SALT LAKE CITY — As the days ready to turn toward September, the new coronavirus continues to dominate daily life.
At the Democratic convention, Joe Biden said: “Five million Americans infected with COVID-19. More than 170,000 Americans have died. By far the worst performance of any nation on Earth,” he said, indicting President Trump’s leadership.
At the Republican convention, President Donald Trump said: “In recent months, our nation and the entire planet has been struck by a new and powerful invisible enemy. Like those brave Americans before us, we are meeting this challenge. We are delivering life-saving therapies and will produce a vaccine before the end of the year, or maybe even sooner.”
Here are the numbers, as recorded by Johns Hopkins University of Medicine:
- Number of worldwide cases of COVID-19: 24,834,866.
- Number of worldwide deaths attributed to COVID-19: 840,341.
- Total U.S. cases and deaths as of Saturday: 5,958,486 cases, 182,711 deaths.
- U.S. state with least number of deaths: Wyoming, 37 deaths, 3,086 recovered
- U.S. state with largest number of deaths: New York, 32,937 deaths, 74,923 recovered
The news is better in Utah. The number of Utah cases, deaths and recovery: 51,406 cases out of 650,560 people tested — an overall positive rate of 7.9%. Deaths total 407 with recovery at 43,300. It means more than 8,000 cases remain active.
What is the key statistic or number to consider? Is it the number of cases? Deaths? The recovery rates?
The key number to consider is 1. Or in other words, you. You, one person, can make the difference in stopping the spread.
On July 13, Deseret News Opinion Editor Boyd Matheson introduced the 55-day Moonshot Challenge. It was a call on all Utahns to do their part to stop the spread of the then surging coronavirus by wearing a mask. The 55-day mark focused on turning the tide by Labor Day, which is now only a week away.
As Matheson said: “The rising crisis will require real character and commitment in order to quell and crush it.” He called on all Utahns to wear a mask when in proximity to others, a simple act that health experts said makes a great difference in protecting not just yourself, but others.
Many in Utah County has been resistant to mandates. But Provo this past week (over the objections of its mayor) voted to require people to wear facial coverings indoors and outdoors in public areas and at large gatherings during the pandemic.
It’s a smart move as it precedes the return of students to Brigham Young University. The nation’s colleges are calling on students to act responsibly by adhering to mask-wearing and social distancing. That follows outbreaks at schools where students ignored the safety measures.
Utahns appear to have responded well to the call from Matheson as well as religious leaders, health and business experts and government officials as the numbers have gone down since mid-July. Gov. Gary Herbert last week made another plea to not let our guard down:
“We are far from declaring victory over this awful virus. One death is far too many, and we must all recommit to actions that slow the spread,” Herbert said in a prepared statement.
The No. 1 will also apply looking toward a vaccine. Deseret News reporter Sara Israelsen-Hartley’s outstanding piece today explores who gets a vaccine once it is approved. It’s a perfect Sunday read online or in print and explores the science, the politics and brings you up to date about what happened on Wednesday with the committee making recommendations about the vaccine.
Here’s a sample: “There are nearly 20 million health care providers in the United States, 60 to 80 million essential workers and more than 100 million Americans with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for a severe or fatal COVID-19 infection.
“On top of that, roughly 53 million Americans are 65 or older and at greater risk of suffering from the coronavirus. So, if the first batch of vaccine doses is 20 million — who gets it?”
Most noteworthy, convincing people to get the vaccine will be part of the challenge. Only 45 percent of people over age 18 got the flu vaccine last year, even though it was safe and reliable.
Before others can be convinced to do their part, we have to convince ourselves and act responsibly. Because solving a crisis, even one as large as a pandemic, happens one person at a time.
Doug Wilks is editor of the Deseret News.