coronavirus ruin our livelihoods.

[toomuchbaloney]

13 hours ago, A Hit With The Ladies said:

These so-called public health "experts" have abused their role and authority and have gone way too far. The world shouldn't revolve around their single-minded obsession with this Coronavirus. They just should admit it can't reasonably be beaten at this point. The people have sacrificed enough. They should go quarantine themselves for years on end, with no income and no access to businesses, and leave normal people alone!

It sounds like some of our so called psych nursing "professionals" have succumbed to hyperbole and hysteria. A "single minded obsession" is rather appropriate when faced with a life and death threat. We can't make a person care about their fellow countrymen, but it's a hallmark of a patriot. While the POTUS is now apparently going to pretend that the dangers of the pandemic are behind us, the healthcare world knows differently.