Americans are dying in the name of Freedom. They fear the virus will control them or that it is an unproven poison. God rather than science is the only form of salvation from the pandemic in their minds.
Being in the deep south of Florida, I get to see this play out in real time as half of Floridians refuse to get the vaccine and who fight tooth and nail to send students back to school with no masks and no vaccine. Some honestly believe that a piece of cloth over a students mouth and nose is a greater threat than COVID-19.
More than 90% of patients in Central Florida ICU wards are Unvaccinated. Individual freedoms has become more important than personal health. These individual rights and freedoms result in a wide variety of excuses to refuse to get vaccinated. Rare breakthrough cases have resulted in people believing that the vaccine does not work. Unfounded online rumors circulate that the vaccinated are spreading the virus. Some actually believe that the shot is an excuse to inject a micro chip which is magnetized. Politicians actively ban mask mandates and vaccine passports. Political ambitions trump public health.
75 doctors from South Florida hospitals staged a walk out to protest the deluge of unvaccinated patients they must watch die. The walk out was staged to urge people to get the vaccine. One doctor now refuse to treat any patient who has not been vaccinated. Florida is now dealing with the highest number of new COVID-19 infections in the country. On August 23, 2021 Florida reported 21,329 new cases and the state has 17,215 people hospitalized, which is an increase of 24% over the previous 14 days. 228 people died on this day, an 86% increase over the past 14 days. To keep the public in the dark, the state no longer reports the numbers daily, only reporting once a week.
The state of Alabama finds itself overrun with COVID-19 patients. Patients are left on ambulance stretchers until a bed opens up. 2743 patients have filled every available hospital bed. The University of Alabama predicted that the state may see over 5000 people hospitalized a month from today. Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo called that scenario “potentially apocalyptic.”
People still go about everyday life believing they are invincible, going mask less and unvaccinated. Their personal freedom may result unknowingly in someone else’s death. Freedom today is about dying alone gasping for breath in a hospital bed. Those hospital beds however are becoming a scarce commodity.