The County Is Above The National Average In COVID-19 Vaccinations But The Variant, The Unvaccinated and The New School Year Are A Recipe For More Suffering. Leaders At The Recent Town Hall Addressed Solution.

Dr. Carter: ‘The County Is At 70% Vaccination. That’s Good But Not Good Enough To Defeat COVID’s Delta Variant. We Need to Be At 90%.’

By Raoul Dennis

Over 70% of Prince George’s County residents are vaccinated against this generation’s most virulent pandemic disease. But that is not why At-Large Prince George’s County Councilmember Calvin Hawkins called for the September 15 town hall meeting [see full video above].

According to Hawkins, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (also in attendance) and the health, science and faith leaders of the panel, there are a combination of factors that make Covid-19 still very much present in the county.

County Councilmember Todd Turner, Prince George’s County Exexutive Angela Alsobrooks and County Council Chair Calvin Hawkins.

At 114 new cases per 1,000 people, Prince Georges County is still in the high transmission category, explained the county executive.

“Covid is still present in our community. Indoor public mass mandates are in effect and will be enforced,” Alsobrooks said. The top executive also reported that the county had 1,250 new Covid cases as of September 4.

The perfect storm ingredients for concern are those who are unvaccinated combined with the highly contagious aggressive nature of the COVID-19 Delta variant and the recent return to schools for thousands of children.

Currently, the county is in the median risk category based on its rate of infection. Health and elected officials are concerned with keeping that status from becoming worse.

Panelists included Prince George’s County Chief Health Officer Dr. Ernest Carter, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at University of Maryland Capital Region Health Dr. Joseph Wright; Ken Alford, Systems Behavioral Health Director, University of Maryland Capital Region Health and Pastor Michael Freeman, Spirit of Faith Christian Center. The event was moderated by Dr. Trudy Hall, an executive at the University of Maryland Capital Region Health Center.

Dr. Carter reported what his concerns were based upon:

1. 10% of overall hospital capacity are Covid related.

2. The majority of those with Covid are unvaccinated residents.

3. The county is still recording a high level of new cases.

4. The Delta virus is two times more contagious than the original strain of Covid 19.

5. Fall and winter are peak months for the spread of virus.

6. Non-vaccinated people are five times more likely to be infected and 20 times more likely to be hospitalized.

“Listen to the science, not the Internet,” Dr. Carter said of those still skeptical of getting the free vaccination. He said that 179 million Americans have taken the vaccination which works because the vast majority of those ill or hospitalized with the disease are unvaccinated. Vaccinated Americans have experienced very few unexpected side effects or illnesses. “The vaccination works,” he said.

“The FDA would not approve a vaccination that is not safe,” Carter continued. “The ‘wait and see’ time is over,” he said. The veteran health care professional acknowledged that the county’s 70% vaccination rate meets with the national goal set by the president but was clear that Prince George’s needs to be at 90% vaccination rate to rid itself of the virus.

Dr. Wright emphasized the aggressive nature of the Delta variant in his presentation: “It is a heat-seeking missile.”

Wright noted that the virus seeks out the unvaccinated at that hospital critical care services are feeling the impact.

He did not hesitate to explain and even more threatening observation. “The more opportunity the virus has to replicate, the more likely it is that more mutations will occur. We have currently come through for mutations already. Each is different but Delta has proven strongest [in terms of how contagious it is]. If we don’t get on top of this and get it under control, we will be talking about the Mu variant next.”

The Mu variant is another Covid strain that has been growing throughout the world and has been found in the United States.

Panelists expressed concern about the fact that almost one in three new cases are children. Children under the age of 12 are currently ineligible to be vaccinated.

Dr. Ken Alford addressed the psychological grief millions are encountering as a result of nearly two years under the specter of Covid 19.

“Life as we knew it changed forever in 2020,” Alford said.

Alford explained the effects of the unnatural expectation for humans to avoid contact, avoid hugs and to detach socially. “It is unnatural to be isolated as we have been. And it increases our stressors.” Our losses become more cumulative. It is not just a matter of a single loss as in death but more extended when we are cut off from each other.

The behavioral health professional suggested that people reinforce their cultural and faith-based sources of strength.

His remarks translated easily to those of Rev. Dr. Michael Freeman, pastor at the Spirit of Faith Christian Center. Freeman pointed toward several biblical verses including Matthew 24:7, Psalms 91:15, John 14:27 and Psalms 107:20.

“You can’t despise God’s way of healing. He has sent a vaccination to get you out of Covid. Use it,” Freeman said referring to the story of the man who ignored several opportunities to get out of a perilous situation and so he died believing divine intervention never came - when in fact, it had.

“The vaccine is like the hand of God touching the hand of man,” Freeman explained.

The pastor employed another metaphor in responding to those who question what the vaccine’s ingredients are.

“We will go to a restaurant and order food and eat what the server brings us. We will go to the doctor and get a prescription and never ask what’s in it,” Freeman said.

We don’t always know, but we always have faith.

[See full video of the town hall meeting above]