Letter: There is much more that we don’t know

keyboard, letter to the editor

To the Editor:

Tensions are easing between the maskers vs. the nonmasking people as the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted in Illinois. In my opinion, the major threat is the media and politicians who “follow the science” narrative of misinformative misconceptions pumped into the public realm. I believe that such tales are just as dangerous, as they offer a false sense of security and enable the government to take more control of our lives.

To the pro-mask people, I remind you of Benjamin Franklin’s warning: “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” To the anti-mask people, I would submit that every human being has a God-given right to be secure in their lives, as declared in the Declaration of Independence first precept and secured by the United States Constitution and that these rights originate from the Hand of God and not the generosity of the state.

As for the science itself, follow the science does not say that wearing a mask will prevent you from contracting COVID. The science says that wearing a mask “reduces the risk” of contracting the virus by limiting the distance that infected droplets can spread and filtering most, but not all, of the air you breathe in. The science does not say that maintaining social distance will stop the virus from spreading. The science says that droplets are “estimated to travel” a certain distance and that practicing social distancing reduces the risk or number of droplets that can fall on you from an infected person. The science does not say that getting vaccinated will stop you from getting infected. The science says that vaccines are highly likely to “reduce the risk” of you suffering the full blown effects of the virus, killing you or spreading the virus.

To date, there are 9,156 COVID-19 variant cases in Illinois excluding an undetermined number of the COVID B.1.617 India strain (Delta) now present in Illinois. Also, there have been 413 hospitalizations and 106 deaths from people who were fully vaccinated, known as “breakthrough cases” in Illinois alone, along with more than 10,000 breakthrough cases nationwide, according to a Harvard Health Medical article dated June 3, 2021. Thus, there is much more that we don’t know and need to learn, and I believe that following the science can be just as dangerous as, well, “not following the science.”

Jesus Alaniz

Yorkville