Locals weigh in on COVID-19 active cases uptick

Is the increase in local COVID-19 cases cause for concern?

After seven weeks of low single digits COVID-19 cases being reported by Vernon County Health Department, the number of active cases has risen to almost 20 this week.

While no where near the peak 100 active cases on November 10, 2020, is there cause for concern?

Late Thursday afternoon, Vernon County Health Department posted the following on their Facebook page.

“The Vernon County Health Department has been informed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services that a resident of the county who tested positive earlier in June for COVID-19, is confirmed to have had the Delta variant of the virus. In addition, a resident who tested positive in April was confirmed to have had the Alpha variant.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is encouraging all eligible residents to get vaccinated. The recommendation comes as rates of the Delta variant, first identified in India, rise throughout the state. The variant is highly transmissible. It is causing an increase in serious illness, and hospitalizations worldwide. The variant was confirmed during random sampling.”

Seeking to gauge our community’s current stance on COVID-19 we had posted the following on our Facebook page earlier in the day, oblivious of the news that would come from the Health Department.

“With the increasing prevalence of the Delta variant of COVID-19, which has been widely reported as more transmittable than the original strain, has your position on taking a COVID-19 vaccine changed? Do you continue to social distance and wear masks?”

Shelli Christine commented, “All vaccinated, social distancing in public, wearing masks in crowded spaces again.”

Lena Gose wrote, “Yes, I social distance and mask up.”

Cindy Corbin commented, “I do not mask, it is not effective anyway and actually harmful if you have a breathing problem such as asthma. Another point, if YOU are vaccinated and supposedly protected...you should have no worry about me not being.”

To which Kelly Garrison replied, “Cindy Corbin you’re not protected, the symptoms are just less severe. Leaves room for hospitals to care for patients who are extremely sick.”

Which brings up a very good point, according to our research, none of the available vaccines are 100 percent effective in preventing all COVID-19 infections, they however, do reduce the seriousness of subsequent infections.

“These vaccines are scary,” wrote Barbara Underwood in reply to our question.

Indeed, the FDA has not yet fully approved any version of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, a June 28, 2021 update to the Centers for Disease Control website contained the following,

“Over 324 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in the United States from December 14, 2020, through June 28, 2021.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization … These vaccines have undergone and will continue to undergo the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. This monitoring includes using both established and new safety monitoring systems to make sure that COVID-19 vaccines are safe.”

A quick internet search will reveal numerous articles featuring calls for the FDA to fully approve the Moderna and Phizer vaccines in an effort to reduce vaccine hesitancy. All three vaccines in the United States are currently being used under an Emergency Use Authorization, a power granted to the FDA following 9/11.

While we are not sure of how much research our followers have conducted, approximately 80 percent of those who comments on our post were not in favor of the vaccines or even masks and social distancing.

Ashley Allen-Gash commented, “Nope, had Covid, it sucked, but we survived. We still don't wear a mask unless we have to and I refuse to inject a vaccine into my body that is pushed by fear tactics and monetary "bonuses" with minimal testing, zero warnings of long term effects and risks, rising death tolls, and virtually no benefits. You can still get Covid, you can still spread Covid, you still have to social distance and wear a mask, and many people are getting Covid symptoms after the 2nd dose anyway. What's the point?

Tom White wrote, “Nobody in my family has ever been vaccinated and we have never been sick with anything. We were born at home so we know for sure we weren't vaccinated. Why would we change what has worked? Never getting vaccinated has worked for 100 years for some family members! Refusal to vaccinate and not getting birth certificates has kept many of my family from joining the military, but everyone farms or owns their own businesses. There is nobody to force any of us to get vaccinated, true freedom and health. We raise our own livestock, so we aren't even exposed to vaccines through meat!”

Unfortunately, officials from Vernon County Health Department were unavailable before the Daily Mail went to press Friday morning. We will follow up next week.

While it appears that our community remains divided on COVID-19, we encourage each of our readers to conduct their own research and speak with their health care professional before deciding the best course of action for themselves and their family.

For now, the question remains, how concerned should we be about the increase in local cases and the Delta variant of COVID-19.