A few weeks ago, I responded to/rebutted a bunch of the misconceptions, distortions and falsehoods being put out by State Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Believe It Or Not) about Virginia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Clearly, it didn’t work – Sen. Petersen clearly doesn’t want to get it, or simply lacks the ability to get it. See below for his latest musings, including that supposedly:
- “Exposure builds immunity. The overwhelming majority (98%) of those who test positive for COVID will recover and develop antibodies.” (Basically, Petersen is arguing for “herd immunity.” As I wrote the last time, sure, we could try and shoot for “herd immunity,” but…a few problems. For instance, as this Vox article explains, achieving herd immunity via infection “would not be ideal since it would involve millions getting sick from Covid-19. The United Kingdom was pursuing this approach back in early March but backed off its herd immunity strategy of limiting restrictions on movement and allowing people to be exposed. The country changed course when forecasters revealed that millions would likely contract the virus, overwhelming the UK’s health system. Sweden has adopted a similar approach and is now facing vastly more Covid-19 cases than its neighbors.” Also, the WHO now says that there’s “no evidence shows that having coronavirus prevents a second infection.” Finally, as this Time Magazine explains, “trying to build immunity to the coronavirus through exposure rather than waiting for a vaccine to be developed could have deadly consequences…’To get to 70% of the population being immune through natural protection, you’re talking hundreds of thousands of deaths, so not a good idea’.”)
- “We must allow freedom. Every day, citizens in this nation make adult choices: to eat meat, to drink alcohol, to travel. By keeping Northern Virginia “closed,” we are telling our citizens (99.8% who are not sick with COVID) that they cannot be trusted to make the most elemental life decisions. If people feel vulnerable, then they have the right to stay home, but they cannot force that same decision on 8.6 million people.” (“We must allow freedom” is “Tea Party”/Nick Freitas-style rhetoric, not a serious argument. And no, it’s not an issue about “trust,” it’s an issue of life and death for many people who will *have to* work, or lose unemployment benefits, their apartments/homes, etc. It’s also about the fact that a virus spreads through a population, which means if only some people abide by social distancing and other measures to prevent its spread, the measures will be less effective, or even completely ineffective, harming *everyone*. So…nope, Petersen’s just wrong.)
- “For 60 days, I have watched as the most fearful voices have dictated the policies of this Commonwealth. That must change. I agree with the Governor and wish him God speed in moving through the phases of re-opening. It’s time to reopen Virginia.” (It’s not about “the most fearful voices,” it’s about what the health experts and the science tells us. It’s also about the fact, as Gov. Northam has said over and over again, that if you don’t fix the health problem, you’ll never fix the economic problem. Again, Sen. Petersen simply can’t, or won’t, bring himself to understand that. Sad, really.)
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