Dear Editor:
RE: ‘It can’t be stopped’: Province introduces restrictions, delays return to in-class learning, Jan. 6.
“It can’t be stopped” – are we talking about the fear mongering?
When the latest information shows that Omicron is much less of a health issue, that should be good news. Months ago, from South Africa, doctors were recommending to be cautious of the new variant but not to panic. Well, the words coming from politicians and health authorities tend to be anything but calming.
The life history of a virus spread has a common factor that with mutations the virus becomes more transmissible but less of a health risk. In some cases, the severity of virus continues from the onset but this has not been the case with COVID. All the buzz phrases of “flatten the curve,” “crush the virus,” “eradicate COVID” and the policies that were put in place to do so, have left many more questioning how all this is being handled.
I would like to see our leaders be more careful in the words they use to reassure us and provide confidence in their ability to make the right decisions in situations, such as we are in now.
The highest risk factors are obesity, advanced age, diabetes, and comorbidity or underlying health issues, the same as at the beginning of March 2020. That is where the problem first showed itself and where the focus should still be.
Let healthy people live a normal life with some common sense caution to the situation.
Michael Thorp,
Mount Forest