Let science, not politics, dictate response to COVID-19 | Letter to the editor

The top COVID-19 co-morbidities listed by New York State Department of Health, in order, are hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, dementia, atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm condition), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney disease, cancer and congestive heart failure.

What’s missing?

Obesity, the condition that our governor says is the most important co-morbid factor. Oops!

Wouldn’t it be great if politicians were made to take science courses in college? Or at least read science papers now. Law, business and political science backgrounds are not helping us deal with this pandemic. Indeed, maybe that is the problem now.

We need more science in schools and everyday life. Our president, many of his supporters (open America protesters) and our governor don’t understand biology, epidemiology, immunology or infectious diseases. Granted, I am biased since I am a clinician, researcher and immunologist and live and breathe science.

However, when there is a political, financial or legal issue in my life, I gather credible information, discuss the issue with experts in the field, and try and make an informed, rational decision. That is what science teaches us in order to be successful and what our politicians and protesters need to understand.

This is not the time to play politics. This is the time for rational, informed, science based decisions that will save lives. Admittedly this is a terrible economic situation for many people but lives are at stake.

Science needs to dictate actions, not emotion and politics.

As Graham Nash said “Teach your children well! Their father’s hell did slowly go by” ... thanks to science!

Thomas Casale

Palmetto

This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 8:34 AM.