© CEphoto, Uwe Aranas
Arguments for relaxing protective measures during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic often center around the idea of “herd immunity.” In the context of the pandemic, at this point, any discussions portraying herd immunity as a solution are either ignorant or deliberate propaganda. Herd immunity is a concept in vaccination where the very small number of individuals who are unable to be vaccinated are protected from the disease by the vast majority who are vaccinated and immune. The virus has nowhere to spread and the vulnerable are unlikely to come in contact with it. However, there is no vaccine for this new coronavirus. The change in context makes this concept inapplicable and misleading. Herd immunity to the coronavirus is propaganda that serves the economic interests of business owners, portraying dangerous risk-taking as a path to safety.
But let us examine this further all the same. The argument goes that we must relax protective measures for the sake of the economy and that by exposing certain individuals to the virus we will achieve herd immunity and the pandemic will end and everything will return to normal. Now there are a number of important things glossed over in that argument! First, there is no proof that contracting COVID-19 confers immunity. There are reports from around the world of individuals who had recovered testing positive at a later date, possibly having been reinfected. That right there should be enough to nullify any argument for this plan of action. But, there is more.
In order for this to be a minimally effective course of action, our society would need to deliberately select the least vulnerable persons to take up public-facing roles in support of the economy. Put another way, the people who are most likely to overcome infection with COVID-19 would need to be the foundation of the immune herd. In the United States, the people most likely to recover from this infection are wealthy well-educated white people in their twenties. They have the best baseline health and the best outcomes. But, of course, if the government forced wealthy white folks into service roles for the good of the economy, there would be an uproar about the Constitution and civil liberties. Instead, as protective measures are relaxed, the people forced to risk exposure to the virus are those who are most vulnerable to suffering the worst effects: the poorest, most vulnerable Americans with the least ability to access and afford medical care. The result will not be anything like “herd immunity,” but rather suffering and death among our poorest neighbors.
Finally, it needs to be restated that the long-term effects of this novel coronavirus disease are unknown. There are viruses like herpes and chickenpox which can lie dormant and then reemerge. There has been no research to prove that is not the case here. Again, we do not know that infection and recovery grants immunity. If there is immunity, we do not know how long it lasts. And we do not know the full aftereffects of this illness. Our hospitals are overwhelmed treating the currently ill. There is no capacity for studying those who have recovered. There are reports of stroke, lung damage, heart problems, immunodeficiency even after a person has recovered from the primary coronavirus illness. The reports of the lasting ill-health of those who have recovered from COVID-19 are so bad that the United States military has banned anyone treated for it from enlisting.
Herd immunity is not a strategy for economic recovery from the pandemic. It is a lie conceived to coerce desperate people into risking their health and their lives for the benefit and convenience of those fortunate enough to have the resources to stay safe at home.
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