This is how Manatee County can force COVID-19 numbers to go down | Opinion

It feels like Groundhog Day as we are watching the positive COVID-19 cases climb, just as we did in March when the virus was new and scary. Well, we don’t know much more today than we did then, except that it appears its not diminishing in the hot summer months of Florida, as we had hoped. Other facts: the average age of the infected is going down and the number of cases is going up.

Just a few weeks ago we heard that the majority of the cases were coming from the long-term care facilities and the young had little to worry about. Today the message is the young are being infected but they can handle it because they are healthier. It’s no wonder that the public is confused about how protect themselves and their families, as the messaging is all over the map.

It seems like just yesterday that the Board of County Commissioners begged for more tests, because we felt testing was the answer to managing the virus. We now have a fantastic testing system and lots of data. And thanks to the federal government stepping in, the virus outbreaks in the long-term care facilities are currently under control.

So why are our numbers still climbing? “It’s due to more testing”, is a common response. Yes, some of it is, but the Department of Health says it is not the only reason, and that some positives are a result of community spread.

Since the average age is trending downward, it may be that those testing positive are asymptomatic and making the decision to keep working and living their life as normal, because they feel great and have bills to pay. Every day, asymptomatic people are passing this highly contagious virus to others who may, or may not, experience symptoms. Ultimately, more exposure will lead to more hospitalizations and more deaths. This is the cycle.

I’m big on personal responsibility and it is my hope that every citizen will follow the CDC guidelines and do their part to prevent spreading the virus. Socially distance. Wash your hands. And wear a mask when in a building or a big crowd. Consider avoiding large crowds if you are part of the vulnerable population.

“But it’s too hot in Florida to wear a mask outside,” says everyone. I agree! Practice social distancing when you are outdoors, but when you go indoors where the air is circulated, protect others by wearing a mask. If we all did that, the positive cases would decline, consumer confidence would grow, everyone would get back to work, and our economy would kick back into high gear.

For those who are my age, think back to when smoking on an airplane and in restaurants was common. The talk of restricting indoor smoking was met with outrage and screams of government overreach. But what about those who didn’t want to breathe the second-hand smoke? What about their rights? Ultimately it was decided that smoking indoors was banned from all businesses, except bars. I suspect most today agree that restriction was the right thing to do.

For those who insist on not wearing a mask because scientists once said it was not necessary, but now recommend it, I offer this: the role of science is to dig deep, analyze fully, discover new associations, and make new recommendations. We should expect science to continue to evolve and we should respect the latest findings. No one can accurately predict the future, but relying on the best information available is prudent. Speaking of potential scenarios, check out the “cone of uncertainty” under “projections” for Florida here: https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america/florida The numbers are unsettling and I hope we see them change for the better as we get closer to the Fall.

I’m writing this blog the night before a Board meeting where I expect a discussion on masks. At this moment, I don’t feel mandating masks is the answer, but who knows where we will be next month in the future of this wave pool of uncharted territory. With that said, it is my hope that our Board will come together and create a public health policy to guide Manatee County citizens and business owners with a clear message of staying safe and protecting our neighbors during the coronavirus pandemic.

Misty Servia represents District 4 (South Manatee) on the Manatee County Commission.