Pandemic more complex than freedom vs. safety

To the editor:

Be careful what you believe.

Recent protests have called for states to end quarantines and reopen businesses. False information on social media has the intention to mislead. It’s likely that foreign actors like Russia are looking to cause chaos in the United States by stroking political tension. The spewing of inaccurate statistics can make citizens feel safe enough to refrain from wearing facial coverings and ignore social distancing guidelines that scientists studying COVID-19 have recommended.

Don’t be fooled. We are in a pandemic. It will not be going away until we have a reliable vaccine. In the meantime, each person’s behavior can have an impact on how long we need to be restricted in how we behave with others.

Safer at Home has saved lives. For things to return to normal (and stay that way), we need to keep up the good work and be intentional about the steps we take forward. We can’t have confidence in our economy if we’re not confident in our health and our safety first.

Every individual has to think about their own behavior and how it may be affecting others. We need to pay attention to the facts and not the first thing we read or hear. We need to listen to the scientists who are telling the truth. Their projections of future deaths in the United States, which now include children, are alarming but can be less severe if people begin to follow their recommendations.

We need think about our behavior and how we can prevent those around us from being affected by this deadly disease.

Mary Arnold, Shawano